Exercising to lose weight

chrisoldroyd

My single goal is to shed some pounds and get to my ideal weight. I am doing at least 5 cardio sessions a week each for about 40 minutes, 4 indoor bike sessions and 1 squash game.

I use a heart rate monitor and when I am on my bike I notice that most of my workout is spent in Aerobic (Endurance). Under that zone is Fat Burning and I am wondering if I should reduce the intensity of my rides to keep my heart rate in the lower zone to burn more fat?

Any experts out there can advise?




Thanks

Chris

MeanderingMammal

Don't bother with zones, the difference in effect is negligible.

Work hard, get results.

fishingjts

Definitely keep it in the higher zones... don't drop to the "fat burn" zone... Do some searching on HIIT.... it's worked wonders for me for the last two months! (down 50 pounds)

cw106

keep doing everything that works for you.
be interested if you experiment with HRM during squash too.

chrisoldroyd

Squash has been a bit disappointing, maybe we are not good enough yet to make a real heavy workout,

cw106

thanks for showing that.
maybe its too stop/ start between points for the hrm.
still a great burn tho.

loribethrice

What HRM do you use?

sazzyanne14

Adding some interval training into your bike sessions a couple of times a week. There's so much research that has been done into the effects of this. Couple that with your standard cardio exercise and you have a much more effective way of exercising

SrMaggalicious

i never do steady state anymore....just HiiT (and wgt. training) - 20 minutes, in and done...VO2 zone, baby.

chrisoldroyd

I currently use a Polar H7 heart rate monitor, it's excellent. I use it with my iPhone but plan on picking up a Polar Loop band that works with it so I won't need my phone all the time.

noexcusesjustresults2014

chrisoldroyd wrote: »

My single goal is to shed some pounds and get to my ideal weight. I am doing at least 5 cardio sessions a week each for about 40 minutes, 4 indoor bike sessions and 1 squash game.

I use a heart rate monitor and when I am on my bike I notice that most of my workout is spent in Aerobic (Endurance). Under that zone is Fat Burning and I am wondering if I should reduce the intensity of my rides to keep my heart rate in the lower zone to burn more fat?

Any experts out there can advise?




Thanks

Chris

Fat loss (total) will always be higher at the higher intensities. When you see studies claiming greater weight loss at lower (fat loss zone) intensities they are referring to fat loss as a percentage of weight loss.

That being said, the purpose of exercise should be to being more fit and have fun!

Weight loss may be a side effect of exercise but is certainly not its only purpose

peter56765

Get fit at the gym. Lose weight in the kitchen.

yopeeps025

Are there any problems training in the Vo2 max range?

MeanderingMammal

yopeeps025 wrote: »

Are there any problems training in the Vo2 max range?

Not really, the effect is to improve VO2Max. In conjunction with cardiac base training (long duration moderate intensity) and lactate threshold training it delivers best effects

yopeeps025

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

yopeeps025 wrote: »

Are there any problems training in the Vo2 max range?

Not really, the effect is to improve VO2Max. In conjunction with cardiac base training (long duration moderate intensity) and lactate threshold training it delivers best effects

I heard stories of that training that high might end up in cardiac arrest. One reason I stop using my HRM because it made claims I'm working at 95% max HR for HIIT jump rope.

BrianSharpe

yopeeps025 wrote: »

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

yopeeps025 wrote: »

Are there any problems training in the Vo2 max range?

Not really, the effect is to improve VO2Max. In conjunction with cardiac base training (long duration moderate intensity) and lactate threshold training it delivers best effects

I heard stories of that training that high might end up in cardiac arrest. One reason I stop using my HRM because it made claims I'm working at 95% max HR for HIIT jump rope.

Only if you have an undiagnosed heart problem. Yup, there are a few marathon runners that drop dead from heart attacks 100 yds from the finish line....

keep in mind that most HRMs use 220- your age as your MaxHR which is not very useful for most people.

To the OP....forget you ever hear the term :"fat burning zone" . In the context of weight loss you want to burn more calories than you consume, exercising at a lower intensity may burn a higher proportion of calories from fat but burns a lot fewer calories overall. The fat burning zone is really only of interest to endurance athletes (you have a fairly finite supply of glycogen but even a 140 Kenyan champion marathon runner will have body fat to draw on as an energy source)

MeanderingMammal

yopeeps025 wrote: »

I heard stories of that training that high might end up in cardiac arrest. One reason I stop using my HRM because it made claims I'm working at 95% max HR for HIIT jump rope.

As above, only really a risk if there is an underlying condition.

The three main modes are complementary, so training in the highest ranges only really pays dividends if you're also training in the lower ranges to develop that CV base.

If you're only doing HIIT, then you're getting less than half the effect.

bwogilvie

chrisoldroyd wrote: »

I use a heart rate monitor and when I am on my bike I notice that most of my workout is spent in Aerobic (Endurance). Under that zone is Fat Burning and I am wondering if I should reduce the intensity of my rides to keep my heart rate in the lower zone to burn more fat?

As has been said, from a fat burning perspective, it doesn't matter. You'll burn a greater percentage of calories from fat at a lower intensity, but the total calories will be lower. Moreover, if you're eating at a deficit, most excess calories will eventually come from fat (some will come from loss of lean body tissue, though lifting weights can minimize that).

From a fitness perspective, it's good to spend about 60-70% of your training below your lactate threshold, and only about 5% or less at maximum intensity. The exact balance depends on your fitness, training volume, and goals.

However, those zones may be meaningless unless you've actually had your maximum heart rate tested. The 220-age formula is meaningless, and the more accurate formulas that have been developed since then still leave a significant amount of variance unaccounted for. According to various formulas, my max heart rate should be around 175-180, but the last time I measured it it was 192.