Heart rate

Marcia315
Marcia315 Posts: 460 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
On the elliptical at the gym, there is a heart rate monitor that tells you if you are in the "fat burning zone" or the "cardio zone"

I find the "fat burning zone" is like doing nothing, and I need my heart rate to be at least 125 to 130 before I feel like I'm working hard.

Does the "fat burning zone" do anything for anyone?

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    ignore zones, if your goal is to burn calories, work at as a high intensity as you can for the planned duration of exercise. Zones are a myth, for fat burned. They do come in handy with certain types of training where you want some longer workouts at the lower HR and shorter ones at higher intensity. But for fat loss, cals in vs. cals out
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    When I get SVT tachycardia (high heart rate of about 200, when not exercising), I always wonder if my heart is getting a work out. I sure feel like it afterwards.
  • djs2303
    djs2303 Posts: 93 Member
    Awesome question, and thank you, I have wondered the same, I hit the cross trainer, and it wanted my HR at 125, I didn't find this a challenge, I wasn't 'puffed' or out of breath, and didn't see the point, I stepped it up and my HR was roughly 155, I KNEW I was working out then...sweating, thirst, and I was enjoying being at that stage, and I did wonder that surely, if fat burning, you'd want to burn as many cal's as possible. When I really pushed (always push push push for the last minute) my HR got to 180, although I felt fine :)
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    I tned to agree that zones dont matter so much for fat burning.

    The zones on machines are guesses. You should calculate your lactate threshold if you want to find out what your zones are.

    http://d3multisport.com/heart-rate-training/220-age-misconceptions-and-determining-your-lactate-threshold/

    Run test protocol:
    After a 15 minute warm-up of easy running, finish with a few quick 20 seconds bursts to get your heart rate in the correct training zone.

    The 30 minute TT begins.
    At 10 minutes into the test, hit the ‘Lap’ button on your heart rate monitor, to get the average heart rate over the final 20 minutes of the test.
    The average for the final 20 minutes is your Lactate Threshold or LT.
    You should finish knowing you gave it everything you had.
    15 minutes easy cool down.
    Example:
    Johnny has an average of 156 heart rate for his 30 minute run TT. If I calculate Johnny’s zones using his LT and the Training Bible zones, this is what I come up with:
    Zone 1 – 102-125
    Zone 2 – 136-139
    Zone 3 – 140-145
    Zone 4 – 146- 155
    Zone 5a – 156-159
    Zone 5b – 160-164
    Zone 5c – 165-170
    Bike and run training efforts are based on heart rate zones and perceived exertion.

    OR DO THIS

    http://running.competitor.com/2013/11/training/go-by-feel-skip-the-lactate-threshold-test_53063

    much simpler

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