Quote Originally Posted by doc View Post
The heart rate calculation of 220 - age is complete and total nonsense. It is not based on any science and should be ignored. (It is loosely based on the fact that newborns have a normal heart rate up to 220 - which is true. To which there is nothing to say but "so what". This has abolutely nothing to do with the maximal exercise heart rates of adults.)

You can find lots of discussion here about testing for your own max heart rate with maximal effort.
Quote Originally Posted by SadieKate View Post
Go through your Polar book. The software should set up the computer with the max HR based on your age and gender but that is just an estimate. Each one of us has a different max HR. To get accurate you need to do a field test. I think roadbikerider.com had one. Sally Edwards has them. Every coach who works with an HRM has one.
Sheesh, doc, thanks for making it look I said the 220 thing was a rule set in stone.