The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclists: A Heart Zones Training Program

Nevertheless, as a beginner, I found the book quite useful. If you can read past all the junk, the authors have some very simple, down-to-earth approaches to exercise and training with a heart monitor. And they appear to have adequate scientific backup. They define heart rate zones somewhat differently from most other writers, but their approach is easier to follow from a practical point-of-view. Their detailed workout recipes are easy to understand. (There is a neat graphical representation.) Even if you never do a single one of their workouts, you will get a lot of useful ideas for your own. Their formula for estimating maximum heart rate was far more accurate for me than the traditional one (220-age) which others recommend. Their Delta (Orthostatic) Heart Rate test provides an easy check for overtraining, an issue which had concerned me.

The book definitely was worth the price and more-or-less worth the time.


Increase Your Preformance Substantially   November 18, 2001
 21 out of 23 found this review helpful

If you are serious about reading and following this program, buy yourself a heart monitor for the cyclist with features for cadence, altitutde and Watt output (HAC4 from ciclosport was most price efficient for me with all the features) learn how to use it then read this book.

In this excellent publication she explains the 5 heart training zones and what each zone does for the heart. She stresses training a certain amount of time or percentage of the work out in each zone.

I have kept a diary as the author has highly recommended to every athelete and this has helped me plan my work out accordingly and effectively raising my preformance substantially.

Since I cycle to work every second day, I read the chapters about outdoor training first.Afterwards I read the chapters on indoor cylcing, which encourage me to go to spinning classes from time to time to alter my training routine. I found riding on a stationairy bicycle so booooring until I was in a spinning group.

You must be disciplined; It worked for me and I am sure it will work for you.


Mixed bag   August 13, 2001
 19 out of 22 found this review helpful

There is definitely some useful information in this book. Since I haven't read any other books on training with an HR, I can't compare, but on it's own merits I would say this book is pretty mediocre. As others have mentioned, it is poorly edited and poorly arranged. Info on the various zones is very good. However there seems to be a whole lot less about how/when to use the various zones, other than very basic "weight management" vs. "fitness". One last gripe is that nearly all of the outdoor workouts require "flat to slight rolling" terrain. Well, if you live someplace that has a lot of hills, forget getting any useful info on how to train in that environment from this book.