How important is target heart rate?

capriqueen
capriqueen Posts: 978 Member
edited January 24 in Fitness and Exercise
I hear people frequently say you need to have a so-and-so heart rate to enter the fat-burn/weight loss zone. I find myself not being able to sustain a high heart rate for long....and I don't wear an HRM either. How important is THT for weight loss? If I'm not in the zone, will I be less efficient at losing weight?

Replies

  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    Constantly pushing yourself to do more is by far the most important aspect of exercise.. Zone is pure myth and should be ignored
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Constantly pushing yourself to do more is by far the most important aspect of exercise.. Zone is pure myth and should be ignored
    Sorry hr zones are not myth. There is plenty of reputable science backing it up.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    You burn more calories by going as hard as you can for as long as you can without worrying about which "zone" your heart rate is in.
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 978 Member
    Constantly pushing yourself to do more is by far the most important aspect of exercise.. Zone is pure myth and should be ignored
    Sorry hr zones are not myth. There is plenty of reputable science backing it up.

    So if they're not a myth, am I hampering weight loss progress by going at a lower heart rate, but for a longer time?
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    Constantly pushing yourself to do more is by far the most important aspect of exercise.. Zone is pure myth and should be ignored
    Sorry hr zones are not myth. There is plenty of reputable science backing it up.
    Myth in regards to fat loss then. Not in training zones.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    For weight loss being at a calorie deficit is so much more important than what heart rate zone you are training at.

    You will burn a higher PERCENTAGE of fat at lower heart rate but it also takes more time to burn the same number of calories as if you trained for a shorter time at a higher intensity. If you create a deficit through exercise then how you create that deficit won't really make much difference for weight loss.

    Heart rate zone training is important if you are training for a specific event or sport. It's a very useful tool to increase your performance. Think of heart rate zones as a training tool and not a weight loss or fat burning tool.

    Here's a simple zone calculator
    http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_rate/heart_rate_zone_calculator_abcc_bcf.html
  • capriqueen
    capriqueen Posts: 978 Member
    For weight loss being at a calorie deficit is so much more important than what heart rate zone you are training at.

    You will burn a higher PERCENTAGE of fat at lower heart rate but it also takes more time to burn the same number of calories as if you trained for a shorter time at a higher intensity. If you create a deficit through exercise then how you create that deficit won't really make much difference for weight loss.

    Heart rate zone training is important if you are training for a specific event or sport. It's a very useful tool to increase your performance. Think of heart rate zones as a training tool and not a weight loss or fat burning tool.

    This is what I thought too. Thanks!
  • todayis4me
    todayis4me Posts: 184 Member
    I have unquestioning the same.......today I noticed according to the machine I burned more calories at a slower pace and a h r at around 142 then when compared to other days when I go harder .......seriously considering buying hrm for this fact alone....



    *questioning
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