heart beat chart

Question
Hello
I am a 56-year-old male. I look at the heart-beat charts on the internet, for my age. When I run, my heart beat is maximum of 123, below the charts. When I started running, it was already lower than the charts. People say that my heart beat max, being only 123, for my age, is a great thing. My guess that faster heart beats would be more blood pumping, and lower heart beats would be less blood pumping.

I was jut wondering what you thought about of this.

Answer
I personally dislike going by heart rate charts, because the science of them is way off and they don't account much for the individual's past & current exercise habits.  The heart rate maximum's are usually figured out to be 220 minus your age, then multiplying that number by 60% & 80% (some say 85%), then subtracting your resting heart rates from those numbers to discover your training zones.  What I have found out as a trainer is that many of these calculations are off-base when people are asked how hard they feel they are working out in these levels.  For many, its too easy, even at the higher zones that are calculated for them.  
What I have suggested doing, and what many research studies have shown too, is that if you go by percieved exertion ratings, such as a scale of 1-10 based on how hard you feel (10 being an all-out effort rating), working in the 5-8 ranges will suffice for a good workout routine.  

Rick Karboviak