what should my heart rate be for fat burning during cardio?

[luish4life]

what should my heart rate be for fat burning during cardio?

im 6 foot 3, 222 pounds

i have been doing low intensity cardio for 30 mins. my heart rate stays between 130 and 140

[luckducky433]

what should my heart rate be for fat burning during cardio?

im 6 foot 3, 222 pounds

i have been doing low intensity cardio for 30 mins. my heart rate stays between 130 and 140

At 6ft 224lbs, I had a test at the gym for max heart rate, which was about 190; she said your ideal heartrate should be about 10% less than your max, so for me that's the 170's range, which is about right when I'm doing cardio...if I do HITT and get up to about 180-182 I feel like I'm dying

For you, probably very similar, try to get around 165-170...

[luish4life]

At 6ft 224lbs, I had a test at the gym for max heart rate, which was about 190; she said your ideal heartrate should be about 10% less than your max, so for me that's the 170's range, which is about right when I'm doing cardio...if I do HITT and get up to about 180-182 I feel like I'm dying

For you, probably very similar, try to get around 165-170...

thanks. i will start tomorrow

[PeterGibbons316]

90% max heart rate is pretty high - I don't think you would want to sustain that for very long. It would be that high for a bit doing HIIT, but shouldn't be that high for steady state. If you are doing a long steady-state cardio session I would target 80-85% of your max. First you need to find your max heart rate though, a good article on that:

http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-...heart-rate.htm

[jdjprimer19]

The goal is to create a caloric deficit. Don't worry about trifling matters.

[chrsschb]

Lots of bad info in here.

If you're doing low intensity cardio for fat burning your HR should be around 125-130. (65% of MHR)

[jdjprimer19]

Lots of bad info in here.

If you're doing low intensity cardio for fat burning your HR should be around 125-130.

Again, irrelevant. Ask yourself which is more important for exercise induced fat oxidation. The acute time frame, 24 hour effect, or chronic effect?

[chrsschb]

Again, irrelevant. Ask yourself which is more important for exercise induced fat oxidation. The acute time frame, 24 hour effect, or chronic effect?

I answered his question with the best possible answer.

I know HIIT is better for overall fat burning, but once again, he specified LISS.

[luckducky433]

90% max heart rate is pretty high - I don't think you would want to sustain that for very long. It would be that high for a bit doing HIIT, but shouldn't be that high for steady state. If you are doing a long steady-state cardio session I would target 80-85% of your max. First you need to find your max heart rate though, a good article on that:

http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-...heart-rate.htm

I only gave him this advice because I had recently went to have a body check @ the gym (BF, max HR, BMI, recomp calorie intake, etc.) and his age/weight are similar to mine.

As for 90% HR, I sweat at 170 but I can maintain it without any issues for 30minutes and I'm a heavy (pack a day) smoker...anything over 170 and I feel it pretty good...usually I'm in the 164-172 range (HR monitor) for my cardio workout...anything higher and you're right, I fatigue much faster.

[luckducky433]

Lots of bad info in here.

If you're doing low intensity cardio for fat burning your HR should be around 125-130. (65% of MHR)

I think he was saying "so far" he's been doing low intensity but wanted to know what he should be doing HR-wise for cardio.

The low intensity "fat burning target heart-rate" stuff does indeed burn more fat% per calorie burned, but the higher intensity will burn more fat overall and more calories...

As someone else said, the goal is to create a deficit, so higher HR will = larger deficit. I interpreted this as what he was asking.

[jdjprimer19]

I answered his question with the best possible answer.

I know HIIT is better for overall fat burning, but once again, he specified LISS.

Neither is better. Both are viable options. A caloric deficit is being created as an adjunct to a resistance training program. Worrying about the exact heart rate is trivial.

[PeterGibbons316]

Neither is better. Both are viable options. A caloric deficit is being created as an adjunct to a resistance training program. Worrying about the exact heart rate is trivial.

I think for the most part I agree. The reason I recommended the 80-85% range is because when you get much higher than that is when most people typically reach their anaerobic threshold and begin to see lactic acid build-up in their muscles and they begin to fatigue. I wear a heart rate monitor when I run and I can run more or less all day at around 85% of my max, but when I start to get up around 90%+ I start to get fatigued and have to slow up if I am going to be able to make it through my run.

Perhaps an even better answer would be to just stay below your anaerobic threshold which can be found here.....
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm3.htm

[CharH06]

The goal is to create a caloric deficit. Don't worry about trifling matters.

first sensible answer

[Tyciol]

The higher your heart rate, presumably the more oxygen you are using. Fat requires oxygen to burn.

If you're not burning fat with that oxygen then you are burning carbs.

If you run low on oxygen, those carbs get depleted rapidly and sent to refuel at liver-station.

With them gone, when the oxygen finally gets there it's like "omg I don't have fuel here, what to do" and then your fat cells are like "hey we can burn with oxygen" and then that happens. Then they're all like "do something with this glycerin if you want, it's kinda carby" and "maybe the muss and brain can do something with these ketones"

Also what happens is your blood sugar probably dips a bit because your muscles suck up some of it because they are hungry and your brain is like "omg I need glucose, burning ketones is slow and messy" so your liver is like "hm okay" and gives it some from its glycogen so there is room for all that lactate coming in from the muscles the liver is all "oh cool I was just thinking I'd need some food to refill but this lactate will do nicely."

So anyway the net message here is burn calories and use comfortable intensity (though this can come from weightlifting) so your body will build/retain muscle it thinks it needs to survive and steal fatty acids because it's weighing you down or something and doesn't need to store stuff because you get nutrients and aren't starving.

[ger2oo5]

The higher your heart rate, presumably the more oxygen you are using. Fat requires oxygen to burn.

Not True. A higher HR would suggest high intensity cardiovascular exercise. During intense cardiovascular exercise, the body changes it ratio of using fat & glycogen for energy to almost exclusively using glycogen, as this is easier and faster to be metabolised for energy. Thats why people often refer to low intensity cardio as "fat burning"

[ger2oo5]

what should my heart rate be for fat burning during cardio?

im 6 foot 3, 222 pounds

i have been doing low intensity cardio for 30 mins. my heart rate stays between 130 and 140

@OP:

Resting heart rate will dictate what percentage of HRmax you are working at. Without your resting HR any advice is a guess at best.

[Tommy W.]

You need to challenge yourself in all BPM ranges just like challenging yourself in all rep ranges in the weight room. Lower heartrate for longer periods an higher for shorter periods.
You need to do it all.

[luish4life]

now im just confused....

[bigw10921]

The whole HR zone is a myth..we don't know anyones max HR unless they've had a stress test. It was assumed that 220-age is Max HR,,but not for everybody,,so guessing a percentage of that is just plain wrong. It's easy..the longer...harder..more often you do it,,the more kcal you burn..the more kcal you burm,,,the more fat you lose...

[Tyciol]

Not True.

Enlighten me?

A higher HR would suggest high intensity cardiovascular exercise.

I've said as much. This is literally what it means, cardio means heart after all. However, the purpose of the heart is to pump blood, a major point of which is to deliver oxygen, which one assumes increases because we are using more of it.

During intense cardiovascular exercise, the body changes it ratio of using fat & glycogen for energy to almost exclusively using glycogen

The ratio changes, but if anything, the aerobic system would be using more fat as fuel compared to normal. The increase in carbs for fuel is due to rapid glycolysis and using up the resulting available pyruvate in the krebs cycle. But since this is limited, the pyruvate will become lactate which can't be burned aerobically, so as the glycogen is depleted, fat will zoom in to do the job. This is a major factor of post-exercise oxygen consumption increases.

as this is easier and faster to be metabolised for energy. Thats why people often refer to low intensity cardio as "fat burning"

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Low-intensity cardio is more predominantly supplied by the aerobic system, but that aerobic system can just as easily be supplied by glucose and stored glycogen as it can be by fat. Without depleting that glycogen (preferentially rapidly through anaerobic work) there is not incentive for fat to be used in the low-intensity movements.

[shredorded]

220- age - RESTING heart rate X 60% (for 'fat burning') or 80%( for cardiovascular training which burns more calories + fat overall) then re add resting heart rate to get 'optimal' heart rate zone.

^ heart rate reserve method.

[bigw10921]

220- age - RESTING heart rate X 60% (for 'fat burning') or 80%( for cardiovascular training which burns more calories + fat overall) then re add resting heart rate to get 'optimal' heart rate zone.

^ heart rate reserve method.

There have been papers published lately that say this is all BS..If 220-age= max..how come I can exceed my max all the time..the whole theory is flawed

[KhoraskGTR]

now im just confused....

yeah the 'exercise' section does that to the common man ... thats why u go to reputable sources of info and do research on questions like this if your interested... do not ask the bros in here.. cuz everyone's an expert and probably <1% know anything useful

[k9pit]

I'm all for scientific explanations but the bottom line is to find what works for you and your body. You find it through trial and error.

For my body (5'11" 193lbs ~14% bf now), I have found the most success so far with keeping my heart rate ~110 to 130 max. Any higher then 130 I take deep breaths and slow it down.

With a 4 day lifting split......
I do one 45 min sessions 3 days a week on my lifting days (i don't do cardio on leg day)
and two 30-45 minute sessions on 2-3 of my non-lifting days.

5 weeks into my cut, lost 7 lbs so far, none of my lifts have dropped (but not making great strength gains tbh but I'm more into making mind-muscle connection than numbers at this point). Appear to be losing fat and keeping muscle. Eating at maintenance, but very clean (typically 40/40/20 -I don't plan it out but this is how the macros typically come out to) and creating the cal deficit with cardio.

I've tried the Moderate and High Intensity methods. They take too much out of me and effect my lifting. The weight loss is slower, but for me I am more satisfied with the fat loss results so far doing things this way.

Do what works for you.

[sheepz]

i try keep my HR around 165 - 175, this is usually over 45 - hr n 20 mins depending how far i run

any lower i find it too easy of a light jog and don't feel like its doing a whole lot

My Hr monitor tracks cals for the run via your actual hr, not sure if its 100% but whatever

If your not working hard and tired at the end of your run then honestly you shouldn't expect too much but maybe thats what works for me

[JVAisGod]

Not True. A higher HR would suggest high intensity cardiovascular exercise. During intense cardiovascular exercise, the body changes it ratio of using fat & glycogen for energy to almost exclusively using glycogen, as this is easier and faster to be metabolised for energy. Thats why people often refer to low intensity cardio as "fat burning"

Stop. Please.

[PeterGibbons316]

There have been papers published lately that say this is all BS..If 220-age= max..how come I can exceed my max all the time..the whole theory is flawed

The 220-age is just an estimate. The only way to know your max heart rate is to performa a max heart rate test. 220-age is just a quick and dirty way to guess your max without doing the test. Using your resting heart rate will provide a more accurate max. And doing a max rate test will find your true max. I posted a link above, but here it is again.....

http://www.howtobefit.com/determine-...heart-rate.htm

[rxrocko]

Read up on Dave Palumbo's articles on low intensity cardio for fat burning. Has worked for me.

"Cardio:
CARDIO should be performed at a low intensity (under 120bpm heartrate). This will ensure that you use FAT as a fuelsource since as your heartrate increase, carbohydrates begin to become the preferred fuel of choice for the body. When on a low carb diet, you're body will break down muscle and turn that into carbs. Remember, Fat CANNOT be changed into carbs. Therefore, for bodybuilding, the rule of cardio should be LONG DURATION, LOW INTENSITY

never do less than 20 min per session"

[ger2oo5]

Stop. Please.

Ill stop in a minute

This will ensure that you use FAT as a fuelsource since as your heartrate increase, carbohydrates begin to become the preferred fuel of choice for the body.

This is what i was trying to say.

[chrsschb]

Ill stop in a minute