Question about fat burning...

shannonshock13
shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
So I'm always hearing all this stuff about how you need to stay in a certain heart rate rang to burn maximum fat. Like my new polar HRM says that zone 1 is 118-137 zone 2 138-157 and zone 3 158-177. If i have to workout an hour with my heart rate at only 137 i am going to jump out of my skin...... i will be so bored!


I see all this stuff about HIIT and my old personal trainer had me doing circuit training. I am not in terrible shape, i'd say that I worked out 9 out of the 12 months of 2010 (i broke my ankle and needed surgery on it). My ankle is fine now but i haven't tried running again just cos im a little scared. But thats besides the point.

What cardio do you all think is best for someone that is my weight and height (5'4 172)

When i workout i like to workout hard but for long periods of time (20 minutes is not enough) and my heart rate is usually at 164-177. I'm trying to lose 47 more pounds by July.....

Replies

  • jeronz
    jeronz Posts: 9
    Low intensity exercise does burn more fat RELATIVE to liver/muscle glycogen compared to high intensity exercise. However with high intensity exercise this proportional reduction is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of calories being burned. So if you feel fit enough to do some HIIT then go for it, definitely much more fun. I say do 30-45 mins of HIIT or steady state high intensity cardio every day for the best chance of reaching your 2 pounds per week target. Don't forget to also do some resistance training three times a week.
  • schninie82
    schninie82 Posts: 502 Member
    So I'm always hearing all this stuff about how you need to stay in a certain heart rate rang to burn maximum fat. Like my new polar HRM says that zone 1 is 118-137 zone 2 138-157 and zone 3 158-177. If i have to workout an hour with my heart rate at only 137 i am going to jump out of my skin...... i will be so bored!


    I see all this stuff about HIIT and my old personal trainer had me doing circuit training. I am not in terrible shape, i'd say that I worked out 9 out of the 12 months of 2010 (i broke my ankle and needed surgery on it). My ankle is fine now but i haven't tried running again just cos im a little scared. But thats besides the point.

    What cardio do you all think is best for someone that is my weight and height (5'4 172)

    When i workout i like to workout hard but for long periods of time (20 minutes is not enough) and my heart rate is usually at 164-177. I'm trying to lose 47 more pounds by July.....

    that soooo weird... you have very similar stats, goals etc as me..! well, all I can say is, I had a slight set back last year...I had a VERY badly sprained ankle, it hurt like hell!! Id get advise from your doctor and let them tell you a) if you are ready to exercise again b) how hard you are allowed to take it.... I bet £1,000,000.00 that if you are allowed to exercise, they will tell you to TAKE IT EASY... and thats also my suggestion...follow your head not your body on this sensibly as you my risk doing futher damage then you will be off exercise for longer and you dont want that...Jogging/running burns loads of cals so if you can hack it, start jogging but really take your time and build up slowly...take a friend or ur ipod to keep you going if you get bored... after that Id say get a low-tensity aerobic DVD or Wii game and see how your ankle goes... if its fine after that then, the world is your oyster, you can pretty much do what ever exercise you want! HOWEVER this is what I did, so its only from my own personal experience, I am not a doc for personal trainer or anything,,,its just what I did when I was recovering from a bad ankle....

    HOpe you find something that wont bore you too much!!

    Good luck!!
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    So I'm always hearing all this stuff about how you need to stay in a certain heart rate rang to burn maximum fat. Like my new polar HRM says that zone 1 is 118-137 zone 2 138-157 and zone 3 158-177. If i have to workout an hour with my heart rate at only 137 i am going to jump out of my skin...... i will be so bored!


    I see all this stuff about HIIT and my old personal trainer had me doing circuit training. I am not in terrible shape, i'd say that I worked out 9 out of the 12 months of 2010 (i broke my ankle and needed surgery on it). My ankle is fine now but i haven't tried running again just cos im a little scared. But thats besides the point.

    What cardio do you all think is best for someone that is my weight and height (5'4 172)

    When i workout i like to workout hard but for long periods of time (20 minutes is not enough) and my heart rate is usually at 164-177. I'm trying to lose 47 more pounds by July.....

    that soooo weird... you have very similar stats, goals etc as me..! well, all I can say is, I had a slight set back last year...I had a VERY badly sprained ankle, it hurt like hell!! Id get advise from your doctor and let them tell you a) if you are ready to exercise again b) how hard you are allowed to take it.... I bet £1,000,000.00 that if you are allowed to exercise, they will tell you to TAKE IT EASY... and thats also my suggestion...follow your head not your body on this sensibly as you my risk doing futher damage then you will be off exercise for longer and you dont want that...Jogging/running burns loads of cals so if you can hack it, start jogging but really take your time and build up slowly...take a friend or ur ipod to keep you going if you get bored... after that Id say get a low-tensity aerobic DVD or Wii game and see how your ankle goes... if its fine after that then, the world is your oyster, you can pretty much do what ever exercise you want! HOWEVER this is what I did, so its only from my own personal experience, I am not a doc for personal trainer or anything,,,its just what I did when I was recovering from a bad ankle....

    HOpe you find something that wont bore you too much!!

    Good luck!!

    How weird!!
    It totally sucked breaking my ankle but i recovered very quickly. it's been a bout 4 months now and my Dr said to do whatever i felt comfortable doing, SO i've been riding the bike and using the elliptical like crazy. But before the break i was working on my running and i miss it :/

    I'm glad you recovered well from your sprain!! :)
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    I incorporate HIIT routines into my elliptical workouts. Since you haven't tried running after the surgery, do you know of any limitations that you have at the moment? The only suggestion I have would be to try some normal - light activity on your feet to see how it feels. If it feels fine, then start adjusting the intensity and duration to your liking.
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    Low intensity exercise does burn more fat RELATIVE to liver/muscle glycogen compared to high intensity exercise. However with high intensity exercise this proportional reduction is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of calories being burned. So if you feel fit enough to do some HIIT then go for it, definitely much more fun. I say do 30-45 mins of HIIT or steady state high intensity cardio every day for the best chance of reaching your 2 pounds per week target. Don't forget to also do some resistance training three times a week.

    AWESOME!!! Thanks for replying. :) I love me some fun high intensity workouts, i really can't be bothered to bike or walk at 60 min at only 137bpm.
    I was speaking to my mom and she told me to pretty much keep doing what i've been doing, it's been working so far!!

    I also love strength training i do it 4 times a week, but i can tend to get down on myself when i haven't "lost" that much because i've obvs gained muscle.... gotta stop doing that!
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    I incorporate HIIT routines into my elliptical workouts. Since you haven't tried running after the surgery, do you know of any limitations that you have at the moment? The only suggestion I have would be to try some normal - light activity on your feet to see how it feels. If it feels fine, then start adjusting the intensity and duration to your liking.

    Great idea! I think i'll wear my ankle brace just to be on the safe side :)
  • jeronz
    jeronz Posts: 9
    Low intensity exercise does burn more fat RELATIVE to liver/muscle glycogen compared to high intensity exercise. However with high intensity exercise this proportional reduction is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of calories being burned. So if you feel fit enough to do some HIIT then go for it, definitely much more fun. I say do 30-45 mins of HIIT or steady state high intensity cardio every day for the best chance of reaching your 2 pounds per week target. Don't forget to also do some resistance training three times a week.

    AWESOME!!! Thanks for replying. :) I love me some fun high intensity workouts, i really can't be bothered to bike or walk at 60 min at only 137bpm.
    I was speaking to my mom and she told me to pretty much keep doing what i've been doing, it's been working so far!!

    I also love strength training i do it 4 times a week, but i can tend to get down on myself when i haven't "lost" that much because i've obvs gained muscle.... gotta stop doing that!

    Great!
    To get around that mental thing of not losing weight, maybe look into getting a pair of calipers to measure your body fat. I use the accumeasure one which is really straight forward to use and measure once a week. You can then work out how much fat you're losing.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member

    What cardio do you all think is best for someone that is my weight and height (5'4 172)

    The one that you can stick to and therefore burns the most calories overall for you as an individual in any given session.

    All this "fat burning, you need to work for 20 minutes within the right heart rate zone" stuff is overblown and unhelpful to most people. Yes working for a long period of time in the right HR zone will maximise the amount of fat burned but in reality that amount is so tiny as to be negligible. What you need to really look at is the overall amount of calories utilised during your workout and do the one which registers the most. That could be one long steady state session, a mixture of HIIT and steady state etc. It's up to you really.

    Personally, I think you can't beat a good, old fashioned weights session to burn calories and keep your metabolic rate elevated post workout...
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I always say "train for fitness and the weight loss will come" (along w/diet of course).

    For cardio, that means following a balanced routine that includes endurance cardio, tempo workouts, and higher-intensity, shorter interval workouts.

    The fuel substrate you burn during cardio is meaningless for weight loss--it's all about calories. Even if you cannot do super hard intervals at this point, higher-intensity interval work will increase your fitness, allowing you to maintain a higher level during your steady-state workouts and--you guessed it--burn more calories.

    Even during a longer, lower-intensity "endurance" workout, you can still do some lighter intervals and other things to break it up.

    Strength training is also a must. And in your case, it is essential that you start incorporating some balance and proprioceptive work on your ankle. It's something that is often overlooked when recovering from ankle injuries. Even after the pain is gone and you feel "normal", proprioceptive weakness and instability can remain. That can set you up for other chronic issues down the road. Google "ankle proprioception exercises" and you should find a bunch.
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    I always say "train for fitness and the weight loss will come" (along w/diet of course).

    For cardio, that means following a balanced routine that includes endurance cardio, tempo workouts, and higher-intensity, shorter interval workouts.

    The fuel substrate you burn during cardio is meaningless for weight loss--it's all about calories. Even if you cannot do super hard intervals at this point, higher-intensity interval work will increase your fitness, allowing you to maintain a higher level during your steady-state workouts and--you guessed it--burn more calories.

    Even during a longer, lower-intensity "endurance" workout, you can still do some lighter intervals and other things to break it up.

    Strength training is also a must. And in your case, it is essential that you start incorporating some balance and proprioceptive work on your ankle. It's something that is often overlooked when recovering from ankle injuries. Even after the pain is gone and you feel "normal", proprioceptive weakness and instability can remain. That can set you up for other chronic issues down the road. Google "ankle proprioception exercises" and you should find a bunch.

    Thank you! I had a lot of pain when i was first recovering (plantar fasciitis) but now thats gone but i can not stand on that leg alone for very long before i start to lose my balance. I will fer sure google that!
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    Low intensity exercise does burn more fat RELATIVE to liver/muscle glycogen compared to high intensity exercise. However with high intensity exercise this proportional reduction is more than compensated for by the sheer amount of calories being burned. So if you feel fit enough to do some HIIT then go for it, definitely much more fun. I say do 30-45 mins of HIIT or steady state high intensity cardio every day for the best chance of reaching your 2 pounds per week target. Don't forget to also do some resistance training three times a week.

    AWESOME!!! Thanks for replying. :) I love me some fun high intensity workouts, i really can't be bothered to bike or walk at 60 min at only 137bpm.
    I was speaking to my mom and she told me to pretty much keep doing what i've been doing, it's been working so far!!

    I also love strength training i do it 4 times a week, but i can tend to get down on myself when i haven't "lost" that much because i've obvs gained muscle.... gotta stop doing that!

    Great!
    To get around that mental thing of not losing weight, maybe look into getting a pair of calipers to measure your body fat. I use the accumeasure one which is really straight forward to use and measure once a week. You can then work out how much fat you're losing.

    totally gonna buy a pair!! Thanks!
  • Beth720
    Beth720 Posts: 661 Member
    So I'm always hearing all this stuff about how you need to stay in a certain heart rate rang to burn maximum fat. Like my new polar HRM says that zone 1 is 118-137 zone 2 138-157 and zone 3 158-177. If i have to workout an hour with my heart rate at only 137 i am going to jump out of my skin...... i will be so bored!


    I see all this stuff about HIIT and my old personal trainer had me doing circuit training. I am not in terrible shape, i'd say that I worked out 9 out of the 12 months of 2010 (i broke my ankle and needed surgery on it). My ankle is fine now but i haven't tried running again just cos im a little scared. But thats besides the point.

    What cardio do you all think is best for someone that is my weight and height (5'4 172)

    When i workout i like to workout hard but for long periods of time (20 minutes is not enough) and my heart rate is usually at 164-177. I'm trying to lose 47 more pounds by July.....

    that soooo weird... you have very similar stats, goals etc as me..! well, all I can say is, I had a slight set back last year...I had a VERY badly sprained ankle, it hurt like hell!! Id get advise from your doctor and let them tell you a) if you are ready to exercise again b) how hard you are allowed to take it.... I bet £1,000,000.00 that if you are allowed to exercise, they will tell you to TAKE IT EASY... and thats also my suggestion...follow your head not your body on this sensibly as you my risk doing futher damage then you will be off exercise for longer and you dont want that...Jogging/running burns loads of cals so if you can hack it, start jogging but really take your time and build up slowly...take a friend or ur ipod to keep you going if you get bored... after that Id say get a low-tensity aerobic DVD or Wii game and see how your ankle goes... if its fine after that then, the world is your oyster, you can pretty much do what ever exercise you want! HOWEVER this is what I did, so its only from my own personal experience, I am not a doc for personal trainer or anything,,,its just what I did when I was recovering from a bad ankle....

    HOpe you find something that wont bore you too much!!

    Good luck!!

    FWIW, I was told once when I sprained my ankle really badly that I would have been better off from a recover standpoint if I'd broken it. I think it's something to do with how they can cast breaks but not sprains. But yeah...not uncommon for breaks to ultimately heal faster than sprains.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories