I am supposed to be keeping my heart rate between 119 and 153 when I workout on the eliptical or treadmill.

Yeah right?!?!?!

I stay between 167 and 179. I know, that is high.

To burn fat - I am supposed to stay in the low numbers - but man that makes for a REALLY long workout !!!

I feel like I have accomplished something when I pound it out.

I make sure I can talk while I am working out, and breath breath breath - through my nose! And of course drink drink drink Water.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Success/failure due to staying in the zone?

I really wonder about this too, look forward to the feedback you get on this.

I think those guidelines are crazy too. I take my heartbeat up to 150-158, and then do short bursts where it goes up to 163-168. I then take it back down to the 150s and keep going. I would like to be fit enough that my heart stays in the 140s-150s, but that will take some time. I can feel I'm really overdoing it when my heart gets up to 169, so I take it back down if I get in the 160s. I think the guidelines are way too low. Just my opinion.

By the way, I'm 55 years old.

Maryland - You go girl !!!!

I have always been told to just be sure I can talk during a work out and that I can breath thru my nose - taking deep breaths each breath.

But I still worry, am I not getting the optimal use of my work out and thus not burning as much fat as I could be, if I just slow it down?

Meaning, do I want to exercise slower and burn more over a shorter period of time, or do I want to exercise harder/faster and have to work out for a longer period of time to get the same weight loss as if I had done it the other way?

One thing I have learned about EVERYTHING since this surgery is that NOTHING is 100% accurate. Too many opinions, too many variables and too much information!!!

2 b banded 6-26-06 .

Whoo Hooo !!!! I wish you only the best - and a super fast recovery !!!

the reason that you need to keep your heart rate in the prescribed area is so that your engine (heart and Lungs) can get stronger. If you are constantly working above your AT (anerobic threshold) you are burning ONLY sugars, and not fat. this causes muscle breakdown, and overall poor results.

You are much better paying attention to the time in zone, rather than any distance measures in the beginning of a workout program.

Hey, I'm always way above my target heartrate too. It just doesn't make sense that when I work out in my fat burning range I can not only talk but I could whistle a tune. It seems soooo slow and I don't feel like I'm working out.

If jogging or running helps get you in shape faster than walking, then wouldn't working above your zone help you shed the pounds faster too? I guess I'll never know because I just can't work out that low paced. Maybe I'm a little obsessive/compulsive because if I'm going to do something, then I'm going to give it my all.

Tricia H

the reason that you need to keep your heart rate in the prescribed area is so that your engine (heart and Lungs) can get stronger. If you are constantly working above your AT (anerobic threshold) you are burning ONLY sugars, and not fat. this causes muscle breakdown, and overall poor results.

At first this is true, but after awhile (I've heard 20 minutes) you've got no more sugar for your body to burn, so you HAVE to burn fat (and probably muscle). I don't pay attention to my heart rate. I just work my freakin butt off. My trainer told me that the whole idea of doing longer, less-intensive workouts does burn more PERCENTAGE of fat, but that the shorter, harder workouts actually burn more calories and just as much AMOUNT of fat as the easier ones, but of the percentage of fat calories burned is less. Here's one short article about that: http://fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/fitness/story/data/1128958045389.xml&catref=ftn15

That being said, when I do hour-long workouts I can't bust my butt the whole time or I'd collapse. Plus, I did the high-intensity workout for a half hour one day and my calorie device told me that I burned fewer calories than the less-intense, hour-long workout.

Well firstly, the level you're working out at is not strictly anaerobic or else you wouldnt be able to keep going for more than a few minutes. Dont fret, you'll be burning fat - becuase you're still working at an aerobic level just not at your body's greatest efficiency.

The whole long slow intensity thing is kind of inaccurate. Its true that at a lower intensity you burn a greater proportion of your fuel from fat - but work a bit harder and you burn MORE calories and MORE fat in the same time, even if the proportion of fat in your body's fuel changes. Its not as big a difference as people tend to believe.

Also, if you start out working at a level of say 140 and always work at that level, you're not going to get significantly fitter. It will become easier as your body gets used to it, but having short bursts of much harder, even anaerobic, activity will push your fitness to that next level.

Once upon a time, I could walk at a speed of 6.4 kms/hr and get my heart rate up to 140, now I can run for the entire time (45 minutes to an hour) at 8.2 kms an hour. I got to this level by doing some sessions per week where I pushed my heart rate up in intervals - will incline or speed on the treadmill or on the elliptical. Now when I do my 45 minute workout, my pulse does not go above about 150, so I'm well within my fatburning zone only I burn much more calories and fat than what I used to.

Its just a big myth that you'll get the best results by taking it relatively easy. Harder exercise is also proven to have a far greater afterburn - your metabolism is revved for hours afterwards in a way that it is not from lower intensity exercise.

Of course everyone has to start somewhere, and you're better going for longer at a lower intensity than collapsing after 10 minutes. YOu want to make at least 30 minutes, 40 or more preferably.

Keep it up, you're doing a great job.

You should include a longer slower session in your week though, a recovery walk or run or whatever.

Jacqui, I think we're soul mates LOL! What you said in your previous post is exactly what I feel about working out. Plus, I agree about including the lower-intensity workout into your routine every week. I usually do two longer, steady-state cardio sessions (about an hour) and 5 shorter, higher-intensity, interval training cardio sessions (about 40-45 mihutes) per week. I'll usually include a lower-intense walk with some bursts of jogging every evening as well. But if I work TOO hard during my high intense training I'll give up after a half hour. I don't particularly think it's good to wear yourself out before the end of your workout.

From what I know of gym machines, the heart rate guidelines and the mechanisms are approximations only. The best way to gauge your heart rate is via a heart rate monitor -- you can program your own stats and the band wraps around your chest, so you get a much more accurate read. Barring that, my rule of thumb is whether I can speak (or sing) during exercise -- not well, mind you -- just enough that I could say something without passing out. And 20 minutes of cardio work maintained at a relatively consistent heart rate is the key -- it kicks your metabolism into higher gear. Anything beyond that will begin burning fat (and continue to do so for about 8-12 hours). At least that's what I've been told . . .

That's true too - now that I"m fitter I can push my heart rate up quite high - 160 to 170 without it taxing me all that much - as in I dont lose my breath, turn beet red or anything. I can maintain that for quite a while too. You know you're working aerobically by feel, not necessarily by heart rate - if my breathing is steady at that high a heart rate and I can keep it going, then I am still in an aerobic zone. It depends entirely on your fitness. The heart rates are a guide only.

Its because as you get fitter your body gets a lot more efficient at burning fat for fuel - partly because you now have more mitochondria in your cells which are your little powerhouses. Your body adapts to the workload.

Okay, I'm certainly no expert, but I played a lot of sports and have spent a lot of time in physical therapy because I've blown out my ACL twice.

My physical therapist (who worked in the sports medicine facility for years at UCSF) has really driven home varying your routine, and not to get your body in a rut. I forget this a lot, and its just easier to do the same thing all the time. This is detrimental to your muscle development, and your body gets too used to it.

Additionally, most fitness machines calculate statistics off by as much as TWENTY percent. This can throw you way out of your target rate. I'd love a heart monitor, I've wanted one for awhile, but they aren't really realistic right now. My rambling point is it all adds up...I tried Judo the other day and thought I would die! I realized its because I've done nothing like that before, and am not ready for that on a twice weekly basis. It did remind me that its soooooooooo important to change it up. Thats going to kick start your muscles, up your thermostat, and add even more to your caloric burn. It might not be choice for you just yet, but Karen Voight has a book on women and exercise, and she has all these great tips about how she organizes stuff so she does lunges when she gets files at her office and squats when she cooks with pots and pans. All those movements add up! I know I need to sit on mine typing less and move more. I need to retire! Too much working out to do!