Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor

I bought a Garmin Forerunner 305 several years ago and have been using it to record my heart rate, pace, speed, course, etc... I read what I could find on the web about heart rate training and have tried to apply it to my training program. In addition, I have bought several triathlon, cycling, and running books and checked out numerous others from the library and they all pale in comparison to this one. Joe explains the physiology behind his approach so anyone can understand and apply it to their fitness program. I've read most of what he has in the book in other places on the web but I could never put all the different pieces together in my head. In Joe's book he does just that. He synthesizes all the information related to using your heart rate to guide your training into a coherent explanation and plan for applying in real life. Here are a couple of the questions I had that he explained in the book.1. When I run I usually strive to keep my heart rate in a certain heart rate zone for a certain amount of time. I noticed that the farther I got into my run the more I would have to slow down to keep my heart rate in the prescribed zone. In the book Joe tells us that this is called coupling (coupling of heart rate and pace) and that a fit athlete can maintain a constant pace without their heart rate elevating excessively. In my case, my heart rate and pace are decoupling which is a sign of a lack of fitness. He goes on to describe the approach for measuring the amount of decoupling and how to change your fitness program to address this deficiency.2. Another lesson learned from Joe's book is that your heart rate zone should be based on your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR) . I've always used the Kavornen method to compute my heart rate zones. He explains why it's better to use the LTHR and spends a great deal of the book explaining how to measure this heart rate, and the physiology of working at or slightly above or below the LTHR.This is a fascinating book that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to get the most our of their training program.I bought the Kindle version of the book and the only drawback was that many of the figures, tables, and worksheets were hard to read. I'd recommend buying the paper version, its worth the extra cost.

I've found this to be a great book for endurance training for the self coached athlete. Many folks will decide they want to take up biking, running, tris, etc... and often they just grab a generic training plan from a website. This often works fine, but many people won't go any further than that, and surprise surprise, they don't get the results they think they should.A book like this is the next step. It will break down why you need to start thinking about HR training and periodization. Once you've read about why and decide you want to do this the work begins. While the book it good, it will not hand hold you through the process. You've got some reading to do, and then some measuring, thinking and finally planning.While it may seem frustrating to go through all those chapters, you will come away with a greater understanding about endurance training as well as a far more personalized plan that can get you to your goals in a much more efficient manner than just plugging away at a pre-made template.

I recently have become a highly inspired runner and research lead me to this author/book. It ultimately teaches the reader how to plan an entire year's worth of training around 2 or 3 primary race events while simultaneously providing essential information on the secret to heart rate training. I found this book to contain so much information (without extra fluff to wade thru) that it reminded me of taking college courses! I took several pages worth of notes as I read, I reread some chapters multiple times, I wanted to soak in everything this extraordinary bank of knowledge had to offer because I knew it contained the secret to unlocking my potential as a runner and achieving my nearly impossible goals in the next year.If running for you is a high priority and a way of life for you (comes in somewhere behind family and maybe ahead of work!) this book is exactly what you need. If you are more of a casual trainer than this book probably contains more info than you are interested in.RUN FOR LIFE!!

I have always heard about or read the fat burning zones but did not comprehend them. After reading this book, I learned how and why the body burns fat within the fat burn zone.You ask yourself what this has to do with total heart rate training. There are three avenues of fuel for athletes, the main one I am concerned about is fat for ultra events. As an ultrarunner, my body depends on its ability to burn fat and stay within a specific lactate threshold to avoid premature muscle failure.The tips and information in the book has helped me to trim off 2 hours on my 50 miles distances. I highly recommend this book to others.

I got this at the same time as my heart rate monitor. This was useful to help me understand how to use the monitor and how to train, using it, to improve cardiorespiratory fitness. Most of it was not directly applicable to my training, as my goals were somewhat different, but parts of it were.

Has some good info to help with your training, but does not come with training plans. Expect to either spend a lot of time and effort developing plans after reading, or (as the book intends) go to the author's website and buy a plan.The two star reason us that the book is shamelessly an advert for the author's business, and worse an advert for Polar. I understand that the author is sponsored by Polar and that Polar make good HRMs, but to only mention Polar in the book seems like delibrate product placement. Fair enough but if its an advertisement then I want the book free as I don't like paying for advertising.

I bought this because Friel's mtb bible was such a great book.This book is a weak lightweight summary of info that is in the bible. No point buying it: I'd give it a skip.

Enough info for those who train with a HRM!

Item arrived promptly in good condition. A useful and interesting explanation of the benefits of training with a heart rate monitor.

extremely detailed book, but was able to pick out the info needed. Very Good book.

The book covered everything I wanted to know and gave me some good tips, but he went a bit too deep at times, especially towards the end of the book.

my training WAS very un-organised. I know have a planned schedule and specific training goals to aim for. Perfect book for a novice like me to improve and a firm basis for future development.