Don’t be too caught up about your heart rate burning fat. Burning off body fat is all about burning calories and the only way calories are burnt is with the utilisation of energy from the muscles of the body.
In other words the more energy used the more fat burnt. So really your fat burning workout plan should always be of a good intensity. Not so much that you will detest doing cardio but just enough so that you work up a decent sweat!
It’s easy to get your heart rate up by not dispensing any calories. For example, if you were standing stationary on the edge of a skyscraper that would be a sure way to get your heart beating and as result raise your heart rate a significant amount of BPM.
For the best fat burning exercise in the least amount of time you should opt to choose a aerobic exercise that utilises the most muscles of the body possible. This way you will burn the more calories minute-by-minute than any other exercise.
What Exercise utilizes the most Muscles and Consequently Burns the most Calories
Personally, I believe that any exercise that has to do with lower body movement.
Why? Because, not only are you recruiting your lower body (Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Gluteus) but also all you core muscle in your abdomen, lower back and gluteus!
This is why you should always opt for lower body aerobic exercises.
Examples of Lower Body and Full Body Aerobic Exercises:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Running
- Rowing
- Cross training
Another benefit of recruiting more muscles of the body is that you will eventually BUILD more muscle. This will over time turn your body into a calorie-dispensing machine!
Ever wonder why Olympic gold champion Michael Phelps can afford to eat 12000 calories per day?! It’s because his metabolism is so high that his body is in constant demand for energy as a result of the intensity of his exercise.
Here’s a question I received with regard to heart rate fat burning
Q – What is the meaning of cardio zone on the treadmill?
My treadmill indicates that it should be over 120. Why is this so?
While I was on the treadmill and my heart rate was reading 135 BPM. What does this mean and how does it benefit me if I keep it at 135 during a 60 minutes work out on the treadmill?
A – BPM refers to the Beats Per Minute (BPM) of your heart. 120 is this average rate at which people cardiovascular systems are in good operation and there is blood circulating right around the body well.
A low to moderate heart rate of 135 over a period greater than 30minutes can initiate the fat burning process.
A high heart rate of 170 over a period greater than 30 minutes can initiate the carbohydrate burning process.
A lot of people want to know more about different aspects of their body and how exercise effects your heart rate as you get older, if you exercise on a regular basis you should never be to concerned about the finer details and just focus on regular exercise to keep in shape.