Target heart rate feels ineffective?

Dtermined89

hey all,

Typically i run on the treadmill doing interval training of about a minute of running followed by 2 to 3 minutes of walking (howeverlong it takes my heart rate to come down again i'm quite out of shape I guess). I'm 22 and female and durring my high intensity intervals my heart rate can commonly climb to just around my peak HR by the end of the minute. I wait for it to come down to about 145 before i do another interval but from what I've been reading I'm basically sabotaging myself...is it better to spend longer working out at more of a flatline 145-ish HR? Seems to be what a lot of articles are suggesting however if I'm not feeling on the verge of death on the treadmill I feel like I'm not getting a workout :ohwell: ....what should I do?

snookumss

OKAY. You don't need to be in the "Fat Burning Zone" to lose weight. This doesn't make a difference.

If you have a heart rate of 120... you will burn x calories per hour.
If your heart rate is 180... you burn more than x calories per hour.

If you are in the target "Fat Burning Zone" a particular percentage of those calories you burn will be strictly fat.
If you are running harder, working harder you burn way more calories, but a smaller percentage of those will be "Strictly" fat.

You still burn way more calories and fat working harder. It just means you work harder.

I don't remember any of the good articles, thats just the way to show you what I've been shown.

xsmilexforxmex

I feel the same way, but my heart rate drops a lot faster (think 189 to 155 in about 15 seconds after I finish). but If I'm not sweating, about to die after my workout I feel like I accomplished nothing (example I did yoga and some arm excercises Wednesday, after an hour walked away thinking my gym day was a waste of time..)
I have heard that you use more calories from muscle than fat staying above your target HR but IDK if it's true, if it is I'm screwed bc I keep mine aobut 10 over most of my workout..
Your max and target may also be different than what a machine or HRM says, for instance if your pulse is naturally higher than normal your range and max will be higher..

IDk if this was helpful or not but that's just what I know.

iplayoutside19

Ignore the Zones & Targets. If you feel like you're not getting a work out then you probably aren't. Your own body is a better communicator that cliched industry jargon.

There are benefits to endurance training, and benefits to intesnity training. So it comes down to: What are your fitness goals.

...and I would like to add: You're better off keeping track of your nutrition than worrying about what percentage of fat & muscle you are burning. 1. You probably aren't exersicing long enough for your body to burn any of that during exercise in the first place. 2. Most of this happens when you sleep based on your diet.

heathermercer

Interval training should be performed at an intensity close to VO2max. The work to rest ratio should be kept at 1:1. Intervals are used to permit the individual to train at intensities close to VO2max for a greater amount of time than would be possible in a single exercise session at a continuous high intensity. Intervals should be used once a firm base of aerobic endurance training has been attained as it can be very stressful on the individual. For that reason, doing what is known as LSD or long slow distance training would be advisable if you have not been training aerobically prior to doing intervals.
LSD training is essentially exactly how it sounds. It should be done at about 80% of your max hr and should be at least 30 minutes in duration. LSD does not require you to stay at a single pace/speed throughout the session. When you begin you will likely need to move faster to reach 80% of your max hr, then as it goes on you will likely need to slow down and speed up intermittently to keep it at that hr. These changes will not be as drastic as they are with interval training.

LSD training enhances cardiovascular functioning, increases utilization of fat as fuel as well as many other physiological benefits. Trust me, you may be speed walking for the whole session, but at the 30 minute mark if you are working at 80% of your max hr you WILL be sweating. As you progress you can simply increase the duration of your workout. Once you have build a firm aerobic training base you should begin to include other forms of endurance training such as intervals.

It is highly recommended that you include strength training in your workout schedules each week. A study I researched had two groups of individuals on the same diet. One group trained only aerobically, while the other trained only anaerobically. The runners lost 26lbs, and the weight lifters lost the same: 26lbs. However, it was found that those lifting weights lost pure fat, while those training aerobically lost some muscle mass as well.

Another point of reference you may want to look at is the dose response curve. It shows the percentage of potential improvement achieved (in relation to triglycerides, high density lipoproteins, body composition and blood pressure) with the total amount of calories (kcal) burned per week. This is often what people who talk about the "fat burning zone" are referring to. Improvements in triglycerides tends to peak at the 1500kcal/week mark. Body composition will continue to improve beyond this as it does so linearly.
See the dose response curve here http://www.fitchutney.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/curves.jpg
(taken from csep-cpt manual "CPAFLA")
Source: Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. NSCA, Human Kinetics.

lucyburns532

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