Gym Machine help

ashonace07
ashonace07 Posts: 9
edited September 24 in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone know what the difference is in the heart rate "stages" on certain machines? At the gym, when im on the eliptical machine when i take my heart rate it is usually 151-161 which lights up the light under cardio. Fat Burn is way below it. I would assume its in the low hundred range to be able to light it up. So my question is, what is the difference between ranges? I need to be in "Fat Burn" but im always in cardio. This is only my 2nd week in the gym so i really dont know how this will effect my weight lose.

Thanks!

Replies

  • aggi3guy
    aggi3guy Posts: 5
    There is nothing wrong with being in the cardio range, just make sure you stay below your max heart rate (220-age) x 85% will give you the upper level you should be hitting. Basically staying in "fat burn" means you're burning a higher percentage of calories from fat, but cardio burns more total calories, so its all good!
  • reese66
    reese66 Posts: 2,920 Member
    Not really sure how the machines work, but I do know you will burn more fat in the cardiovascular zone than the fat burning zone. The fat burning zone is less of a workout.
  • warhukker
    warhukker Posts: 4
    Slow down, your heart rate way too high,some of these monitors are not very accurate.Try different machines,you should be 120 to 125.
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
    The charts on machines are based on really old research. Basically, at the "fat loss" heart rate zone, you burn a higher percentage of calories when compared to distance than when in cardio mode. The thing is, in cardio mode, with your heart rate higher, you are burning more calories, for a longer distance, so per work out, you still burn more calories in cardio training than in "fat loss" mode. The newer research is favoring HIIT, which would put your heart rate at or above the cardio zone, just for intervals instead of a constant pace. You need to check with your doctor before starting a HIIT program if you have any medical issues though (asthma, heart problems, etc.)
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