
Originally Posted by
Shredded1
Hello, FireGuy1, don't mean to put you in the spot light but since I am a new member I don't have PM privileges yet and don't feel post whoring is the way to do achieve this. I have read many of your threads and posts about cardio and heart rate and would like to hear what you have to say about a few things:
1) What heart rate is optimal for burning fat?It depends,if you are looking to burn the highest ratio of bodyfat then low intensity (120-130 BPM) is optimal. If you want to burn the most fat then a higher intensity is in order (135-150 BPM). Much really depends on your goals and your diet as to which is better suited for you.
2) Because I like to know WHY things happen, how come a heart rate in that range is better than other heart rates? Specifically, why does fat burning take effect more predominantly at this heart rate than at others?Whether one is better or not is debatable. There are several factors which can influence what the body uses for fuel. Energy demand being the greatest of them, as your BPM increases and the demand for energy increases your body will begin to utilize a higher ratio of carbohydrate (and even protein)to supply the energy.
3) How to a I accurately calculate my heart rate during exercise to make sure im in my target range? (I don't want to have to run faster or give more output because i calculated wrong and end up having less fat burned).All of the formulas you read about are nothing more than averages at best. To truly find out you would need to find out your true maximum heart rate then work at around 70% of that number which theoretically would put you in the zone where you would burn the highest ratio of fat. I used to do all of my cardio in this manner until lately. I have switched to more of a moderate intensity (140 BPM) and even incorporated some HIIT cardio and both seem to be working more effectively than the traditional low intensity. But...my diet is also fairly high in carbs, I would not recommend this to someone doing keto or taking a very low carb approach.
Hopefully you'll get this before I PM you. Thanks alot bro