Long and easy or short and hard?

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GanjaBall
GanjaBall Posts: 31 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I start my workout on an elliptical and use my own hrm.
At first I was putting in 20-25 minute sessions to burn a little over 100 calories and raise my HR between 135-140 and I would have to return to the machine to get my HR back up to complete my workout.
Recently I started increasing the resistance and found out I can cut my time in half burn the same calories and my HR gets to 140+ and stays there for much longer.
My question is if this shortened powered up elliptical session has the same results on conditioning and toning as the longer easier session?

Replies

  • cchanski
    cchanski Posts: 6
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    The lower heart rate will generally burn more fat. But the higher heart rate can have a greater effect on you metabolism by raising it for a longer period of time which could mean more fat loss. Everybody's body is different so mix it up a bit and exercise both ways, slowly increase both your easier workouts which will increase your anaerobic base and slowly increase your harder workouts to improve overall fitness which will greatly increase your metabolism. As your fitness improves working out very hard is possible also, which can further raise metabolism.
  • GanjaBall
    GanjaBall Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks, I really like the idea of raising my metabolism. I'll keeps suing myself on both levels.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Do whichever one you prefer. Calories burned are calories burned so ignore the heart rate/fat burning zone part of the equation because it's a total red herring. Personally, I'd go faster to get it over with but that's just my personal preference.


    Edited to add: made you look! :tongue:
  • notthatthis
    notthatthis Posts: 218
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    I do a hard 15 minute cascade (rest 1 minute not stopped but in cooldown mode), then a lower resistance "around the world" for 15 minutes rest 1m, then a 10 minute x-train at a higher resistance rest 1M and then to finish a high level Interval of 5 minutes where I pedal quickly at the peak of the intervals and slow in the valley. Puts me on a equivalent burn of 1300 calories per hour and I used to get a steady state burn of about 900 per hour.

    But then the difference could be that I was just getting fitter. I see too many people who use ellipticals and never do anything but pedal at 8mph at level 1 and then wonder why they never seem to succeed. Ellipticals are all about the resistance settings, then the workout programs built-in.
  • BonnieandClyde29
    BonnieandClyde29 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I lke to go back and forth that way, im keeping my body "guessing", and loosing more weight that way....basically how the army told me how to train to lose more body fat...like going back and forth between power walking and sprinting/running..."interval training"
  • chinesefortunecookie
    chinesefortunecookie Posts: 4
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    I vote for interval training. I do 12 minutes (interval) before a workout, circuit train, and then finish with 12 minutes(interval). You get the best of both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning. Like everyone else, it what works best for you and if can push yourself out of your comfort zone. Have a great training day!

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