Fat burn button on machine - told me to slow down?

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kadinlucas
kadinlucas Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,
So usually I just do quick start and chose a level on the bike or elliptical. Once I was about 5minutes in I pushed the 'fat burn' button to see what it would change and it told me to slow down to reduce my heart rate. I usually just go reasonably hard out and get HR to ~170-180 which does fall into the cardio instead of fat burn range on the machines.
Is it actually better to go slower if you want to burn fat? does going faster more build fitness without actually burning the fat somehow?

Cheers

Replies

  • susanmax
    susanmax Posts: 33
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    this is something I have been curious about too!
  • Talmquist0222
    Talmquist0222 Posts: 30
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    bump
  • Hksalex
    Hksalex Posts: 144 Member
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    the harder your body has to work, the more it has to use.

    its as simple as that... that is my answer :)
  • samamfa93
    samamfa93 Posts: 9
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    the harder your body has to work, the more it has to use.

    its as simple as that... that is my answer :)

    It actually goes a little bit further that that.... going harder and faster will burn more calories.. but the idea of the "fat burner" on any cardio machine is to keep your heart rate at 65 to 70% which is what your heart rate needs to be at in order to START burning fat. If you are exceeding that, it means that the rate of your heart rate is not ONLY burning fat but also increasing your aerobic system ( helping you become fitter).
  • thisisjl
    thisisjl Posts: 1,074 Member
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    slow and steady will burn fat, if you are working it to hard you are strengthening muscle or something like that. I don't know how to explain it but you want a moderate work out not a high intensity to burn fat
  • tauranheart
    tauranheart Posts: 9 Member
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    Actually I will just link you to another thread where this is answered :)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/617723-heart-rate-level-and-fat-burning
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Hi,
    So usually I just do quick start and chose a level on the bike or elliptical. Once I was about 5minutes in I pushed the 'fat burn' button to see what it would change and it told me to slow down to reduce my heart rate. I usually just go reasonably hard out and get HR to ~170-180 which does fall into the cardio instead of fat burn range on the machines.
    Is it actually better to go slower if you want to burn fat? does going faster more build fitness without actually burning the fat somehow?

    Cheers

    At slower HR you burn less calories overall, but good percentage of it is fat calories.
    At higher HR you burn higher calories overall, and while about the same amount of fat calories - smaller percentage.

    So if only doing about 30, high intensity is better. Probably manage that day after day, as long as you sleep well to allow recovery.

    If doing 60 min, best to alternate so you still train your aerobic system how to burn fat. If you don't, the high effort burning mainly carbs trains body to burn that, it it is worse burning fat. And never training the aerobic system, you'll easily stop burning as many cal's of fat, even at high intensities.

    So one day high intensity, next day lower.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Weight loss is all about calories. Burn more than you eat and you will lose weight. If your deficit is a reasonable size then most of your weight loss will come from body fat.

    The "fat burning zone" is basically a myth. It is true that more of the calories you burn come from fat but you burn a much lower number of total calories making the workout either REALLY long or just not very productive.


    Watch this video and decide for yourself.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up5n86VGC3c

    There are also many other benefits to pushing your heart rate higher but that is a whole other subject.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    Apparently when you go at the 'cardio' heart rate, there is more chance that you're burning muscle as well as fat to supply the energy your body needs to keep you moving that fast. The 'fat burn' heart rate has you working at a lower pace, so there's more chance that the burn is coming purely from fat.

    As long as you include strength training in your weekly routine, I don't think going hard will make that much difference in your burn. I find it really hard to maintain a higher heart rate, so tend not to stick at it so high for very long (which is where interval training is useful). If you can maintain a higher heart rate for a long period of time, go for it!! Just don't go really hard for ten minutes and then walk away cos you're buggered... If you can't maintain that rate, go a bit slower for longer, or add intervals to boost your heart rate every few minutes. It depends on your goals and your time restraints - you work hard for your burns!!
  • jonesey10
    jonesey10 Posts: 9
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    Heart rate can be classed as zones. simplified it is as follows.
    Zone 1 60 to 75% of max HR will promote fat burn.
    Zone 2 75 to 90% this is for your Aerobic exercise
    Zone 3 90 to 100% This your anerobic zone with increases your lactate threshold.

    All zones will burn fat but zone one is optimal

    Hope that helps.
  • kadinlucas
    kadinlucas Posts: 77 Member
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    Cheers, Just read the comments and some other google posts.
    Sounds like it would be better for me to just go hard out since I get bored of doing cardio so only usually do 20-30minutes.
    Thanks
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
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    /\ /\ What mustgetmuscle said.

    The only real tangible benefit to being in the 'fat burning' zone is that you will be able to sustain the effort for longer. If you have a finite period of time to exercise for, you are better off going hard.
  • Hksalex
    Hksalex Posts: 144 Member
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    Interval training has been proven to work wonders than just running at a steady pace...

    and that pushes your hear rate to a considerable amount..

    then you relax and cool down.. then your hear rate drops slowly... then you sprint as fast as you can again.... so i don't really pay attention to HR much...

    and as muscles said.. fat loss is determined by your calories...and how much you intake.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Heart rate can be classed as zones. simplified it is as follows.
    Zone 1 60 to 75% of max HR will promote fat burn.
    Zone 2 75 to 90% this is for your Aerobic exercise
    Zone 3 90 to 100% This your anerobic zone with increases your lactate threshold.

    All zones will burn fat but zone one is optimal

    Hope that helps.

    One caveat, basing it on HRmax doesn't take into consideration your own fitness level and where your anaerobic zone starts. But of course, it's a decent starting point.

    But that anaerobic zone is almost 100% carb burn, that's the definition of anaerobic, without oxygen or without enough, and fat requires oxygen to burn.

    Usually why 5 zones gives better idea of training and effort.
    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

    Usually about half of the aerobic zone is where the 50% fat burn line is, upper half aerobic starts being majority carb burn up until top of anaerobic where 100%. At rest you have about 70% fat burn.

    Here's better zones. HRM tab in the spreadsheet referenced here.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/620206-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-calcs-mfp-tweaks-hrm

    And for relative (depending on fitness level and amount of aerobic training compared to near-anaerobic training) amounts of fat burned. If you train aerobically, you can have higher % of fat burn at higher HR levels. If you train anaerobically, you can actually have a terribly trained aerobic system and not even burn as much fat in aerobic zone.

    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/esource.htm

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