Rating: 
Summary: offers a ferocious way to train-
Review: never again...will I train the same. This book has changed my cycling workouts. I picked up a copy a month ago and my rides are becoming incredible. I thought I was training for high performance before because I was using a heart rate monitor- but I realized I needed a reference guide so I could train smarter. I noticed this book was co-authored. I suspect this is one reason why it is appealing to both the high performance athlete and the beginning heart rate monitor user...input from various sources. Wonderful book all around! (it comes with a cd rom too- I've never seen a training book with a cd rom!)
Rating: 
Summary: Sally Edward's books are like rolling blackouts!
Review: Poorly written, poorly edited and confusing--they'll end up like heartzones.com--bankrupt.
Rating: 
Summary: folks who work for Sally E shouldn't write reviews
Review: Several people who work for Sally Edwards wrote glowing reviews of theis book. I think their are some ethical issues in reviewing a book written by your employer or business partner.
Check HEARTZONE.COM for the people who work for Sally.
Rating:
Summary: The only book I would not buy.
Review: Terrible writing and even worse editing. Much better info out there on heart rate monitors!
Rating: 
Summary: Great content, flawed editing
Review: The authors have done a great job of outlining the benefits of heart rate training, and specifically Heart Zone training. I've reaped more from my monitor since getting this book, than all my previous training. I do have a problem with the book editing. Workout lengths in the diagrams don't always match the text description, the workouts are scattered throughout the book, the workout chart in Appendix A is missing page numbers, etc. However, the content overcomes all of these flaws and the book will become a thumbworn addition to your fitness library.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed bag
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed bag
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Useful information for beginners but painful to read
Review: This is a book one just wants to hate. The two authors waste pages writing praise for one another. They give their workout recipes (over 60) cutesy-poo names like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Snookie". Much of the book amounts to promotional messages for the programs by Heart Zones, of which one of the authors just happens to be CEO. Most disturbing, perhaps, the authors do not appear to have any medical or scientific credentials to backup their position as authorities.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.
Rating:
Summary: Useful information for beginners but painful to read
Review: This is a book one just wants to hate. The two authors waste pages writing praise for one another. They give their workout recipes (over 60) cutesy-poo names like "Saturday Night Fever" and "Snookie". Much of the book amounts to promotional messages for the programs by Heart Zones, of which one of the authors just happens to be CEO. Most disturbing, perhaps, the authors do not appear to have any medical or scientific credentials to backup their position as authorities. 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.
Rating:
Summary: SMART TRAINING
Review: This is another great book in a series of great books authored by heart rate guru, Sally Edwards. Co-author Sally Reed has developed some great workouts that prove that working "through the zones" is actually the best way to LOSE FAT, and TRAIN SMARTER FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE, and to MAINTAIN CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. This book is easy to read, easy to follow, easy to APPLY, and comes with a CD-ROM, which can help you log your progress. I bought the Heart Rate Monitor Log Book for Cyclists in addition to this book, and have found it one of the best logbooks on the market as well. Having trouble sticking to your workout or "breaking through" some wall? No problem! The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Outdoor and Indoor Cyclists has a world of information available through references to their website. YOU CAN'T LOSE. (And neither will I, unless my fellow age-group competitors read this book, too!)
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