Cardio or Fat Burning
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This is a guest post by Matthew Perry.
When you do cardio are you a little confused by what program to do? Well, then you’re not alone. Below is a quick question that I get quite frequently.
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Hi Matthew,
I have a question for you and I hope you have the answer. I want to lose this last 20 lbs. The machines at the gym give the option to do either cardio or fat burning. Which one is best for me to lose the weight the proper way? I get frustrated when I do fat burning for 1 hr. and see I burn less calories than when I do cardio for an hour. What’s up with these machines?
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That’s a very good question and I’ve been asked it many times. The information provided by the machine is just an estimate. If you want to burn body fat you need your heart rate to be at 65-75% of your max, see this link for the math.
What you must understand is that ALL cardio equipment gets created and then it gets marketing flare. The piece of equipment that claims to burn the most fat/calories is usually the most popular. Take the elliptical machine for example.
What most people don’t realize is that the calories are counted by the revolutions and tension (level - how hard it is) of the machine. On the elliptical you are using your body weight to move the machine and a lot of momentum is being used.
The bike on the other hand is ALL YOU. You do not use your bodyweight to push the pedals; it’s all muscle and heart. I am not saying the elliptical is not a good workout, just comparing how the two machines operate.
So now think about this, think of the full revolution of the elliptical and the full revolution of the bike…See how much bigger the elliptical is?…maybe 3+ times bigger. And the calories are counted by the distance and tension of the revolution. Do you smell what I am cooking?
I can spend 30 minutes on the bike at my target heart rate and burn 200 calories, according to the machine readout.
I can spend 30 minutes on the elliptical at my target heart rate and burn 600+ calories, according to the machine readout.
Marketing BS at it’s finest. It is about your heart rate and duration, that’s all.
The fat burning programs are supposed to keep your heart rate in your 65-75% fat burning zone. The cardio programs are supposed to keep it higher, to build your cardio endurance. I personally always set the machine on random and for 60 minutes, which is probably a control thing. I don’t like the machine telling me when to speed up, slow down, grab the handles, and when to stop, etc.
Pay attention to your breathing and understand how your heart rate coordinates.
Understand?
One last thing to be aware of - sometimes, once you slow down and get into a fat burning zone you feel like you aren’t doing anything. It can mess with your mind as having your heart rate up in a cardio level can be addicting.
Cardio level is for endurance.
Fat burning level is for fat burning.
Good luck!
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Cheers to your health and fitness,
Matthew
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Comments
From what I’ve inferred, most trainers say that you’ll technically burn a higher percentage of fat in that certain zone, but overall you’ll burn less total fat and less calories.
Isn’t going all out and keeping your heart rate up going to burn the most calories at the time of a workout, and also in the 18-24 hours post workout when your metabolism is way up???
-Justin
Yeah, I agree with Frank. It’s significant to mix up the routine because our bodies adjust quickly.
That is correct Justin, this is what makes interval training amazing. I wrote a post about it at http://thisisnotadiet.org. This is not my site but I do write for them. Anyhow, excellent post.
Good points, particularly regarding the idea that what the machines say is at best an estimate, and at worst pure hype. Since when do we have to depend on a machine to tell us if we’re burning fat?? How about just being consistent and waiting a few weeks. Then look in the mirror and have your skin-fold measurements checked. If you’ve lost fat, you’ll know. Old school, but still true.
-David Berman, MS, PT, COMT, CSCS
http://warp-speed-fat-loss.blogspot.com/
Interesting article… nice and easy to read! I like what you’ve said about the machines… its so easy to get caught up in the hype though! I bought a stationary bike where the handles also moved and apparently I was getting a really good workout from it - burning lots of calories. But even at 16 I could see discrepancies in the machine. It didn’t really make much difference if I was pedaling my heart out or going slow - it still looked like I burned the same amount of calories… weird… anyway I prefer running now. Listening to my body is so much better than reading a non-fool-proof machine!
VERY INTERESTING POST
and yet for me it all boils down to what Ill realistically DO.
my bod could probably benefit from HIT—-but I know I wont do it and will end up not doing a thing.
Thanks for some great insights. One thing that worries me (and I am not a spring chicken any more) is – what is an acceptable maximum heart rate. I have heard a formula that goes something like this: start off with 200; subtract your age; then find roughly two-thirds of this figure. Does this sound right? Is there a danger in going over the top? Thanks.
In response to your post about cardio and fat burning…. I have recently been using a product called Flip Fitness and this seems to be the answer. Its the perfect mix of exercises that I alternate with my total cardio workout. The results have been great so far!
HI, this was a really interesting listing about cardio and using equipment. I have been a fitness trainer and hypnotherapist for several years and I agree with this posting. Sometimes what happens is the body gets so used to doing a specific routine that it fails to stimulate weight loss. What I suggest for my clients is to split up their routine while using cardio equipment. This means 10 on treadmill, 10 on Bike and maybe another ten on a machine of their choice. I’ve had my share of bumps in the road over the years. Also, since I’m here I might suggest people look into hypnosis. Not so much as a trick, but rather a way of concentrating on inducing weight loss. You can check out what I think about the subject at http://www.edgewaterhypnosis.com
really good post by the way!