target heart rate question

I found this via google search:

http://missourifamilies.org/quick/nutritionqa/fitqa14.htm


How can I determine my Target Heart Rate Zone?


First find your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220
Next multiple (MHR) by 0.60 = lower end of the target heart rate zone
Next multiply (MHR) by 0.90 = upper end of the target heart rate zone

These two numbers represent your target heart rate zone. You should strive to stay between these numbers during your workout.



An example calculation for a 30-year-old woman is below:


220 - 30 = 190 = MHR
190 x 0.60 = 114 beats per minute
190 x 0.90 = 171 beats per minute
Target heart rate zone = 114 to 171 beats per minute

Your heart rate monitor should have a percentage on the screen when you take your heart rate.......You should be between 65% - 75%. It is based on this.

220 minius age devided then you take that number it is the denomiator and your actual Heart rate is the numerator.

that is the basic principal but your HRM should do all that for you

What he has posted is referring to burning fat or a fat burn zone, however you want to call it. What it means is that you are burning a higher proportion of fat than when you are doing cardio or are at the cardio zone which is 85% or so of your heart rate. You still burn fat while doing cardio at that level as well.

For example:

65% of your HR at 30 minutes on a treadmill/elliptical: Say you burn 200 calories if you are lucky. Even if the portion of calories you are burning is say 70% you have only burned 140cal worth of fat.

85% of your HR at 30 minutes on a treadmill/elliptical: Say you burn 400 calories. Lets say the portion of calories you are burning is fat is 50%, you have burned 200cal worth of fat.

It's a simplification of course but that is the gist of the way the heart rate zones work. Those estimates are very generous on the diffence but the simple fact is: You burn more fat doing higher intensity exercises in the same amount of time as lower intensity excecises.

The fat burning zone is for example very useful for a bodybuilder who is trying to preserve every ounce of muscle while cutting to low levels of body fat. The average person or people trying to lose weight in general, the cardio level is much more beneficial.

I'm just a simple kind of guy. I know I don't want to lose the muscle mass I have so I try to keep my heart rate optimized for burning fat. I have noticed that the more I exercise the harder it is to achieve the targeted heart rate without increasing the intensity of the exercise. I always assumed this was due to increasing cardio health / strength? In the end it's all about your health, feeling good and being happy with what you see in the mirror.

For what it's worth... if I workout and stay in my targeted heart rate to burn fat, I don't usually feel like I'm REALLY exercising. It's almost like warming up instead. Today I was on the elliptical though and just doing my usual was kicking my butt. I attribute this to all the extra - but unnoticed - exercise I got yesterday at the pool and the fact that I gave blood this week.