Low HR/calorie burn

lawrahmck

I really struggle to get my HR up while doing weights and actually burn calories. I lift heavy but my heart rate sits low.

My resting heart rate is about 65bpm. Generally while lifting weights, especially upper body, I sit at around 90-100bpm.

Last night I did an upper body workout - chest, back, tris & shoulders. 5 min warm up, 30 minutes of weights & a 10 minute interval run on the treadmill before stretch... & didn't even make it to 300 calories burnt. When I say lifting heavy, I mean I lift to the point where I struggle to get the last reps out. If I do a cardio class (high impact) I will burn about 400-580.

Now from my knowledge & training... this isn't exactly normal. I know that my doing weights is going to give my body a fat & calorie burning kick anyway... but it is just frustrating when I don't really see a reaction from my body to my hard work!

Any suggestions?

mcarter99

I'm no expert but I think it's normal to not get an elevated HR from upper body work, no matter how heavy? I don't. I think it takes the large muscles in the lower body to really get the heart pumping. Otherwise we'd have cardio machines that just took arm movements. I've always assumed the benefit isn't really in increased calorie burn but in increased strength.

meshashesha2012

i get an heart rate of around 130-140 when i'm doing upper body and 150/160 when i'm doing lower body. my resting heart rate is 59. are you sure you're lifting heavy enough?

heavy is determined by at least 65% of your 1 rep max weight. i tend to work at 80-90% of my 1 rep max.

lawrahmck

Yeah, I'm not expecting huge heart rates... Just a little more than if I was to walk down the street you know? When I am struggling to get just one more rep, I'd expect a little jump in my heart rate but it really doesn't happen..

I am definitely lifting heavy enough, I know how to train heavy & hard Maybe I just need to get back to some compound exercises & accept that I am probably fitter than I give myself credit for sometimes so my muscles may be aching but my body is okay with it

Jynus

Heartrate has NOTHING to do with calorie burn from weight lifting. Weights use the bodies ATP-CP and Lactic acid energy systems to do work and burn calories. They are independent of heart rate.