Exercising in your target heart rate zon

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2003
Exercising in your target heart rate zon
4
Sun, 06-05-2005 - 6:33am
How long do you have to exercise in your target heart rate zone before you tap into your fat stores?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 06-05-2005 - 10:15am

I think that to 'tap' into your fat storage there are a couple of things to keep in mind--


1. Frequency
Keeping up a regular exercise program of about 3x's a week, each at least 30mins long is ideal for maintenance, however if you want to lose body fat you should increase this to 4-5x's a week up to about 45mins.

2. Intensity
Studies show that a workout with a heart rate of 60-90% is recommended. But that's a big difference. Here are some guidelines to remember depending on your fitness level: intermediate to advanced exercisers: one of your workouts should be long (up to an hour or more) at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Two of your workouts should be about 30 to 45 minutes of cardio at around 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. One workout should be short (maybe 20 to 30 minutes) but intense...somewhere around 75 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. Allowing some variety into your training intensity will allow you to build endurance without getting too bored or working too hard all the time.


3. Time
Again, general guidelines tell us that for beginners you should start with 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Remember it takes at least 20 minutes of continuous exercise to kick-start your body's fat burning mode.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2003
Mon, 06-06-2005 - 12:47am
thanks islandgirl. that was some really good advice. one more question... i bought a heart rate monitor and the manual says that 65% to 75% of your maximum heart rate is best for losing weight. do you agree with that?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Mon, 06-06-2005 - 8:21pm

Personally I think if you are 'feeling' like it's a strenuous workout then that's your indicator! If you are keeping your workouts a regular thing on your agenda then you should feel happy with that. Being consistent will produce weight loss.


My two cents...


Anyone else have thoughts?

~IslandGirl



*** Moderation Is Key ***


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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Tue, 06-07-2005 - 12:31pm

Although I seem to be a whiz when it comes to tracking down various formula's I'm horrible at actually putting them into action.


I'm a lazy exerciser.