what should my heart rate be to lose weight?

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here i am when i am working out trying to get my heart rate up to 175
im 5 foot 1 and 234lbs and a female. when i try to set my heart rate on the machine for a target heart rate of..... it says that this is too high.


what should i get it up to and keep it at inorder to lose weight?

Replies

  • ambercole
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    I always aim for between 160 and 170. That is where i feel that I am pushing myself but I am not yet gasping for air.
  • em_lou007
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    Hiya!!

    I've found this site that helped me to understand:

    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

    this 1 helped too

    http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.uk/fitness_exercise/heart_rate.htm

    hope these help for you :smile:

    good luck
  • HealthyishWithMaggieG
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    In my personal opinion, there's too much focus being put on details like heart rate, etc. by too many people. To me, that sounds more like someone that just wants to "diet", not make lifestyle changes to get healthy (and in turn, the weight will come off). I don't say this to be critical of you specifically. I've seen many people that are caught up on the details here. Everyone just needs to relax about the details.

    Again, it's just my personal opinion, but as long as your heart is beating, you're moving about and you're improving the foods you eat, you're going to lose weight. Sure, exercise is important, but the fuel we feed our bodies seems more important to me. Get it under control and you'll be a success!
  • Adsnwfld
    Adsnwfld Posts: 262 Member
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    subtract your age from 220. that is your max heart rate. You should train anywhere between 50 to 90% of that.
    So for me as an example: 179 is my max heart rate 220-41 Then my target heart rate should be between 90 and 160. really anywhere in that range should be fine. The higher the heart rate the more calories you'll burn
  • rachel41
    rachel41 Posts: 354 Member
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    I thought it went my your age and weight!
  • cintrinepink
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    Go to google and look up how to find your target heart rate. Every one,s heart rate is different so you need to figure it out.
    Do not go by what someone else,s heart rate is.... Sounds like you could use a dr. Advice before you start and some one to teach you about basic fitness so you don,t do any harm to yourself. If you do not want to go that route, go to the library and get some books on STARTING An EXERCISE PROGRAM.......the books should give you the basics of starting as you don,t want to start real strenuous and not be able to reach your goal...start slow and build yourself up as you go with a goal of increasing your exercise as you gain the ability to do more repitations of exercise each week. Walking is an easy way to start out and an easy way to gain stamina as you increase the length and time duration of your walking. You don,t need any special equipment other than a comfortable and good supportive shoes and socks. Good Luck. Also there are many magazines out there that have exercise routines in them with a guide inexactly what,how much, and when to do them.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    You can determine your target heart rate by using your age, but keep in mind, this is based on an average of lots of people your age, and may not really be true to YOU. To find out your max genetic heart rate, you should do a sub max test (that's what they call it in my gym). For ex, my gf (who is my age) and I did this, and her max HR is 10 points higher than mine, so if I'm working at 75%, my heart rate is about 140, whereas hers has to be about 150 to be working at 75%.

    You can lose weight no matter where your heart rate is, but the higher your HR is, and for more time, the more calories you'll burn. The more cal. you burn, the more you'll lose (unless you're overeating). I do some exercises strictly for cardio (calorie burn, endurance, and heart health). Others I do for strength, muscle tone, flexibility. I don't get a big burn on those, but what I do get out of that is worth it. Keep in mind that muscle burns more cal. than fat too.
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
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    Shooting for a percentage of your max hear rate is great but I'd suggest on focusing on a something else... improving your performance on the equipment. I'd suggest shooting for a particular length of time or distance on any given piece of cardio equipment and focus on improving your time each time you go to the gym.

    In other words, if you choose a treadmill. See how long it takes you to walk a mile. Next time, try to beat that goal. You may pick up your pace by walking faster or even jogging for a total of 1 minute out of the total time. Eventually, you will be able to run for the whole mile.

    In the short term, you are more focused on beating your previous goal but in the long run, you'll increase your overall HR and burn more calories.

    I wish you the best.
  • shawnamil12
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    In my personal opinion, there's too much focus being put on details like heart rate, etc. by too many people. To me, that sounds more like someone that just wants to "diet", not make lifestyle changes to get healthy (and in turn, the weight will come off). I don't say this to be critical of you specifically. I've seen many people that are caught up on the details here. Everyone just needs to relax about the details.

    Again, it's just my personal opinion, but as long as your heart is beating, you're moving about and you're improving the foods you eat, you're going to lose weight. Sure, exercise is important, but the fuel we feed our bodies seems more important to me. Get it under control and you'll be a success!
    i want to know how hi it should be so i know im doing good. i dont want to over do it. this is not about dieting its about know whats a healthy heart rate
  • CyberDr
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    Your maximum heart rate with physical exertion should not exceed the calculated value of 220 minus your age. This number is your maximum heart rate (MHR). During aerobic exercise, depending upon your physical condition, your target heart rate range would fall somewhere between 70 - 85% of your MHR. If you're in great condition try the upper limit. If you are just beginning an exercise program or not in great physical condition start out lower. A target heart rate calculator can be found at MayoClinic.com or just visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083.

    Most of us don't need to track heart rates. Usually a moderate aerobic activity can be determined by a simple test. If you and I were exercising next to each other we should be able to have a conversation using brief sentences. We should not be out of breath, unable to utter a word to each other. Nor should we be able to recite the Gettysburg address without pause. A good workout will fall somewhere in the middle.

    Of course, your doctor would be a great resource to tap for additional information as well as allowing you to get a pre-exercise physical examination. And that's always a good idea prior to beginning any exercise regimen. Good luck.