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"The
'Fat-Burning Zone' Myth"
copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
You've probably heard it, "you have
to exercise at a lower intensity to burn
more fat.. to get in the "fat-burning
zone." guess what, it's a myth!
Here's how it got started. Your body is
always "burning" a mixture of
carbohydrates and fat for fuel. This mixture
tends to contain a little more fat during
lower intensity exercise. Somebody took
this to mean that a lower intensity workout
was best for losing weight.. not so!
1. It all comes from the same "pot".
It doesn't matter if you're burning a little
more fat or a little more carbohydrate at
any particular time in your fuel mix. It
all comes from the same calorie pool. The
bottom line is, how many calories are you
burning.
2. Moderate intensity exercise actually
burns more calories in a given time period.
For example, you may burn 200 calories during
a 30 minute low intensity exercise session
and 300 calories during a 30 minute moderate
intensity exercise session. Bottom line..
burning more calories is better for weight
loss.
3. Moderate intensity exercise increases
your basal metabolic rate (BMR) more than
lower intensity exercise. This means that
you'll burn more calories 24 hours-a-day.
4. Here's the one I like! Moderate intensity
exercise gives you a better "high"!
You know, the "exercise high"
you get when your body releases endorphins
and adrenaline. This can really elevate
your mood and is great for people who are
depressed.
So, how can you know how intense your exercise
is? Your heart rate is your body's "speedometer"
and an excellent gauge of exercise intensity.
Here's how to calculate your target heart
rate range for moderate to high intensity
exercise:
The most accurate way to determine what
your heart rate range should be while your
exercising, is to use the Karvonen equation:
First, determine your theoretical max heart
rate (Max HR) by subtracting your age from
220.
Next, determine your resting heart rate
(Rest HR) by measuring it first thing in
the morning in a seated, resting position.
Then, determine the lower end and upper
end of your target heart rate range: (Max
HR - Rest HR) X .50 + Rest HR = lower end
(Max HR - Rest HR) X .80 + Rest HR = upper
end
For example, if you are 40 years old with
a resting heart rate of 60:
Lower end of range 220 - 40 = 180 (Max
HR) (180 - 60) X .5 + 60 = lower end of
range 120 X .5 + 60 = lower end of range
60 + 60 = 120
Upper end of range 220 - 40 = 180 (Max
HR) (180 - 60) X .8 + 60 = upper end of
range 120 X .8 + 60 = upper end of range
96 + 60 = 156
So, in this example, your "aerobic
training zone" or "target heart
rate range" would be 120 to 156 beats
per minute. That means that for the majority
of your exercise session, your goal should
be to maintain your heart rate within that
range. If you are just starting your exercise
program, you should be at the lower end
of the range. As you become more conditioned,
you can move up in the range.
This will help you to get the most benefit
from the exercise you do.
Get movin'! :)
Note: Be sure to check with your doctor
before starting or making changes to your
exercise program.
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg
Landry, offers FREE weight loss success
stories and his "Fast, Healthy Weight
Loss" newsletter at his site: http://www.Landry.com
copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
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