Am I wasting time if I keep my heart rate high?!
Question: Five days a week I spend 20 minutes jogging, 20 minutes on an elliptical machine, and 20 minutes on a stationary bike. My heart rate is constantly at 160-170. I have been told that my fat burning zone (17 years of age) is around 130 HR. I'm looking to shed around 5 pounds of fat during the spring, but am I doing it wrong by keeping my HR high? I usually get very bored trying to slow down to reduce it. I can't completely be compromising everything, because after all, a work out is still a work out, right?
Answers: Five days a week I spend 20 minutes jogging, 20 minutes on an elliptical machine, and 20 minutes on a stationary bike. My heart rate is constantly at 160-170. I have been told that my fat burning zone (17 years of age) is around 130 HR. I'm looking to shed around 5 pounds of fat during the spring, but am I doing it wrong by keeping my HR high? I usually get very bored trying to slow down to reduce it. I can't completely be compromising everything, because after all, a work out is still a work out, right?
As long as your heart is used to being kept at that rate, you should be fine. But you should do no more than one hour at a time, which you're doing, so good for you. The thing is, you have to mix up your activities in order to lose weight. If you've been doing the exact same routine over and over, your body gets used to it, and you will lose less than if you mix it up. If you're only 5lbs away from your goal weight, you'll have a hard time losing than if you were say, 20 lbs away.
When you keep your heart rate high, you are doing cardio training. That trains your heart, and yes, still burns calories and is still good, but if you keep your heart rate in the 130s (yes, this might be boring, try using an IPOD or a magazine to keep your mind off the walking) you will continue to burn calories for an extended period after the workout. Try walking fast on an incline to mix your routine up a little, and change the incline every few minutes, maybe this will help with the boredom as well.
Are you eating healthfully? You can work out all you want, but sometimes the food you eat can keep the lbs on as well. Adding lean protein like chicken and fish before and after the workout will help give you lean muscles, and the more muscle you have, the more fat it will help your body burn, getting you closer to those last 5 lbs coming off.
yes you are wrong keeping your heart rate up cause if you keep on doing the same rate you eventually get a stroke or a heart attack.
keep it, and hold it in that 130 zone for the best results