Can you help me understand this?

I bought a heart rate monitor to help me stay in the fat burnng zone when working out. The fat burning zone is actually a low intensity (for me about 3.3 mph on the treadmill.) The eliptical takes me out of the fat burning zone in a matter of minutes and my entire workout is in the cardio zone. The eliptical actually burns twice the calories so doesn't that burn more fat than staying in the "fat-burning zone?"

Hi Wanda, It can be confusing. The below is taken from the polar website. The fact is ... weight loss is all about calories in verses calories burned. I agree with you - the elliptical is giving you a better work out. You will (most likely) burn more calories on the elliptical, from what you've described. Bottom line - Challenge your self and move to lose. Maybe Cece will have some input with her exercise backround. (I have the polar with Ownzone - I have it set for high intensity) Hugs, Britt (from Polar) Target Zone Exercise The most effective way to reach your fitness goal is to exercise in your target heart rate zone. There is a target zone that's right for each day's workout. For example, if you want to improve aerobic fitness you need to be working at 70-80% of your maxHR, for 40-60 minutes per day, 3 to 4 times per week. Without this information, you would get on a treadmill and not know how hard or how long you should be exercising. In most cases you may be going too easy or too hard. There are 3 key target zones that help you achieve specific goals. 60-70% Lose Weight or Recover 70-80% Improve Aerobic Fitness 80+ % Increase Athletic Performance To calculate your 3 key target zones, we use a formula that factors in your morning resting heart rate (MRHR). This will help personalize the numbers not only for your age, but also your fitness level. Morning Resting Heart Rate (MRHR) Use your Polar heart rate monitor to take your heart rate for three mornings in a row before getting up from bed. Take the average of those numbers: Morning 1# + Morning 2# + Morning 3# = (X) (X) Divided by 3 = Morning Resting HR (MRHR) Improving Overall Fitness: For first time exercisers, have your physician perform a stress test to determine your maxHR along with your target zones specific to your goal. This is especially important if you are just starting an exercise program or have not exercised for a prolonged period of time. If you have reached a plateau, you should begin to alter the frequency, intensity and duration of your workouts. The body is smart and adapts to routine. If you follow the same program, and have done so for a while, you may have stopped seeing results. Variety is the key. Focus on different workouts, at different target zones, on different days while adjusting your workout time. For Example: Have a recovery day where you go longer at an easier pace than you usually do (60-70% maxHR) While doing your normal (70-80% maxHR) exercises be creative. Monday use the treadmill, Wednesday take a cardio kickboxing class, Friday play a game of tennis. A range of different exercises will not only help you mix up your workouts, but it will also keep motivated and challenged. Do an interval workout where you pick up your speed (at or above 80% of maxHR) for one minute, slow down for three minutes (65% maxHR) and repeat again for 30 - 60 minutes. You can incorporate this into most cardio activities. This is a fun way to add variety to your exercise while burning more calories. These are the kinds of workouts that will help you improve and reach your fitness goals. Whether you're in good cardio shape, or you've reached a plateau and can't seem to lose any more weight, alter the intensity, time and frequency of your exercises. Now that you have a heart rate monitor and you know your target zones, you can use any activity to get an effective workout. Just let your Polar monitor guide you. WHY HEART RATE MONITORS If you entered this section, you are trying to lose or manage your weight. You probably already know that the key to weight management is the combination of eating and exercising right. Many people fall short when planning an exercise program because they just don't know what to do and how hard to exercise. These sections were created to help you develop an effective exercise program. To understand how an HRM can help you, we established the Polar 3 Point Message: In order to reach your fitness goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity. Heart rate is the only accurate measurement of your intensity or your exertion level. A Polar HRM is the easiest and most accurate way to continuously measure your heart rate. It's a tool that will help pace you. If you exercise too hard, you will most likely quit before you get the real benefit. We have all seen the person that gets on the treadmill, cranks it up to 8% grade and 8 mph, runs full out for 2 minutes, and gets off. ALL THEY DID WAS WASTE TWO MINUTES OF THEIR TIME! Your goal should be 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, you will start burning more calories. Your body needs time to warm up. It's like lifting weights. The first 10 reps you do are like a warm-up, and the last 2 are the ones that really give you the benefit. How do you get to 30 minutes? By pacing yourself. On the other hand, there are people that exercise very leisurely and wonder why they can't lose any weight. If you workout too slow, you don't get the exercise benefit. If you're very new to the concept of heart rate, you might be wondering WHAT'S AN HRM. It consists of a watch worn on your wrist, and a transmitter that you comfortably wear against your skin and around your chest. The transmitter picks up the signals of your heart, and sends them wirelessly to the watch you wear on your wrist. It's that simple. No wires, no taking your pulse and doing a multiplication equation. Just look at your wrist and it's there. AND THE KEY, IT'S DISPLAYED CONTINUOUSLY. The continuous display is what makes it effective. It's there guiding you during your whole workout. Here's how it works There are specific Target Zones (TZ) that help to guide you to the right intensity. A TZ is a high and low heart rate range that is based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Using a formula based on your age, you can figure out your maximum heart rate. You then take percentages of that to get your Target Zones. Key Target Zones for Weight Loss 60-70% of max HR weight loss and building endurance 70-80% " " " weight management and improving cardiovascular fitness 80%+ interval workouts Example: Elaine is 45 years old and she wants to lose weight. She exercises three days a week, sometimes for 10 minutes, sometimes for 20 minutes and she's not sure how hard to exert herself. *Her estimated max heart rate is 220-(age) 45=175 The recommended target zone is 60-70 % 60% of 175=105 70% of 175=123 Elaine should walk three days a week for at least 30 minutes and keep her heart rate between 105 and 123 for effective weight loss. IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

Thanks for the info Britt. It still seems a little complicated but what I'm beginning to understand is that I will need to change it up a bit. If I always stay in one level of ntensity, my body will get used to it and it won't be as effective. Ce-Ce pm'd me last night and gave me some great insight too.

You are smart to change it up! I have to do that and keep on challenging myself. It takes a lot more work to get my heart rate up these day (a good thing) but - as you said to get the most bang for your buck ...keep your body guessing! hugs, Britt

I reccomend going to your gym and asking for a Aerobic Threshold exam. This will provide you based on your vitals (height, weight, age, etc) the ideal HR for you to maintain while excercising which will allow you to burn the most fat effectively. I was working out on my own for about 1 1/2 months before I did the exam (I think it was like $150, but well worth it) and after it I started working out with different types of plans based on my ideal fat burning HR and what a difference. The pounds just started to fall off and it was good to see my progress and I would push that threshold for as much as I could.

That sounds interesting. I never heard of that. I'm not sure if my gym is that high-tech but it's worth asking! Thanks.