Cardio vs. weight loss.

[TINKRD]

When you’re on the elliptical or cross country machine there’s a graph that correlates to your heart rate. it has two zones showing weight lose and cardio. My question is does it really burn more calories to keep your heart rate lower and in the “weight loss” zone? My problem is I’ll jump on the machine and do a comfortable pace that I feel is good for me. My heart rate normally is around 160ish and this is at the peak of the “cardio zone” and I’m obviously doing this to lose some weight.

Should I keep my heart rate lower? It’s hard to keep it that low and feel like I’m getting a good “workout”

[futant]

basically the way i understand it is this -

obviously anything in or above the cardio zone is burning plenty of calories
the cardio zone purpose is only to show you an area you can keep going with endurance and burn calories longer.

so energy exhausted x time =calories burned total
then you can always speculate what amount of calories your body is burning after workouts days later still recopperating from exertion. hope that helps im clearly no expert

[The Raven]

The cardio (heart) zone is for building cardiovascular endurance at the expense of burning lean muscle tissue. The higher herat rate builds your heart muscle, but your body is burning calories faster than can be supplied by fat stores, so it turns to burning muscle for energy. The fat burning zone won't work your heart near as hard, because it keeps you in a range where your body is able to tap into fat stores as the primary source of energy.

You will indeed burn fat in the cardio zone, but you'll burn muscle as well. This will undermine over all progress, as having more lean muscle burns more calories (while exercising and at rest), so burning that muscle off will hinder you're ability to burn a maximum number of calories.

[TINKRD]

The cardio (heart) zone is for building cardiovascular endurance at the expense of burning lean muscle tissue. The higher herat rate builds your heart muscle, but your body is burning calories faster than can be supplied by fat stores, so it turns to burning muscle for energy. The fat burning zone won't work your heart near as hard, because it keeps you in a range where your body is able to tap into fat stores as the primary source of energy.

yeah i googled and read the same thing. i've been reading up on HIIT cardio and am going to start to attempt that tomorrow.

[MotoMan]

The cardio (heart) zone is for building cardiovascular endurance at the expense of burning lean muscle tissue. The higher herat rate builds your heart muscle, but your body is burning calories faster than can be supplied by fat stores, so it turns to burning muscle for energy. The fat burning zone won't work your heart near as hard, because it keeps you in a range where your body is able to tap into fat stores as the primary source of energy.

You will indeed burn fat in the cardio zone, but you'll burn muscle as well. This will undermine over all progress, as having more lean muscle burns more calories (while exercising and at rest), so burning that muscle off will hinder you're ability to burn a maximum number of calories.

I never actually knew that you could over work your heart to burn muscle:fing02:

[The Raven]

I never actually knew that you could over work your heart to burn muscle:fing02:

"Over-work" probably isn't the best terminology becasue cardiovascular endurance generally is a good thing. You most certainly can push the heart too hard and go into cardiac arrest, but cardio sholdn't be pushing it quite that hard. It's like eating "too much" is relative to your goals, your calorie intake is different when fat loss is the goal as opposed to the calories needed to build muscle.

[Strychnine]

They key is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic work.

When you are in the aerobic HR zone your muscles use fatty acids and glucose to produce ATP so you are are using oxygen to burn fat and carbs. This will do more to develop your cardiovascular system, help your body become more efficient at transporting oxygen to and from muscles and build endurance.

In the anaerobic zone you can no longer take in adequate oxygen to keep you aerobic. At this point the production of ATP relies on glucose alone (ie. not fat & carbs) and your blood lactate levels will start rising. Training in this zone will do more to develop your lactic acid system.


If 01WC pops in here he could probably explain much better and give you enough info to make your head explode.

[ThreeFingerPete]

Cliff's Notes: When your heart rate is too high, your body can't use oxygen to help break down fat because it's all being used to breathe.

[Strychnine]

Cliff's Notes: When your heart rate is too high, your body can't use oxygen to help break down fat because it's all being used to breathe.

Yeah... that's what I meant http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/stroked71/SET%20Golf%20-%20Conley%20Group/smiley_abused.gif

[ThreeFingerPete]

Yeah... that's what I meant http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/stroked71/SET%20Golf%20-%20Conley%20Group/smiley_abused.gif

You have to make things simple for dfwstangs. Think layman's terms.