Are you sure I am burning fat if I am in my heart zone??

[mustang331]

I am 23 years old and found out my heart zone is supposed to be like 130, well I run allot and I am like 170, so you guys told me to get a heart monitor, I used it for the first time today and If I run I will be way over my heart zone so I did some incline walking ( some what fast ) on the treadmill for about 50 min. I did sweat but not as much, are you sure I am burning as much fat???

[RealMenBench]

you need to find your max heart rate (take 220 and subtract your age)

so that'd put you with me at a MHR of 197 ...... maximal fat burning is done at moderate (65-75%) of your MHR ..... so for you that range would be 128 bpm - 148 bpm

the trick is to keep it within that range for "optimal" fat burning ..... even if you go over that and go into the cardiovascular zone you're still burning fat, just not as good as you were in that range I showed you ...

[Warrior]

Going over your target heart rate (like RealMenBench explained) forces your body to burn the easy stuff for a faster energy supply - glycogen (stored carbs) and muscle (creating more glycogen from stored proteins).

If your goal, like many of us, is to keep as much of those muscles in tact while burning fat... you should do moderate intensity aerobics. First thing in the morning, before breakfast has shown to point your system in the right direction while insulin /glucose levels are on the floor...

BTW - while training natural - it takes some personal tweaking and record keeping to find what works the best for you. The use of anticatabolic androgens offsets this equation and puts your system in a new league for sparing muscle and losing fat. They allow you to burn more total calories at a higher intensity while maintaining muscle mass.

[yellows2k]

Originally posted by mustang331
..... are you sure I am burning as much fat???

Yes

[painintheazz]

Sweating doesn't mean you are burning fat, it means your body is hot and is using its cooling mechanisms to cool itself down.

Pain

[mustang331]

OK let me ask one more question...


If am at 130 heartbeat on a bike and 130 on say an EFX machine will my fat burn be the same?

[RealMenBench]

it has to do with the HR, not the machine ...... the only thing you need to be sure of is whether the monitor on the bike is consistant with the monitor on the EFX .....

if they are the consistant, then all you have to do is stay within your "fat burning range" no matter which machine you are on

[Decoder]

Well it sounds like you are in your fat burning range, personally i don't like the EFX, but you should be burning fat deposits after 25-30 mins so try 40 mins, i seen better bodyfat% drop playing basketball over the EFX/stairs etc..

[brad fuel]

YOu are using the right formula: Target HR = 60% X MHR

but the problem is it doens't take into account your current fitness level. You can help control for this by using Korvinin's Formula (sp). which is:

Residual HR = MHR - Resting HR and then
Target HR = 60% X Residual HR + Resting HR

Based on this formula your Target HR will probably be a bit higher so i personally think you should be doing a light jog instead of a brisk walk

[kc]

ahhh the mysteries of heart rate monitoring..yep...65-75% works the best...i like to do interval..get a couple of minutes into the 85-90% range too

[mustang331]

ok I did about 55 minutes of efx and bike all at about 130 HR.

Was I burning fat?? Or should I bring my heart rate to 150. If I do a light jog I will be about 145-155

[RealMenBench]

interval ...... mmmmmmmm my favorite (is that sarcasm I smell)

I do this as well though ...... I stay at the upper end of my range and then towards the last 10 mins of the session I up it to take me above my range ...

but to answer your question, yes you were burning fat .... remember, it is better to err on the upper side than the lower

[Vibrantred94gt]

Originally posted by brad fuel
YOu are using the right formula: Target HR = 60% X MHR

but the problem is it doens't take into account your current fitness level. You can help control for this by using Korvinin's Formula (sp). which is:

Residual HR = MHR - Resting HR and then
Target HR = 60% X Residual HR + Resting HR

Based on this formula your Target HR will probably be a bit higher so i personally think you should be doing a light jog instead of a brisk walk

Could you write that formula exactly as you would input it into a calculator please.

I have this formula...

220 - age - resting heart rate x .6 + resting heart rate

I would like to compare the results from both formulas.

Best time to take resting heart rate is in the morning, right when you wake up....correct?

[brad fuel]

Vibrant
yup your formula is correct so long as you ignore the mathematical rule BEDMAS.
other wise it should look like this
(220 - age - resting heart rate) x .6 + resting heart rate
the only thing different is the brackets around the first part.

Best time to take your Resting HR is in the morning when you wake up, Before you get out of bed.

[Vibrantred94gt]

I'm rusty in math, the bracket indicate to do that section first, get your answer and then move on to the next section correct?

[yellows2k]

Originally posted by Vibrantred94gt
I'm rusty in math, the bracket indicate to do that section first, get your answer and then move on to the next section correct?

PEMDAS

Paranthesis
Exponents
Multiplication or Division
Addition or Subtraction

[painintheazz]

Originally posted by yellows2k


PEMDAS

Paranthesis
Exponents
Multiplication or Division
Addition or Subtraction

LOL, I still remember in my calc III class someone needed that explained to them, and the teacher whipped that on the board help them remember.

Pain

[Vibrantred94gt]

Thanks!
Math was always my worst!!

[RealMenBench]

wow, PEMDAS ..........

it's been a long ....... long time