Cross Trainer/Treadmill- fat burn v's peak HR cardio

Cleo200
Cleo200 Posts: 62 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I hope I make sense and don't look like a plank for asking but I was afraid to ask at the gym in case they laughed at me!I'm varying my cardio workouts and have recently started weight training too but I have a x trainer/treadmill question......

The treadmill and cross trainer machines have a heart rate monitor showing when your in the different zones from warm up/fat burn/cardio/peak HR

I find the fat burn programme a bit slow and boring even having the resistance cranked up or varying the programme so I generally use cross country and it gives me good periods of Peak HR followed by a minute or so recovery time.

Do you still burn fat working at peak? I guess I'm confused as when I'm at peak I'm pushing myself much harder than if I was just doing the fat burn programme.

However a friend said that you need to do the fat burn programme to burn fat and the one I do will only improve my cardiovascular fitness?! This makes NO sense to me at all!?

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Excuse my idiocy if I have asked the most obvious question on the planet!

Thanks

Cleo x

Replies

  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    You are right. Your friend is wrong. I'm sorry I don't have sources for you but hopefully someone will come along with an article that debunks the 'fat burning zone' stuff. Basically there is a higher PERCENT of fat burned but a lower total burn, so you're better off if you want to maximize fat burning to just go for the higher HR to begin with. I think the 'fat burning zone' can be a comfort to people who hate working out at higher HRs.

    Also, the gym machine HR monitors can be pretty inaccurate, assuming they're not reading from your own chest strap. But you can go by exertion level. Vary things, work hard to burn more, don't kill yourself, try to mostly be at a point where you can speak a few words of conversation throughout.
  • Cleo200
    Cleo200 Posts: 62 Member
    Thank you!! I generally increase resistance/incline as I find it too easy so generally each work out I do, I tend to go further and one level higher each time.

    I'm not overly concerned as much with the loss now as i feel I've got the hang of things and I'm comfortable where I'm at. I was just curious as it was confusing me!

    Thanks for clarification :)

    C x
  • writinwater
    writinwater Posts: 52
    Thanks so much for asking this!! I've been wondering about it for ages and was sure the 'fat loss' zone must be BS! :)

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