The "fat Burning zone" thing...

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taxidermist15
taxidermist15 Posts: 677 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
ok, so i just got my new HRM (polar ft4) and did all the settings on it and calculated my max heart rate and all that sorta stuff. I calculated max heart rate as 220- age (or whatever it was, some calculation)

I am also doing the insanity programme, mixed with some P90x.

So when I do Insanity My heart rate goes through the roof and my silly little gadget wont stop beeping. This is when I really push myself.

If i exercise at my "target heat rate zone". it doesn't feel as if i'm pushing myself, I don't feel a burn, I don't get such a good sweat up and it kinda feels like cheating.

Originally I just brought my HRM to know exact calories I'm Burning, and now this heart rate zone has opened up a new can of worms. (which I know nothing about), can someone enlighten me on the whole heart rate zone things?
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Replies

  • AshlyRamos
    AshlyRamos Posts: 76 Member
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    Great question. I've often wondered the same thing as they have the different zones posted on all of the cardio machines at the gym. Hmm.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
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    The "fat burning zone" is a range of HR where a majority of your calories burnt come from fat, versus stored energy. Above that is the "cardio zone" where the majority burnt comes from stored energy, versus fat. You are still burning calories and still getting a workout either way.

    My advice: don't think about it too hard. If what you're doing is working, don't try to confuse yourself.
  • jadedbutterfly71
    jadedbutterfly71 Posts: 83 Member
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    bump...I'm curious also
  • phinphanbill26
    phinphanbill26 Posts: 574 Member
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    If you exceed your target heart rate you will only burn sugar...not fat.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    ok, so i just got my new HRM (polar ft4) and did all the settings on it and calculated my max heart rate and all that sorta stuff. I calculated max heart rate as 220- age (or whatever it was, some calculation)

    I am also doing the insanity programme, mixed with some P90x.

    So when I do Insanity My heart rate goes through the roof and my silly little gadget wont stop beeping. This is when I really push myself.

    If i exercise at my "target heat rate zone". it doesn't feel as if i'm pushing myself, I don't feel a burn, I don't get such a good sweat up and it kinda feels like cheating.

    Originally I just brought my HRM to know exact calories I'm Burning, and now this heart rate zone has opened up a new can of worms. (which I know nothing about), can someone enlighten me on the whole heart rate zone things?
    In short, the "fat burning zone" is simply the intensity level where the highest amount of fat is used as fuel. As your intensity increases, your body gradually switches fuels to use glycogen stored in your muscle. The catch is that if you stay in the low-intensity zone you will have to exercise a lot longer to burn the same amount of calories as you would at a higher level intensity. Additionally, you will not receive all of the cardio-vascular benefits that come with exercising at a higher intensity. Stick with the higher level zones for maximum benefit, unless you have a medical reason not to.
  • taxidermist15
    taxidermist15 Posts: 677 Member
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    im just finding it hard to believe i can Half-@ss My Insanity programme (to stay in my heart rate zone), and still get the results..?
  • markymarrkk
    markymarrkk Posts: 495 Member
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    Here's the best answer possible:

    1. Your actual max heart rate could be as high as 210 or more and still be "normal". An estimated max heart rate should just be used as a general road map until you actually start exercising and can compare your feelings of perceived exertion with your exercise heart rate.

    2. There is no "fat burning zone". There are intensity levels at which the body burns a higher percentage of fat for fuel (the highest percentage being at rest). However, the percentage of fat burned during a workout or the total amount of fat burned during a workout HAS NO EFFECT ON STORED BODY FAT. In other words there is NO advantage whatsoever in trying to "burn more fat" during a workout.

    2A. The same holds true for "working for a certain duration so that your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat". That indeed might happen, but it is of zero significance when it comes to reducing body fat. Your goals during exercise are to: train for fitness, maximize overall calorie expenditure, and conserve lean muscle mass. That is achieved through a balanced program that includes cardio exercise of different intensities and duration, and resistance training.

    in other words, go for it !! push yourself
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    The heart rate monitor is a pretty effective way of gauging calorie burn during a cardio workout, which P90X isn't. I would probably not bother with it.

    There's nothing wrong with doing high intensity (read: high heart rate) workouts for cardiovascular improvement. But if you're working at 80-90% of your max heart rate, you are using more glycogen as fuel than fat. If fat burn is what you're after during a cardio workout, you really do want to work at about 65-85% max heart rate. That doesn't mean you aren't burning calories at a high intensity level... You are in fact burning more of them. It's just the ratio of fat/glycogen usage that changes.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    The "fat burning zone" is a range of HR where a majority of your calories burnt come from fat, versus stored energy. Above that is the "cardio zone" where the majority burnt comes from stored energy, versus fat. You are still burning calories and still getting a workout either way.

    My advice: don't think about it too hard. If what you're doing is working, don't try to confuse yourself.

    Ditto to that. I don't wear a HRM. I don't worry about my zones. If my heart feels like it's gonna beat out of my chest and I can't breathe, I take it down a notch. If I don't feel like I'm pushing myself at all, I kick it up a notch. Been working just fine for me that way!

    Not to knock your purchase of HRM though, they are valuable tools to estimate your calorie burn a bit more accurately, etc, I just can't stand wearing watches/straps/apparatus when I work out.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
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    If you exceed your target heart rate you will only burn sugar...not fat.

    Not entirely true. First, your "target heart rate" is specific to each different workout. I have a certain THR for my speed workouts that's different from recovery runs and again different from long runs.

    But, your "fat burning zone" just means that a higher percentage of calories burnt are fat versus stored energy (glycogen, which is stored carbohydrates, such as sugar).
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 750 Member
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    ok, so i just got my new HRM (polar ft4) and did all the settings on it and calculated my max heart rate and all that sorta stuff. I calculated max heart rate as 220- age (or whatever it was, some calculation)

    I am also doing the insanity programme, mixed with some P90x.

    So when I do Insanity My heart rate goes through the roof and my silly little gadget wont stop beeping. This is when I really push myself.

    If i exercise at my "target heat rate zone". it doesn't feel as if i'm pushing myself, I don't feel a burn, I don't get such a good sweat up and it kinda feels like cheating.

    Originally I just brought my HRM to know exact calories I'm Burning, and now this heart rate zone has opened up a new can of worms. (which I know nothing about), can someone enlighten me on the whole heart rate zone things?

    I agree with all of them about the "fat burning zone" however if you got the HRM to just measure your calories burned accurately, they do not the can only estimate based upon measurements and algorithms. But they will give you a good idea on what you burn :)
  • Perfectdiamonds1
    Perfectdiamonds1 Posts: 347 Member
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    bump, getting a Polar tomorrow. this maybe useful
  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I just turn off the sounds. I normally go over as well. The highest I've had it go was 190 for like 2 minutes. Sure, I felt like I was going to die, but my trainer says you can never over do it. If you can take it, let it go past the zone. At least thah's what I've been told.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    ok, so i just got my new HRM (polar ft4) and did all the settings on it and calculated my max heart rate and all that sorta stuff. I calculated max heart rate as 220- age (or whatever it was, some calculation)

    I am also doing the insanity programme, mixed with some P90x.

    So when I do Insanity My heart rate goes through the roof and my silly little gadget wont stop beeping. This is when I really push myself.

    If i exercise at my "target heat rate zone". it doesn't feel as if i'm pushing myself, I don't feel a burn, I don't get such a good sweat up and it kinda feels like cheating.

    Originally I just brought my HRM to know exact calories I'm Burning, and now this heart rate zone has opened up a new can of worms. (which I know nothing about), can someone enlighten me on the whole heart rate zone things?

    You can turn off the beeping, that's what I did. The 'max heart rate' is just a guide, and the more you workout, the lower your heart rate will drop during the workouts - you'll probably see that happening in a few short weeks. As long as you're not risking giving yourself a heart attack, go for it. Go by how you feel: light headed? Stop immediately. Any weird numbness? Can't catch your breath? Stop immediately, etc.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Forget everything you've heard about the "fat burning zone". This zone represents low intensity (60 to 70% maxHR) exercise that does in fact burn a higher proportion of calories from fat but overall burns a much lower number of calories than the more intense zones (and you're still burning fat).

    Obviously if your level of fitness only permits exercising at the lower intensity then that's where you work but assuming there are no other reasons not to work in the cardio zone you burn a lot more calories (which from a weight loss perspective is your goal) and you get a better cardiovascular workout.

    The fat burning zone is, however, of interest to endurance athletes as your body is only capable of storing a limited amount of glycogen but even a skinny marathon runner has 35,000 or more calories of fat available.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Here's the best answer possible:

    1. Your actual max heart rate could be as high as 210 or more and still be "normal". An estimated max heart rate should just be used as a general road map until you actually start exercising and can compare your feelings of perceived exertion with your exercise heart rate.

    2. There is no "fat burning zone". There are intensity levels at which the body burns a higher percentage of fat for fuel (the highest percentage being at rest). However, the percentage of fat burned during a workout or the total amount of fat burned during a workout HAS NO EFFECT ON STORED BODY FAT. In other words there is NO advantage whatsoever in trying to "burn more fat" during a workout.

    2A. The same holds true for "working for a certain duration so that your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat". That indeed might happen, but it is of zero significance when it comes to reducing body fat. Your goals during exercise are to: train for fitness, maximize overall calorie expenditure, and conserve lean muscle mass. That is achieved through a balanced program that includes cardio exercise of different intensities and duration, and resistance training.

    in other words, go for it !! push yourself

    This is the answer. The 'fat burning zone' is just one more weight loss myth. It's not so much that it doesn't exist as that it really doesn't matter.

    Enjoy your workouts.
  • dawnkay1
    dawnkay1 Posts: 41
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    I just turn off the sounds. I normally go over as well. The highest I've had it go was 190 for like 2 minutes. Sure, I felt like I was going to die, but my trainer says you can never over do it. If you can take it, let it go past the zone. At least thah's what I've been told.

    On Saturday I went for a 2 mile walk, then a 2 mile jog, then another 2 mile jog. The last jogI did, was completely uphill (very steep too). My usual jogging heart rate is around 150-160bpm, however at one point my heart rate shot up to 180bpm and I started to see yellow flares in front of my eyes - you reckon I over did it a little? lol x
  • LesterBlackstone
    LesterBlackstone Posts: 291 Member
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    Here's the best answer possible:

    1. Your actual max heart rate could be as high as 210 or more and still be "normal". An estimated max heart rate should just be used as a general road map until you actually start exercising and can compare your feelings of perceived exertion with your exercise heart rate.

    2. There is no "fat burning zone". There are intensity levels at which the body burns a higher percentage of fat for fuel (the highest percentage being at rest). However, the percentage of fat burned during a workout or the total amount of fat burned during a workout HAS NO EFFECT ON STORED BODY FAT. In other words there is NO advantage whatsoever in trying to "burn more fat" during a workout.

    2A. The same holds true for "working for a certain duration so that your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat". That indeed might happen, but it is of zero significance when it comes to reducing body fat. Your goals during exercise are to: train for fitness, maximize overall calorie expenditure, and conserve lean muscle mass. That is achieved through a balanced program that includes cardio exercise of different intensities and duration, and resistance training.

    in other words, go for it !! push yourself

    This is the correct answer
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,261 Member
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    Bump for later.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Sat in front of the computer reading this, you're in the fat burning zone. I tried to explain this to a PTI years ago, unfortunately 99% of PTIs are complete idiots.

    More intensity burns more calories, and it's a calorie deficit that causes weight loss.

    Where the calories came from would only matter if you planned to never eat again.

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