What should my target heart rate be for fat loss?

aimeeernest

I don't have a HRM yet but I check it on machines for now, and I figure I should know this by the time I do purchase my first HRM so I know how to use it! Haha. Thanks for any advice.

rmgatch

Hello - I used this link to calculate my target heart rate.

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Calculate_your_training_heart_rate_zones

jillsjourney

Thanks for the link!

Firefox7275

I don't have a HRM yet but I check it on machines for now, and I figure I should know this by the time I do purchase my first HRM so I know how to use it! Haha. Thanks for any advice.

Ignore the 'fat burning' zone if you are fully healthy and have recently passed a blood pressure check, that has long since been debunked. Whilst it does burn a much higher percentage of fat ... as a total of the calories burned ... the total calories burned are low and there is little afterburn. Even if you burn entirely carbs during your workout that leaves your muscles depleted, so many of the carbs from subsequent meals will be devoted to refueling. You then will need to burn fat stores for activities of daily living.

Once you have thoroughly warmed up (ten minutes easy conversational pace low impact) work at the highest intensity you are capable of, interval training. You will burn more calories during the workout and get the best boost to your metabolism afterwards and train your body to become more efficient at torching fat. Expect to be gasping for air, jelly legs and so on. If you are including running but are new to it don't go in all guns blazing with the pace, get much of the intensity from setting an incline on the treadmill. Your muscles may be able to take the pounding but untrained joints may not.

aimeeernest

perfect link for what i needed to know! Thanks! I added it to my blog with the source link to keep for later if i forget.

aimeeernest

I get the kind of a workout (exactly what you said, gasping and jelly legs, lol) on the elliptical with a higher resistance. I do that at least 3 times a week on top of my usual other gym routines.

aimeeernest

my rates have easily been in the 170-190 range which is at my aerobic and even close to anaerobic range for me. so thats a good thing, right? and I noticed power walking is in the 150-170 range with is the "fat burning" range more-so

rainbowbow

my rates have easily been in the 170-190 range which is at my aerobic and even close to anaerobic range for me. so thats a good thing, right? and I noticed power walking is in the 150-170 range with is the "fat burning" range more-so

Fat burning range is almost irrelevant. Assuming you are in a caloric deficit you are already going to be losing fat.

"Body fat contains about 9 calories per gram, and by estimating the proportion of energy that comes from fat at different heart rates, your HRM is trying to extrapolate from your workout into how many grams of BODY fat you have burned.

While this can help people feel good about their workout, it is completely irrelevant to weight loss. What matters for weight and fat loss is total calories burned (metabolism plus daily activities plus exercise) versus calories consumed OVER THE ENTIRE 24 HOUR DAY. If you burn more than you eat, your body has no alternative but to turn to its fat stores to make up the deficit. If you eat more (whether it is carbs, protein or fat) than you burn then the surplus will get stored as fat.

The fat burn figure from your HRM bears no relation to what you eat. And that's why it is actually an irrelevant calculation. What matters is the total calories burned (and consumed). "