Daniel Tyminski is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete, box owner and army combat veteran. As the head coach at CrossFit Lindy and an ISSA-Certified personal trainer, Tyminski is passionate about using his knowledge to help athletes achieve their fitness goals. Follow him on Twitter at @BOOMSAUCE51 and Instagram at @boomsauce39!

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Heart rate training involves tracking your pulse to navigate exercise intensity, rest periods and workout duration. It keeps your pulse in your target heart rate zone — which typically falls between 55-85 percent of your max HR — and helps you maximize a workout’s effectiveness.

Because of its many health benefits, heart rate training is a big part of my fitness regimen and something I regularly prescribe at my gym, CrossFit Lindy. So today, I wanted to share my five favorite heart rate training workouts.

You can do these workouts as prescribed or scale them to your current ability. In either case, these training plans will elevate your pulse, improve your heart health and help you reach the next level of fitness.

1. Hustle and muscle

• What is it: Five rounds of max-effort rowing or running for three minutes, plus one minute of rest between intervals.
  
• Why I love this workout: This workout looks easy at first glance. You see three minutes and think, “that’s it?” 
  But don’t be fooled. This is a great workout for heart rate training as it gets your heart rate up pretty high and keeps it there. You have to work smart because one minute of rest isn’t much time. That’s what makes this workout as fun as it is challenging.
• Secrets for success: While three minutes is a short domain, the four rounds pile up to 15 minutes of intense, demanding work. So I like to think of this workout as two or three miles of running or rowing to ensure I’m pacing myself properly.
  You’ll get through this quickly if you’re fit, but that doesn’t mean you should give 100 percent effort right out of the gate. If you go as fast as you can during the first round, you’ll only wear yourself out. Instead, aim to stay within your target heart rate zone.

2. The Boomsauce special

• What is it: Row as far as you can in five minutes. Do that again in four, three, two and one minute intervals. Take two minutes of rest between intervals.
• Why I love this workout: This is one of my all time favorite workouts. I actually use it to measure my own level of fitness because it makes you aware of how fast your body can move.
• Secrets for success: The goal for this workout is to increase speed with each set. But before you get started, make sure you know your best 2K time, because that’s the pace you want to keep.
  For example, my best 2K is 6:36, which comes out to a 1:39 pace for every 500 meters. So I would normally start the first set two seconds slower than my best 2K and work up from there.
  Two minutes is plenty of rest between sets, so keep an eye on your heart rate every time you start a new one. Your pulse should go up as your speed increases.

3. The shredder

• What is it: Six sets, each for time. Rest two minutes after each and all sets. In the end you, should have six times to log.
  Two sets of
  - 10 back squats @60% of 1RM
  - 400 meter row
  Two sets of
  - 10 power cleans @55% of 1RM
  - 400 meter row
  Two sets of
  - 10 target burpees
  - 400 meter row
• Why I love this workout: I like this workout because it’s challenging. It jacks up your heart rate and makes a world of hurt!
• Secrets for success: This workout is more of a lactic acid threshold training exercise. So while you’re exercising, your legs might feel like they’re blowing up (in a good way)!
  Also keep in mind that if you have a fast 400 meter row time, you probably won’t keep your usual pace because of the workout’s intensity. This is totally normal, so don’t be afraid to slow down.
  Please note that all barbell work must be unbroken, meaning you can’t put the bar down. You’re lifting too heavy and missing out on the stimulus if you have to break up the movements. The key is to find a challenging weight you can lift sustainably throughout the workout.

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4. The atomic annihilator

• What is it:
  20-minute AMRAP of:
  - 20/15 calories on the assault bike
  - 20 burpees to a six-inch target
  - 20 kettlebell swings @35/25lbs
• Why I love this workout: This workout is a marathon, not a sprint. Since it’s 20 minutes long, it’s important to pace it out from the start!
• Secrets for success: I call this type of workout the “grinder” style workout. So what that means is to not come out hot the first round and die, but to casually move through each movement.This is where the HR monitor comes in handy. Sometimes it’s hard to look at the clock and know how fast you’ve gone. If you can check your heart rate monitor, you’ll know exactly what percentage of your maximum heart rate you’re using. I recommend staying in the 80-85 percent zone.With this workout, you can do everything unbroken. There are no real physical limitations. And this will teach you how to move slow — especially with the burpees.

5. The pulverizer

• What is it: For time, complete 15-10-5 hang power cleans at 135/95, followed by 10 bar-facing burpees after each set, including the last.
• Why I love this workout: This workout means GO! I love going fast and getting my heart rate up as much as I can.
• Secrets for success: This is a sprint and should be done unbroken. The reps descend so holding onto the bar should be no problem. If you can’t do the prescribed weights, scale to something you know you can hold onto for a long time. You should go so fast that you should hit your max heart rate — or even reach a new one. Let's see how high it can get!

Get ready to raise your pulse

Integrating cardio in to your workout routine offers a ton of health benefits, and these workouts are sure to get your pulse pumping. So the next time you hit the gym, grab your heart rate monitor and try one of these workouts!

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