Heart rate on cardio machines

ilikeflowers
ilikeflowers Posts: 61
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I did the elliptical today, the gym I go to has the ones that go all wacky types of ways on the foot pedal part, like they dont run on tracks they kinda float so you get a more varied workout. I checked my heart rate and it was between 150-165 while I was working out. I know interval training is better so I would alternate it from low resistance quick to high resistance and still pretty quick Is this a good heart rate to be going for weight loss/fat loss? Is it too much/too little? Thanks in advance for any help!

Replies

  • Pete_Mann
    Pete_Mann Posts: 94
    For your heart rate, you need to take your age and subtract it from 220. This is your max heart rate. For working out, you want to be at 80% for Cardio, and 60% for fat burn. Now if you dont wan't to do all that math, here's a couple guides:

    http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4736
    25 years 98–166 beats per minute 195 beats per minute

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate#Target_rate
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Exercise_zones.png

    When they talk about interval training, they aren't talking about resistance, they are talking about your heart interval. So what you would do is go up to 80%, then back down to 60%. You'll see better benefits than staying at a set 80% all the time.

    Your 165 sounds pretty good, sounds like you are in pretty good shape. Just try and alternate it a bit, 2-4mins up high and the same amount at a lower rate.
  • ilikeflowers
    ilikeflowers Posts: 61
    Thanks! That makes sense. I always thought interval was about the resistance, and I guess in a way it is if that gets my heart rate to alternate up and down. But it helps thinking about it as heart rate instead of "faster" or "easier". I'll give that a go tonight at the gym. Every 2-4 minuets switch it when I work out for an hour on the elliptical?
  • Pete_Mann
    Pete_Mann Posts: 94
    That would do it, whatever you can handle at the high rate. When I first started, I was doing 1 min fast, 2 mins moderate on the treadmill. Now I do 2 and 2 because it has a built in pattern on my elliptical (ok fine the gym's.)

    According to the experts, the intervals give you a much better burn.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_training
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/interval-training/SM00110
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-intensity/SM00113

    "You'll burn more calories. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you'll burn — even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time."
    "You'll improve your aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you'll be able to exercise longer or with more intensity. Imagine finishing your 60-minute walk in 45 minutes — or the additional calories you'll burn by keeping up the pace for the full 60 minutes."
  • ilikeflowers
    ilikeflowers Posts: 61
    Thanks for the advice! It makes sense. Now lets hope I dont fall off the elliptical when it gets a mind of its own :)
  • ageros
    ageros Posts: 66 Member
    Currently for my elliptical interval training I do a 5 minute warmup at a decent pace. After that I go all out for 30 seconds, and then back to moderate for 1 minute. I just rinse and repeat for around 20 minutes(if I don't feel like I'm going to die first). It usually takes a few 30 sec. bursts to get my heart rate up to the 160s, but after that my heart rate can go anywhere from 180 after a burst to 150 at the end of a rest.

    I've found it to be a much better workout for my legs, and it gives me plenty of time to get in strength training without being at the gym all night.
  • Pete_Mann
    Pete_Mann Posts: 94
    Thanks for the advice! It makes sense. Now lets hope I dont fall off the elliptical when it gets a mind of its own :)

    I totally did that one time on the treadmill. :blushing:

    Ageros,

    That sounds like a really good fat buring workout. Keep working on your times, and see if you can extend it out to 30 for a little extra burn.
  • ilikeflowers
    ilikeflowers Posts: 61
    Holy crap! So I tried this last night at the gym and this is what I did:

    Bike: 5 minute warm up. Then 3 minuets at 160, 2 minuets break, 3 minuets at 160 something, 2 minuet break, I worked up to a couple 5 minute stretches with a two minute breaks at 170, then a 5 minute cool down. Total of 45 minuets.

    Wow I was sweating bullets! Great workout. Then I did weights, abs,sauna, then yoga and stretching, then ran/power walked for 19 minuets with intervals up to 180 bpm. I was at the gym for about 2.5 hours. I love working out so I dont mind being there for hours. Thanks for the advice!
  • Pete_Mann
    Pete_Mann Posts: 94
    Now that is one heck of a work out. Nice job!
  • ilikeflowers
    ilikeflowers Posts: 61
    Thanks! Ive done that 3 times this week, rotating swimming for running. Oddly enough, I feel like I've gained more fat somehow! Or maybe building muscle and keeping the fat too. I have been eating more calories since Ive been working out more, and especially noticed it after having a couple tblsp of peanut butter in one day. Ive also been working out from midnight to 2:30am. But Im a night owl. I still wonder if that affects things. I used to work out like that all the time 1.5 years ago and I had no problems. Hmm... any ideas?
  • Pete_Mann
    Pete_Mann Posts: 94
    How do you feel like you are gaining more fat? Clothes or scale? It may just take a little time for the results to show. Don't be disheartened and stick with your plan.
  • ilikeflowers
    ilikeflowers Posts: 61
    I can tell in the mirror, my weight hasn't really changed at all the past two months. I'm adding more muscle which i know weighs more than fat and I can get into clothes I couldn't before, but the scale didn't change. I know it might sound weird, but if I over eat I swear I see it all over my body in a couple hours! Like a puffy kind of look. I do eat alot of salt but when it happened last time it was from peanut butter :) Do you know of any explanation for that? Is it possible my body is really good at creating fat stores quickly but also burning that same store quickly? It's like I have two store rooms of fat- one I can't get rid of for the life of me like "armpit fat", and one that I can gain and lose quickly based on the day. I dont think im fat but my body fat was "skinny fat" before i started my new workouts. I have celiacs so if I eat gluten my body attacks itself and I get inflammation but non trigger foods shouldnt cause inflammation....?
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