Optimum Heart Rate

[samoan_muscle]

Hey guys,

In your opinion, what is the optimum heart rate for fat-burning?

Some say that 50 to 60% of your max HR is optimum for fat burning. For me that would be at around 110 - 120 BPM.

Others say that 60 -70% of your max HR is best for fat burning putting me at around 135 - 145 BPM.

Another fella I know reckons that 155BPM is the only way to burn fat.

[waldo]

As an ex-cyclist I think I'm well qualified to answer this. I believe 60-70% is the ideal. Why?

I call it LSD...not the acid, but long, slow distance. When getting the km's up before racing, and I'm talking 150-200km per ride, this is the intensity I would sit at. I would consume HUGE amounts of calories on a daily basis predominantly carbohydrates, as well as eating a small fortune of squeezy gel carb shot type things while riding. Sure I lost a heap of muscle in the years I rode, BUT ALSO DROPPED S**TLOADS OF BODYFAT to the point that people would comment on how gaunt I looked through the face.

However, if you are doing cardio to lose fat while trying to maintain muscle, you should be dropping the intensity, I think this is universally agreed upon, but some still advocate High Intensity Interval Training.

Whatever the intensity you decide upon, at low levels, 50-60% of Max Heart Rate, you will have to be out there for a decent length of time before you begin to eat into fat as a fuel for the cardio you are doing.

[samoan_muscle]

I've read somewhere that in 60-70% zone - 85% of the total calories burned are fat calories. Your op?

Recently I've been doing 2x 40min sessions (am/pm) at around 65% of MHR and consistently dropping a % of bf each week.

This isn't fast enough however and from now on I'll be doing 2 x 60mins sessions (am/pm) at about 60% of MHR. I need to try and get to 1.5% drop of bf a week.

[waldo]

I reckon that's a fair call. You obviously have to exhaust all glycogen in muscles and your liver before your body begins to burn the fat. In the morning on an empty stomach I believe it takes around 15 minutes of cardio befor you are utilising the fat. Try some L-Carnitine, it may help you accelerate the fat loss.

[2guns]

waldo did u used to race? e.g. iron man etc?

[waldo]

Did a lot of racing before my son was born. Spent a number of years doing 300+ kms per week, just cycling, no Triathlon. Absolutely love Cycling, is the best form of Cardio by a long shot. Very low impact, mentally it's brilliant for keeping a clear head, the only thing you have to be mindful of is idiots in cars.

Running is a silly sport...translation I have short legs and am very slow.

[2guns]

oh tru cool.

yeah my step fathers into iron man and all tht shit, hes got a pretty mint bike aye

[Varven]

How many of you reckon 3x45 min walks a week is enough to get my heart rate elevated and burn some fat ?

Reason is, Im at a gym with no cardio machines, and with my last strenght cycle Ive put on some fat too... so need to get that in check.

I will alter diet but also lookig at 3x 45 min cardio sessions... do you guys reckon thats off any use at all ?

I cant run or my knees will be buggered.

[2guns]

would depend how fast u walked id guess.

[Big_J]

i recently started doing cardio at the gym as i want to lose sum fat.. i asked a trainer at the gym wat heart rate would b optimum as im 16 he said tth my max beats per min would b round 205 nd tht i shuld try to stay around 150-155 hr.. he also told me not to use the treadmil but instead this machine called the epiletical or sumthing like tht. does ne one knw y he wuld recommend this over the treadmill? and do the heart rates sound right?

[2guns]

its called a cross trainer. as most people know it.

[Big_J]

no its different cross trainer u use ur arms as well this is the bottom half of a x trainer but u dont use ur arms at all