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Home > Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor
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Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor
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By Joe Friel
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 (24 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Ulysses Press
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Pages:
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176
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| Product Description: |
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TRAIN SMARTER WITH THE NEWEST HIGH-TECH HEART RATE MONITORS
Whether you are just starting a fitness program or are an experienced athlete, you can greatly benefit from paying attention to your heart rate during exercise. Heart rate serves as a window into the body, giving you minute-to-minute feedback on your physical condition based on all the factors affecting it—exercise intensity, diet, temperature, humidity, altitude, fatigue, and more.
Total Heart Rate Training explains:
?Heart function during exercise
?How heart rate monitors work
?Simple ways to use a heart rate monitor
?Advanced heart rate training techniques
With Total Heart Rate Training, you can design a personalized program that practically guarantees you?ll achieve your fitness goals. You?ll be able to determine the precise and optimal heart rate for each day?s workout by using your heart rate monitor to keep you on target. It?s like having a personal trainer telling you when to go harder and when to back off.
This book also shows how powermeters and accelerometers enable you to compare your body?s input, as measured by heart rate, with its output-power or pace. It?s a combination that allows you to train at your peak for that competitive edge.
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Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 Emphasis on TOTAL of Total Heart Rate Training, December 5, 2006
By Alfred Racho (Manila)
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Total Heart Rate Training
One of the reasons I got this book was that it, at the time I ordered it (November, 2006), it was the latest (and greatest) book about heart rate training. Being the latest, I expected it to have the most up-to-date information regarding heart rate training. And in that aspect, it does not disappoint.
Another reason I got this book was because I'm a fan of the author, Joe Friel (I already have his Mountain Biker's Training Bible, Cyclists' Training Bible, Cycling Past 50, and The Paleo Diet for Athletes -- my reviews which should be coming soon).
As a comparison, the only other book I have about heart rate training is Sally Edwards and Sally Reed's Heart Zones Cycling, another admirable book (and also as of this writing, a 2006 publication).
I was discouraged a bit that, to get a really clearer picture on how effective heart rate training is, another form of measurement should be used as well, whether it's Rate of Perceived Exertion (free, but subject to, er, subjectivity), or through the use of a Power Meter (accurate, but expensive). I was discouraged (only a bit, mind you) because Power Meters are kinda out of my financial reach at the moment, and I would not be able to reach the potential of the author's advise. Note, you get a CLEARER picture of your fitness progression when these other forms of measurement are used in conjunction with heart rate monitoring.
This does not mean, however, that Power Meters are mandatory -- Joe just says the facts: if you have one, then better. After all, the title of the book is TOTAL Heart Rate Training, not just "Heart Rate Training", and the author would do the reader an injustice if he didn't show the synergy of different measurement systems.
This is a short book -- the heart of the matter (no pun intended) is really only a few chapters. The introduction includes the history of heart rate monitors, for instance -- a nice to know, but, in this reviewer's opinion, a bit of fluff.
Where this book shines is how well it explains how to use zones in training. If you have Friel's other books, this is a great addition -- it's like additional chapters for his "Training Bible" series where heart rate training is really looked at in detail. I also like the fact that, while everyone is basing zones on Maximum Heart Rate, Joe bases the zones on Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) -- a more useful and effective way of working the zones. While there are other advocates of zoning based on LTHR, Friel explains it thoroughly and more importantly, in an easy to understand manner.
Now I no longer worry about knowing what my Maximum Heart Rate is, which is a dangerous proposition for some people anyway (testing for Maximum Heart Rate should probably only be done by really fit athletes, not older people or even younger people who are not absolutely fit). LTHR it is, then!
If I must nitpick, the one thing I didn't like in this book, as in most Joe Friel books, is... can you say REDUNDANT? There's a lot of info in here that's already in his Training Bibles. In fact, his Cyclists Training Bible, Mountain Bikers Training Bible, and Cycling Past 50, there is a lot of stuff repeated in those books. And there are also a lot of stuff repeated in this Total Heart Rate Training from his other books.
BUT... not everyone has Friel's other books, and if you didn't have them, then it is vital that said information be in this book. The only one who can/should complain about repetition are those who have his other books (like me). Said repetition (which wouldn't be a redundancy if this is, say, your first/only Joe Friel book) makes the book more complete by itself -- able to stand on its own, so to speak.
But even if you have Joe's other books, Total Heart Rate Training thoroughly explains how to maximize training using a heart rate monitor. In the other books, you get a bit of the WHY's and the HOW-TOs in using a heart rate monitor (the essentials). In this book, you get a more thorough explanation of the WHY's and HOW-TOs. In other words, this makes a great addition to any of his other books, and is a must-have. Even if there is some repetition from his "Bible" series, this is still a great addition. And obviously, if you don't have any Friel book yet, this really should be in your library.
I hope this review was useful for you. Five Stars.
127 of 127 people found the above review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
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Emphasis on TOTAL of Total Heart Rate Training, December 5, 2006
By Alfred Racho (Manila)
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Total Heart Rate Training
One of the reasons I got this book was that it, at the time I ordered it (November, 2006), it was the latest (and greatest) book about heart rate training. Being the latest, I expected it to have the most up-to-date information regarding heart rate training. And in that aspect, it does not disappoint.
Another reason I got this book was because I'm a fan of the author, Joe Friel (I already have his Mountain Biker's Training Bible, Cyclists' Training Bible, Cycling Past 50, and The Paleo Diet for Athletes -- my reviews which should be coming soon).
As a comparison, the only other book I have about heart rate training is Sally Edwards and Sally Reed's Heart Zones Cycling, another admirable book (and also as of this writing, a 2006 publication).
I was discouraged a bit that, to get a really clearer picture on how effective heart rate training is, another form of measurement should be used as well, whether it's Rate of Perceived Exertion (free, but subject to, er, subjectivity), or through the use of a Power Meter (accurate, but expensive). I was discouraged (only a bit, mind you) because Power Meters are kinda out of my financial reach at the moment, and I would not be able to reach the potential of the author's advise. Note, you get a CLEARER picture of your fitness progression when these other forms of measurement are used in conjunction with heart rate monitoring.
This does not mean, however, that Power Meters are mandatory -- Joe just says the facts: if you have one, then better. After all, the title of the book is TOTAL Heart Rate Training, not just "Heart Rate Training", and the author would do the reader an injustice if he didn't show the synergy of different measurement systems.
This is a short book -- the heart of the matter (no pun intended) is really only a few chapters. The introduction includes the history of heart rate monitors, for instance -- a nice to know, but, in this reviewer's opinion, a bit of fluff.
Where this book shines is how well it explains how to use zones in training. If you have Friel's other books, this is a great addition -- it's like additional chapters for his "Training Bible" series where heart rate training is really looked at in detail. I also like the fact that, while everyone is basing zones on Maximum Heart Rate, Joe bases the zones on Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) -- a more useful and effective way of working the zones. While there are other advocates of zoning based on LTHR, Friel explains it thoroughly and more importantly, in an easy to understand manner.
Now I no longer worry about knowing what my Maximum Heart Rate is, which is a dangerous proposition for some people anyway (testing for Maximum Heart Rate should probably only be done by really fit athletes, not older people or even younger people who are not absolutely fit). LTHR it is, then!
If I must nitpick, the one thing I didn't like in this book, as in most Joe Friel books, is... can you say REDUNDANT? There's a lot of info in here that's already in his Training Bibles. In fact, his Cyclists Training Bible, Mountain Bikers Training Bible, and Cycling Past 50, there is a lot of stuff repeated in those books. And there are also a lot of stuff repeated in this Total Heart Rate Training from his other books.
BUT... not everyone has Friel's other books, and if you didn't have them, then it is vital that said information be in this book. The only one who can/should complain about repetition are those who have his other books (like me). Said repetition (which wouldn't be a redundancy if this is, say, your first/only Joe Friel book) makes the book more complete by itself -- able to stand on its own, so to speak.
But even if you have Joe's other books, Total Heart Rate Training thoroughly explains how to maximize training using a heart rate monitor. In the other books, you get a bit of the WHY's and the HOW-TOs in using a heart rate monitor (the essentials). In this book, you get a more thorough explanation of the WHY's and HOW-TOs. In other words, this makes a great addition to any of his other books, and is a must-have. Even if there is some repetition from his "Bible" series, this is still a great addition. And obviously, if you don't have any Friel book yet, this really should be in your library.
I hope this review was useful for you. Five Stars.
124 of 127 people found the above review helpful.
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Not for beginners or the non-competitive athelete, February 16, 2007
By Pgh, PA (Pittsburgh, PA United States)
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This book is probably a five star book, but I give it a four because of the misleading summary provided by the publisher. This book is definitely not for beginners or those that exercise for general fitness. It is highly technical and really only appropriate for competing athletes that train 10 or more hours/week (or those coaching these athletes). If you want some simple programs that help to provide an efficient program for general fitness (<10 hours/week) you should look elsewhere.
77 of 79 people found the above review helpful.
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On my short list of top conditioning training resources, July 20, 2007
By Cellular Wetware plus Books (Philadelphia, Pa USA)
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This brief but densely packed book is a superb reference of conditioning principles for all serious athletes. The reason is that it combines a safe, practical way of quantifying your workouts with a superb overview of the dimensions of training.
Contrary to the impression you might get from the book's title, this book is not a recap of the usual information about heart rate training, it is rather a concise summary of the long experience of the author searching for both effective training strategies and a way of organizing those strategies into an overall system.
The highlights that impressed me:
1. How to realistically and accurately evaluate your own heart rate training zones. "Max heart rate" is risky and unneccessary to test and uselessly inaccurate to estimate from age. Friel's approach is to use lactate threshold and work back from there because it is much easier to determine and more meaningful to most training programs.
2. The physiological and functional effects of each training zone, related to perceived effort and types of training drill. This breakdown tells you exactly how each type of training affects your basic athletic abilities and gives you examples of drills for each zone.
3. An easily understood adaptation of Bompa's system for relating basic athletic abilities (endurance, force, speed-skill) to advanced abilities (muscular endurance, anaerobic endurance, power).
4. Practical suggestions for determining what sorts of training you need to support activity of different durations.
The book focuses primarily on training for endurance sports, but its quantitative approach to training will help anyone in any athletic activity to systematize and improve their own program.
Note that the focus in this book is on the performance abilities common to all physical activities. There is no coverage of skill aquisition, flexibility, mobility, stability, or the functional approach to sports. The training concepts in this book in general assume that you already have the basic functional ability to perform in your given sport. I would say that this fact, more than any complexity or difficulty of the book, makes this a somewhat advanced resource. If you are a novice athlete, you would not want to just jump into the sorts of training program suggested here. You would want to first determine the basic stability and mobility requirements for your sport and be sure you understand and meet those before you go off doing different kinds of intervals and steady state workouts.
This book is a superb mixture of exercise science and the author's long practical experience with athletic training. I highly recommend it to help any thinking coach or athlete better plan their conditioning workouts.
37 of 40 people found the above review helpful.
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comprehensive and clear, and not at all too technical, May 10, 2007
By Donna Van Zandt (Seattle, WA USA)
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This book is comprehensive enough that even someone who has been doing a lot of reading on heart rate and training will learn something new.
Someone else's review says that it isn't intended for an Average Joe user, and is only useful for athletes. I suspect that this person is one of those people who thinks that the 1040 tax form is too complicated. This text is comprehensive and detailed enough for a superb athlete, but all the information can be understood and used by a novice working out on an elliptic machine at the gym (me!). If you aren't training for a run nine months from now and don't need a training plan, just don't read that section, right? Right.
Also, there is a helpful "Misconceptions" section.
23 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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 Do not buy unless you are training for a competition, January 19, 2009
By Brain Drain (Everywhere, U.S.A.)
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With regards to my goals of using heart rate to help me focus my twice a week cardio workouts in order to increase overall fitness, this book was a flop. Although there is a great deal of useful information, the author relates everything to training for a competition. What I was expecting (from the title TOTAL HEART RATE TRAINING), was an explanation of the various zones and how I can use the zones to increase my cardiovascular fitness. Instead I was given advice on how to set up workouts in preparation for a triathlon.
For the person who does compete, or the coach of competitors, this would probably be a worthwhile read. But those who have no intention of doing such things, I would skip this book.
23 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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Do not buy unless you are training for a competition, January 19, 2009
By Icarus Falls (Everywhere, U.S.A.)
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With regards to my goals of using heart rate to help me focus my twice a week cardio workouts in order to increase overall fitness, this book was a flop. Although there is a great deal of useful information, the author relates everything to training for a competition. What I was expecting (from the title TOTAL HEART RATE TRAINING), was an explanation of the various zones and how I can use the zones to increase my cardiovascular fitness. Instead I was given advice on how to set up workouts in preparation for a triathlon.
For the person who does compete, or the coach of competitors, this would probably be a worthwhile read. But those who have no intention of doing such things, I would skip this book.
20 of 22 people found the above review helpful.
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 A Bore, March 25, 2008
By John Pierce (Los Angeles CA)
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A very confusing book geared for the advanced athlete or olympic hopeful.
Of little use for the average fitness enthusiast.
I learned nothing from this scattered manual.
I'll continue to research elsewhere.
5 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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How to get more from your HR monitor, September 26, 2008
By juliusp.s (México DF)
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Basically this book directs the reader to get the most of his Heart rate monitor and helps very well to change the reader into a more dedicated amateur or professional athlete by giving us the information (always backed with scientific literature) and the more pragmatical advises to improve our training. I find very easy to follow the books instructions in order to find my lactate threshold and organize an annual training plan (something I haven't). I think the book was written with a lot of expertise behind the author and he actually put all that info and experience in the hands of the reader. With that, the simplest Heart rate monitor transforms itself in a powerful tool.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Very informative - almost too much, April 19, 2008
By G. Hartmann
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As with other Friel books I've read, there is an abundance of outstanding, detailed and reasoned information in this book. Probably more detail than any non-professional athlete needs, but it is an outstanding resource. I think it is well worth the money for someone who wants to understand the physiology and theory regarding workouts in order to maximize his/her fitness.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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complete and controversial, July 13, 2008
By Blair Barnett (Union City, CA USA)
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The author clearly has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience with heart rate monitors and heart rate monitor training. If you're looking for a "beginner's guide to using a heart rate monitor" this might be a little too complex for you.
However, if you are a serious athlete whose sport requires caridovascular strength and endurance, then this book is a great fit for you.
4 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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complete and controversial, July 13, 2008
By Blair Barnett (UNION CITY, CA, United States)
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The author clearly has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience with heart rate monitors and heart rate monitor training. If you're looking for a "beginner's guide to using a heart rate monitor" this might be a little too complex for you.
However, if you are a serious athlete whose sport requires caridovascular strength and endurance, then this book is a great fit for you.
4 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Total heart rate training, September 2, 2008
By Mark E. Barry (Great Falls, MT USA)
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This book was o.k. in the sense that it did explain certain useful aspects of training with a monitor that you would not recieve elsewhere. I felt that book had a lot of fillers that were hard to understand and did not really apply to the layperson looking for basic information on how to get the most out of your monitor.
I have used a heart monitor in some form for the last 15 years, and I have been looking for a book that would be a one stop manuel. I would recommend this book to the athlete that is detail oriented, but would not give this book to first time users of heart monitors;there are better ones out there for that purpose. All in all, you will find this book useful for some aspects of your training.
Mark Barry
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Total heart review, October 8, 2007
By Jose Alvarado
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It's an excellent acquisition for people who like measuring their fitness. Sometimes the book seems to be a little complicated but you can after a second lecture you will find that is no so complicated
3 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Very helpful resource..., October 7, 2008
By Benjamin E. Sauter (SLC, UT)
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This is a great book that will help any endurance athlete begin to develop a strategy and be smarter about planning workouts. It is straightforward and readable, a great reference. My cycling performance has definitely improved now that I am able to understand and focus on heart rate zones.
2 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Cumbersome, January 6, 2010
By Eric M. Tobias
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It was an interesting book and it was very helpful. It described a great way of finding your Anaerobic HR. It also was great in allowing you to test your fitness by checking the amount of your "coupling". Where the book/method falls short is that you are required to have seven HR zones, where most HR monitors only have five. Also, the sample workouts were not easy to follow and I have found only had a limited usefulness.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Joe Friel mentality, December 9, 2010
By Sotsof
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This is an excellent,easy to read book,which express clearly
J.Friel mentality about training.I recommend reading of this
book,especially if you are not very experienced athlete.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Incomplete, September 22, 2009
By sciguy (Westchester, NY)
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This book has several sections where it attempts to instruct the reader to follow a procedure, such as determining aspects of your heart rate function. In two cases, steps seem to be omitted that do not allow the reader to complete the procedure. Several of us looked this over, and we are pretty tech-savvy. Couldn't figure it out. I think it has editing errors.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Outstanding book for the serious athlete, December 9, 2011
By Sideofpotatos
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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!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 repetitive and poorly written, January 14, 2011
By 24/7 workerbee (Silicon Valley, CA)
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I wanted a book on heart rate training and chose this one because it was the only one available on my Kindle. I should have killed a tree instead. This book is very poorly written and very repetitive - it's as if they decided to make a book out of a magazine article, so the author just kept adding more words to get up to some minimum number of page count to qualify for publishing. I've given up reading it, and have found more information through internet searches than the book has provided.
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Excellent book, May 14, 2009
By Sandokano (Washington DC)
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Very comprehensive and useful book. Easy to understand even if you need to be concentrated.
0 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Takes out the guess work, November 30, 2011
By Benny
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Good book. Well written. It takes out a lot of the guessing when it comes to heart rate training. I have seen an improvement in my training and better recovery. But mainly less stress since i know exactly what to do each day.
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Good option, November 14, 2011
By Andre Balbe
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This book is great, i can grow up my training before read the book.
I learn about heart frequency and how obtain more results monitoring my heart.
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Excellent Resource, October 8, 2011
By Alex
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I'm a beginner-intermediate runner who's just bought a heart rate monitor, and this book has enabled me to get the absolute most out of it. The strength of this book is how it steps the reader logically through how to workout their own heart rate zones, and how to train for endurance events guided by heart rate. I would highly recommend it.
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