[bigdog]

I saw on the oliptical that if I go above (not sure of the exact #) say 60% heart rate Im into cardio but anything below is fat burning.How can a lower heart rate be considered fat burn but higher is not fat burn but cardio?? The machine actually told me to slow down to be into the fat burning zone.Hows that???

[Brown Beast]

Okay, here is my understanding of this situation thus far. The fat burning zone is a low enough heart rate that you will burn a majority of your calories gained from fat. However, the higher heart rate burns more calories gained from carbohydrates the higher you go. For a beginner it is usually suggested that you stay in the "fat-burning zone" for the first few weeks at least. However, over time you will naturally need to increase the intensity and start hitting the "cardio zone" anyway.

The cardio zone will give you more overall calories burned than the fat-burning zone given the same amount of time exercised, and so in the big picture that is what counts and why most people end up going into the cardio zone anyway.

I would just shut off the fat-burning zone mode and go for manual, hill, or cardio mode personally, because it is annoying when you want to increase the intensity and it keeps telling you to slow down! lol

[bigdog]

Thnx.I just figured if your at a higher heart rate than thats better for burning fat.

[hayabusa3]

How's that going anyway?

[bigdog]

Originally Posted by hayabusa3

How's that going anyway?

As far as?

[jmillz]

I got this from Active.com: It was written primarily for endurance athletes, but I think it speaks to your general question pretty well.

By Rachel Cosgrove, USAT Level 1, CSCS
For Active.com
"If you want to lose a few pounds you need to do long, slow, steady-state aerobic exercise in the fat burning zone." </EM>
Heard this advice before? It's one of the biggest misconceptions in the exercise and weight-loss world. If long, slow, steady-state aerobics was the key to fat loss every person who crosses the finish line of a marathon or Ironman would have very low body fat. This just isn't the case. Numerous people who train for an endurance event gain weight.
Endurance exercise solely for fat loss does not make sense. Your goal as an endurance athlete is to become efficient and better at running, biking or swimming. A different plan of attack needs to be used to burn fat--a more effective plan.
Reasons Steady-state Aerobic Training is Supposed to Burn Fat

1) It burns calories. Hard-working muscles demand extra oxygen to help them continue working. However, lots of activities also burn calories by requiring work from the muscles—weight training, sprinting, sleeping—so no extra points for aerobic training.
2) The fat-burning zone. Yes, it exists, but it has been misinterpreted. The fat-burning zone is a concept that the body burns a greater amount of fat at lower-intensity aerobic exercise than it does at higher intensities. Actually, the body burns a greater percentage of fat at lower intensities than at higher intensities. At lower intensities the body may burn 50 percent of the calories from fat, while at higher intensities it may only burn 35 percent. But at higher intensities you burn way more total calories—and more fat calories overall—than you do at lower intensities.
3) Aerobic training makes your body an efficient fat-burning machine. True, but this isn't a desirable response. Yes, aerobic training does demand work from the muscles, but not as much as other activities, and it doesn't require the muscle tissue to last, either. Because the only tissue that burns fat in the body is muscle, aerobics are ineffective at building and maintaining your body's fat-burning tools.
4) Aerobic training raises your metabolism. This isn't true. Metabolism is largely a function of how much muscle you carry. Because aerobics do nothing to even maintain muscle, never mind build it, they do not contribute to raising your metabolism while at rest.

[bigdog]

Hmm interesting.It seems one minute the "professionals" will say to do something one way then a short time later they say to do it another way.I dont think anyone knows.Thanks for the info.

[juggy38]

Yea it's about fat oxidation rates at vo2 max%
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