Customer Reviews

Sally Edwards' Heart Zone Training: Exercise Smart, Stay Fit, and Live Longer

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is ideal for beginners. If only she had put the word beginner in the title I would have known and chosen another book. The book is very basic, and more than half of it consists of experiences of her friends. She goes into too many details about them, and the quotes sound made-up.

I'm a beginner to heart rate training but not a beginner to exercise. I ended up with lots of questions that her book doesn't answer. She says many things that I'm questioning. Maybe they're true for beginners who are out of shape but for me? According to her book, I'm running anaerobically (86% of HR max) yet I'm not even out of breath. Later she says that the threshold is different for everyone. so these percentages she gives (60%, 70%, 80%, etc.) are not accurate.

Overall I got some good ideas from this book, like the importance of cross-training and keeping a log of what I do. But at the same time I think at least half of it wasn't helpful. If you haven't exercises in a while and are out of shape, and are willing to buy a heart rate monitor (I suggest Polar) then this book is for you. If you already exercise I would search for a more advanced book or website.

I have exercised regularly for years, and am well-acquainted with the benefits of aerobic conditioning. Although I have been aware of the importance of proper heart rate, I've always just guessed at it. On my last visit to my physician, he suggested that I exercise using a heart rate monitor. Sally Edwards' book was the one I chose to inform me on heart rate training.

This book presents the basics of heart zone training, which are exactly what I need as a beginner. A more experienced heart rate trainer might find the volume too simplistic, but for a novice it is ideal. Edwards' work is easy-to-read, and the training stories of friends and acquaintances personalize the presentation.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is considering a heart rate training program. It's basic, it's believable, and it's built upon solid medical and athletic experience. Once you've read this title, you'll want to buy a heart rate monitor immediately. Take your time, learn about features and prices, and then purchase accordingly. The appendix at the back of the book gives some good advice on how to select a monitor that is right for you.

Sally Edwards book is ideally suited for the novice non-runner. I found the information in this book to be very basic and with the primary emphasis to be targeted at individuals beginning a fitness program. The book is writen in a very friendly manner and definately not "textbookish". I recommend this book for those people interested in beginning a fitness program.

I'd researched "state of the art" training methods on the web and two themes emerged: heart zone training and Sally Edwards as an expert on the topic.

I'd bought a Polar heart rate monitor and wanted to increase its effectiveness in my training. Sally Edward's Heart Zone Training fit the bill. Sally covers basic principles of heart zone training, then helped me to create my own heart rate training program.

By following the 10 steps outlined in Chapter 8, I had a step by step guide to set up my first heart rate training Points Log, which is essentially a spreadsheet that documents the frequency, intensity, and time spent on various sport activities that comprised my weekly workout. Each of these activities contribute "points" towards a weekly "points total" by activity, intensity, and total for the week.

I found the Points Log excellent for both planning and recording actual performance. I kept detailed notes each week to continuously provide feedback and improve the quality of my workouts.

Needless to say, in the first 6 weeks, I lost a couple of pounds, increased my weekly workload (points) by 35 percent, and reduced my resting pulse rate from 64 to 62.

I now feel much better and more relaxed. Even my clothes don't seem to fit as I'm now appearing a little more angular in the bathroom mirror.

All in all, Sally Edwards offers a comprehensive guide to help you to get the most out of heart zone training.

I purchased this book at the same time I purchased a Heart Rate Monitor, which was 2 weeks after starting an exercise program.

I have found the information in this book very helpful. It explains how to use the heart rate monitor effectively to a novice and offers direction on how to start and maintain a workout schedule along with examples and exercises.

This is not a deep book, but a great starter book. A heart rate monitor is not required, but recommeneded to get the most out of this book and your exercises.

A good, introductory book. Unfortunately, I was looking more for a way to incorporate hrm training into my advanced regimen; since this is a basic book with an overall view, it wasn't specific enough for me. Good if you are a beginner to training in general.

The book is an excellent introduction to Heart Zone training. The examples are very clear, the worksheets and charts easy to understand and use, and her training suggestions seem very practical. Although I found this book easier to read than others on the subject, it seems best for those who don't know much about heart zone training and want a very good, basic understanding with some pointers that can be put into practice immediately. It's not for advanced heart zone enthusiasts.

Sally's down-to-earth book is just the best! From begginers to advanced athletes who have never tried heart zone training, this is the book to start with.

I had always been a diverse sportsman, but just stopped doing any exercise during the last 5 years. Went from 180 lbs. to 265 lbs. during that time period. Just like many people, I attempted to get in shape several times before reading this book. All of my attempts failed.

Now, using the simple and strightforward methods shown by Sally, I have been exercising on a daily basis for the past 3 months, going back to 220 lbs. painlessly. Doctor says I will be back to 200 lbs. in the next 3 months of training, sticking to a low-fat diet.

I just love it, and the motivation is now so high, that I am competing in March 1999 on my first adventure race, a 24 hour non-stop event.

Keep up the good work, Sally!

I found this book very informative, especially since I hadn't approached fitness from heart rate point of view before. However, I think this could have been presented in a much more succinct manner. The website ... seems to say the same thing much more precisely (and cheaply).
I think Sally gave too much attention to her friends' fitness experiences, experiences which were very far removed from this reader's situation.

I first learned of Sally Edwards when I bought my Timex Ironman T5F001 Unisex 100-Lap Target Trainer Heart Rate Monitor Watch and Timex Bodylink Ultimate Package 3rd Generation - GPS Speed and Distance, Heart Rate and PC Link (inc.Software). There was a short pamphlet in there on Heart Zone Training. I thought that it was an interesting concept, assigning "training points" to exercise so that you can achieve certain goals. I was curious so I decided to buy this book.

Here were the goals that I was hoping the book would help me achieve:

1) weight loss and maintenance
2) increased fitness

While I thought the concept of training points was helpful, I found that in the book Edwards over-complicated things with her Training Tree. Also, since my primary goal is weight loss, Edwards doesn't provided any type of training point system for that. Granted, everyone's body is different, but even providing a rough range, like 400 - 800 points would have been ideal, but there's nothing like that to be found in this book.

The Training Point System stands on its own, but with the addition of the Training Tree, I thought the book got even more confusing. I think she could have spent more time discussing the Point System and addressing other goals besides just training for a race.

If you're brand new to heart zone training, I would consider this book to be more of a "starter pamphlet", because it describes what heart zone training is, but beyond that, it doesn't really give more detailed information. In fact, you can find the same amount of detail on the internet. For anyone who needs more than a basic overview of heart zone training, I'd highly recommend John Parker's Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot over this book. Parker's book is the best I've ever read.