Improving Workouts using Heart Rate Zones

gretchenwb
gretchenwb Posts: 70 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have only lost 11 pounds in Jan 2012, and have been jogging 3-4 times a week, very slow pace. Monitoring my Heart rate the last few weeks I have been dismayed to discover MOST of the time I have been in the steady state zone which I have read isn't effective for anything (see my breakdown using the Calculating TDEE excel spreadsheet by a helpful MFP user):
Zones and % of HRR
Active Recovery (Fat Burning) 50-59% 125 137
Aerobic 60-69% 138 150
Tempo (Steady State) 70-79% 151 163
Anaerobic 80-89% 164 176
Maximal 90-100% 177 190

These are my questions re improving workouts: 1. In order to lose weight, should I aim for slower pace in order to get fat burning, or push harder to get to the anaerobic zone?
2. Should I aim for longer times for my workouts? Currently I average 45-60 minutes per jog/geriatric shuffle.
3. I just added strength training to my routine and am starting 30 day Shred by Michaels. What zone am I aiming for in those type workouts?

I am sorry for the lengthiness, just thought I would throw this out there. BTW, I am aiming for less carbs this year, and cleaning up my diet for those who might peak at my food diary. 49 yr old female, 173#, 5.4" GW 145.

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    People try to complicate the "zone training" issue WAY too much. Here are the reasons for using exercise to lose weight:

    1. Burn a lot of calories--this can be done in a variety of ways.

    2. Increase fitness--so that you can work harder at the same given perceived effort--and burn more calories.

    3. Conserve lean mass (primarily through strength training).

    IMO, when it comes to cardio, it is best to train for fitness first, weight loss second. Doing #1 usually takes care of #2 (keeping in mind that exercise is only about 25% of the weight loss equation).

    Training for fitness is best accomplished by including workouts at all intensity levels. The levels are: easy, medium, hard. No need to make it any more complicated.

    You can use a HRM, along with perceived exertion, to determine "easy, medium, and hard".

    As a general rule, easy workouts will be longer duration and more steady-state, hard workouts be shorter and consist primarily of interval training, and medium will be medium duration and consist of longer intervals and higher-intensity steady-state.

    If you train for fitness, you will steadily improve your fitness capacity. The higher the fitness capacity, the harder you can work out, the harder you can work out, the more calories you burn. Plus you get all of the health benefits of improved fitness.

    Be consistent. Have a focus to every workout. Pay attention to what you are doing. Lift weights. Move around a lot when you are not exercising. Monitor your calorie intake.

    Doesn't have to be any more complicated than that.
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
    What Azdak said. Likely you haven't been training in the "wrong" zone, your body just got REALLY efficient at doing what you're doing. Mix it up. If you normally do 4 miles, 4 times a week, all at the same pace, skip a week and bike or do aerobics videos from the library for a week. Or do a couple miles of fartleks or intervals (googling it will help) - but make sure you really are getting your heart rate up for anything you're counting as "high intensity". Add miles to one day and take them off another. Change it up. Add cross training (walking, basketball, swimming, yoga, whatever).

    Also, make sure you're eating back your calories burned - nothing will cause you to hoard fat cells more than a body convinced it's starving. If that's not a problem, consider changing up your diet, again just mix it up a little. If you're normally religious and rigorous about what you eat, take a day off and go wild (safely, don't get sick!). If you go crazy every weekend, try tracking one weekend instead. If you normally split 1500 calories between three meals precisely, try alloting some for a couple snacks, or eating a bigger breakfast/smaller dinner (or the other way around). Just change it up some. If you don't like it, change it back, or try something different.

    Good luck!!
  • gretchenwb
    gretchenwb Posts: 70 Member
    Oh my goodness! It is so amazing how good common sense plays into everything! I will apply what you have suggested, and I think it basically comes down to-I need to push myself a little harder!

    Thank you so much!
  • gretchenwb
    gretchenwb Posts: 70 Member
    I read about the dreaded fartleks, last month, and have been reluctant to do them, but I know I need to push it with some intervals. Thank you so much.

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