Fat Burn Zone Vs. Aerobic (Anerobic)

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LoveleeB
LoveleeB Posts: 560 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I just bought a HRM this week-- I love it! Anyway, I noticed that a majority of my exercising falls into the aerobic zone for HR. I have trouble staying in the fat burning zone when I go to the gym because I usually us the elliptical or stair climber so my HR is higher.

The question I have might seen dumb but hear me out... (lol):laugh: Will I loose weight faster by staying in the fat burning zone for a majority of my workout or in the aerobic zone?? I just don't fee like I am "working" myself enough in the fat burning zone so I tend to have higher intensity workouts.


Thanks for the input and thoughts in advance! :smile:
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Replies

  • JodiS75
    JodiS75 Posts: 284
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    Bump
  • FitNHappy0261
    FitNHappy0261 Posts: 78
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    Bump!
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
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    I THINK the idea of the "fat burning zone" is that you can go for longer at a lower intensity, thereby eventually burning more fat. Not that you burn more fat in the same period of time as if your hr was higher. I'm quite possibly wrong though!

    If you stay in the fat burning zone I can't imagine it counts as exercise for your heart, which is where the 3 cardio sessions a week idea comes into staying healthy.
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
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    Here's what my licensed trainer told me--

    Both will burn the same amount at different times. Staying in your fat burning zone will burn fat at the time you are exercising ...say 500 calories. Then for the anaerobic (above fat burning zone) you will burn less DURING the workout but will continue to burn after your workout is done but once you get back to your normal heart rate, you would have burned the same amount.


    Hope that helps...
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
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    Read about High Intensity Interval Training. That is very good for burning fat. But i don't think one can use the elliptical trainer for that though staircase may work. The idea is to deplete the glycogen stores by working at your highest intesity at intervals so that fat is burned to replenish the depleted stores.
  • MissMe2morrow
    MissMe2morrow Posts: 96
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    Bump bump bump! :bigsmile:

    I'm curious what the more knowledgeable folks have to say about this. I will now commit the dreaded sin of repeating something I heard here and I have no idea whether or not it's true: Someone wrote that in the "fat burn" zone your body can convert the fat to fuel your muscles properly, but once you reach the "cardio" zone, your body can't convert the fat fast enough so you start using the glycogen stored in muscles to fuel yourself. Again-- no idea whether or not it's true. But I will say that I have the same problem-- I can't seem to keep myself in the fat burn zone. Looking forward to other answers!
  • mkcalvert
    mkcalvert Posts: 219 Member
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    I did HIIT for the first time in my life this past monday and fell in love with it and it's something you can do at home, so I'm going to start alternating that with running/walking...
  • momweight
    momweight Posts: 2
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    I stay within my 1200 calories each day and do about 500 calories a day of arobics. i have only lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks. Does anyone have an answer why i am not losing my 2 pounds a week. I got on the scale today and it says i gained 1 pound.
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    You'll do more in the High Intensity Zone

    Difference between the two is the what the primary source of energy is. At lower intensity exercise, the body uses Fat as the primary energy source. At Higher intensity exercise...the body uses glycogen as the primary energy source.

    There is basically an inverse correlation between exercise intensity and the %age of calories coming from Fat,

    That being said...the Higher Intensity Exercise will burn more Total calories in a shorter duration than the Low intensite exercise.

    Example: You might do 30 Minutes on a treadmill at Low intensity and burn a total of 50 Calories. Assume that 75% of this is from fat, and you'll have burned 37.5 Fat Calories in your workout.

    IN the same way, you do 30minutes at a higher intensity...and do 200 Calories. perhaps only 25% of this is fat, but 25% of 200 is 50.

    So you'll always burn more fat doing the higher intensity than paying any heed to this "fat-burning zone"

    Cheers!
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
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    I stay within my 1200 calories each day and do about 500 calories a day of arobics. i have only lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks. Does anyone have an answer why i am not losing my 2 pounds a week. I got on the scale today and it says i gained 1 pound.
    Yes because you didn't read this

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    I don't know what your actual calorie requirement and intake is but it seems to me that your body is in starvation mode because you are not eating enough calories. So the metabolic demands are low and the body stores whatever you eat. You need to increase your exercise calories. If your daily goal is 1200 cal and you burn 500 cal, then your intake has to be 1700 cal or close.
  • FunRun08
    FunRun08 Posts: 203 Member
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    The best way to burn calories is to get your heart rate up and down. You get into your cardio zone then do short bursts of higher intensity (less than 3 minutes) your body will start to burn at the higher rate. Don't try and stay in one range get it up and down. That is the best way to use your hrm to get the most out of your workout.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
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    I stay within my 1200 calories each day and do about 500 calories a day of arobics. i have only lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks. Does anyone have an answer why i am not losing my 2 pounds a week. I got on the scale today and it says i gained 1 pound.

    If you aren't eating back your exercise calories, you're starving your body and it WON'T drop the fat.
  • Spinner162
    Spinner162 Posts: 1
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    Here's the link to an article on the fat burning zone that might be helpful...

    http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/cardio/aerobic-exercises-and-fat-burning/article/9f3868f271903110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/

    Heart Rate Monitors (HRM): make sure your user information has been saved correctly as the HRM uses that to set the training zone. Most HRMs allow one to select the intensity of the workout your doing (hard, moderate, light)...I'd set it to hard and see if that helps you maintain your zone. After a few weeks of training with the HRM you'll have a better understanding of how exercise effects your heart rate, and probably be able to lower the zone to moderate if you'd like.

    I've trained with a HRM for years and think everybody should!! Cheers!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    The really short answer is ignore the zones completely. Yes you burn more fat by percentage in the fat burning zone, but because the intensity is so low you burn less fat total. The longer answer is here http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/The-Myth-of-the-Fat-burning-Zone.htm
  • scmcgee
    scmcgee Posts: 165
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    I stay within my 1200 calories each day and do about 500 calories a day of arobics. i have only lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks. Does anyone have an answer why i am not losing my 2 pounds a week. I got on the scale today and it says i gained 1 pound.

    I do not believe you are eating enough and your body is in starvation mode which makes it hold on to the fat. You can search the message boards about how you should eat your excersise calories. Good Luck!
  • LoveleeB
    LoveleeB Posts: 560 Member
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    Thank you all for the helpful information!! I will check out that article someone posted. I think I might just try to do fat burning only 1 day of the week plus my other high intensity workouts and see if I notice any changes.
  • GaveUp
    GaveUp Posts: 308
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    I don't understand why people put so much into zones, Back in the day people ate at home less processed foods and went out and walked, played enjoyed life.... that is what kept them thin and healthy.

    Just exercise daily, and eat as healthy as you can. I cant imagine that how I exercise matters... Just live!!
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    I just listened to this podcast. The entire transcript is available here, and probably answers your question quite perfectly.

    http://getfitguy.quickanddirtytips.com/what-is-the-fat-burning-zone.aspx
  • daddyratty
    daddyratty Posts: 305 Member
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    I don't understand why people put so much into zones, Back in the day people ate at home less processed foods and went out and walked, played enjoyed life.... that is what kept them thin and healthy.

    Just exercise daily, and eat as healthy as you can. I cant imagine that how I exercise matters... Just live!!

    I understand what you're saying, but (A) our lifestyles are not what they were 1, 2, or more generations ago and (B) science and research has discovered a lot about effectively using these zones. It doesn't mean you can't have success without knowledge of them, but why reinvent the wheel?
  • gtm124
    gtm124 Posts: 179
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    Zones are great for bike riders. I set my HRM to display %HR. When I ride hard for 40 miles in the upper zones 85% and greater my heart gets a good workout. The next day I will do a recovery ride and keep my %HR in the 70% range. Fatigue and sluggishness happens if I constantly train in the 85% of max HR. So, for me, zone training is important for my heart and I am not as concerned about the type of calories burned.

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