cardio intensity?

[gvc3k]

This has probably been discussed before, but the search doesnt work for me because it sais i'm not a platinum member. but anyways..

I have read that I need to lower the intensity of my cardio for optimal fat burning, and on the little graphs they have on the cardio machines say for my age the best heart rate for fat burning is 120. But it takes sooo long to burn a substancial amount at that heart rate, and people have said that i am spending too much time on cardio, so i should increase my intensity. So I just became a little confused, and was wondering if anyone could clear this up for me. Thanks

(I realized this was the wrong forum after I posted it, sorry)

 

[Makavelli]

This has probably been discussed before, but the search doesnt work for me because it sais i'm not a platinum member. but anyways..

I have read that I need to lower the intensity of my cardio for optimal fat burning, and on the little graphs they have on the cardio machines say for my age the best heart rate for fat burning is 120. But it takes sooo long to burn a substancial amount at that heart rate, and people have said that i am spending too much time on cardio, so i should increase my intensity. So I just became a little confused, and was wondering if anyone could clear this up for me. Thanks

(I realized this was the wrong forum after I posted it, sorry)

I do cardio slow and long. 45-60 minutes per session.

 

[pintoca]

The cardio debate is a never ending story:

back to basics:

1. To burn fat you need to be in a caloric deficit (aprox. 3500 cals/week for a lb of fat).
2. Steady state cardio at, say, 65% MHR burns the most PERCENTAGE of calories from Fat
3. HIIT and steady state at higher Heart rate (75 ~ 85% MHR) burn more Total calories, but a HIGHER percentage will come from carbs (as much as 65% from carbs and the more you approach your anaerobic treshold, the more carbs you will burn)

So, what does this tell us?

What it is most important for weight loss is the total of calories burned and not their origin (as long you are protecting your muscle and not burning it all)

My recommendation? If you ONLY have 20 mins, go for HIIT. If you have more time, got for a med-high intensity (starting at 75% MHR) for 45 mins.

Just make sure you are protecting your muscle mass and you will be fine.

Final word, you have to learn to listen to your body: If it feels too easy, probably it is.

Pintoca

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

How do you know if you are burning muscle? Is there any way to tell if you are burning muscle during a cardio session?

 

[pintoca]

How do you know if you are burning muscle? Is there any way to tell if you are burning muscle during a cardio session?

Not that I know (there might be some complicated lab testing or something). The easy way is to monitor BF% weekly and do the math, check the LBM deltas.

Drawback is that implies a potential week of muscle loss, but that is the only way to fine tune intensity/frequency.

 

[gvc3k]

can you give me an example of your cardio schedule?

 

[Neo22]

Is your diet in check? I try to keep my Hr at 65% or a little higher. This is around 130-140 beats per minute for me. I do cardio for 45. I agree with what was posted earlier.

 

[pintoca]

can you give me an example of your cardio schedule?

Right now I am in a little bit of a self-imposed cardio holliday (due to schedule restrictions), so I only get to do cardio 4 times a wek:

Tu: Evening cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%
Thu: Evening cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%
Sat: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%
Sun: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%

I did for 5 months something completely different:

Mon: Evening cardio (after lifting): 45 min @ 75~83%
Tue: Evening cardio (after lifting): 45 min @ 75~83%
Wed: Evening cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%
Thur: Evening cardio (after lifting): 45 min @ 75~83%
Fri: Evening cardio (after lifting): 45 min @ 75~83%
Sun: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%

I am in the process of revamping my entire program, since I will "restart" my cutting on april 1st. Since it is going to be warmer, I will be able to run in the morning, so my plan is then:

Mon: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85%
Tue: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85%
Wed: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85% AND Evening cardio: 45 min @ 75~83%
Thur: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85%
Fri: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85%
Sun: Morning empty stomach cardio: 45 min @ 80~85%

This will be for 12 weeks, then I will fall back to plan #1 to recover for some weeks before starting again.

Sounds like fun, heh??? this is the price one has to pay for years of laziness...

 

[gvc3k]

so you find better results from 75-85%mhr than 65%mhr?

 

[Synpax]

I should really sticky a FAQ so we can all refer to it.

The percentage of calories burned from fat is higher at lower intensities, but the total at greater intensities is actually higher.

I suggest you try going for an hour in your zone 2 which if we were to estimate would be around 140-150 BPM. Running does this best - possibly on a well cushioned treadmill.

However, if you are looking to loose fat - you need to evaluate your diet.

 

[gvc3k]

yes, I have already evauluated my diet from the book pintoca suggested (bffm).
I just had this question about cardio intensity to see which is more effective in burning fat, on top of my nutrition plan.

 

[pintoca]

so you find better results from 75-85%mhr than 65%mhr?

For me personally yes. Most likely 'cause I had a lot of fat to loose. Once I get closer to the lower 10s I may need to reevaluate that. But for the time being, yes.


My advice is to give it a try for 2 weeks, then 2 weeks at 65% and compare with hard facts what is best for you.