Target Heart Rate and Fat Burning

[SGFitness]

I know that alot of you prolly know this already...but I've had a few questions about it and I thought maybe someone might get soemthing out of this...in my own words:

To find your optimal Target heart rate for Fat burning:

Take 220 - (your age) = {your maximum heart rate}
* this means you dont want to get over this number, or else your heart will have some serious issues!


Ex:

220 - age 33 = 187

now, you want to find your target zone...which is traditionally 65% - 85% of this (187) number....

187 X 65% = 122 = rounded is 120
187 X 85% = 159= rounded is 160

Do you guys know how to find your pulses?

take your two fingers (index & middle) and place it on your wrist (sometimes your skin is thin enough to SEE a vein) but do your best to slightly apply fingers....DONT PUSH DOWN!....just gently place until you can feel your pulse.....


Watch the a clock and count how many times you feel your pulse for 7 seconds......(for most folks is 7 -9 times).....

Add a zero to the end of it....

ex: you counted 8 = 80

80 is your resting heart rate....(yes, doing this first thing in the morning before you stand up is a better way...but we are just generalizing this for everyone)

so if your resting heartrate is 80....you want to get your heart rate up to AT LEAST 120...(remember...that's 12 times in 7 seconds when you test your wrist!) and a max of 160...(which is 16 times in 7 seconds when you test...)


Anywhere in that range is optimal....does it kill you to not be gasping for air or sweating like a pig? does this mean that you are not burning as much fat???? NO....if you are somewhere in that range...needless of air intake or sweating (LOL), theoredically, you should be taping into your fat reserves for energy after you have burned off your glycogen stores...(which is approx. 20 minutes of your initial cardio you do...anytime before that you are just using your stored energy....NOT FAT...)

so make sure to get past that first 20 minutes, then start counting your calories....those will be the ones that are being used from fat stores....!

SG

[Jordan]

sorry i dont have an answer but another question: if you train cardio before breakfast, do you still need to train in your target fat loss heartrate zone, sinse you dont really have other energy sources?

[redsquirrel]

Absolutely. Do not do any less of a workout just because you have an empty stomach. This time is one of the best times to burn the "hard to burn brown fat", because your body goes straight to those stores for energy.

I don't personally agree w/ SG. When I do my cardio, I stay at the 65% intensity range if I am doing it after weights; and that is only 2 x a week. The other 2 times I do cardio at night at home for 25-30 minutes. Depending on the last meal prior to working out, you run the risk of burning muscle. Also, if you do cardio after weights, your heart rate is already up, so the necessary 20 min. to get to the fat stores does not apply. Now, if you are doing cardio alone, then yes, you need to do at least 25-30 min.

[Irishgirl]

How would HIIT fit in there? I don't do that for more than 20 minutes, but I'd hate to think I wasn't burning fat.