elliptical: heart rate vs speed

hi: question for you pros. I see my doc friday so i'll ask him too but i'm going to the gym tonight! our gym limits the cardio machines to 30 minutes per machine.  If I go too fast my heart rate is way over the fat burning mode for me unless I could be 20 years younger. So, I do just about 3 miles in 30 minutes keeping my heart rate at the high end. In anyone's opinion, do you think it is better to go slower at the optimal heart rate, or amp it up and go farther in the 30 minutes the heck with the heart rate? I'm going to add some treadmill time if I can tonight so my workout is longer than 30 minutes. (i weight train 3 times a week shoot for 5 times cardio) thanks! judi

Working your heart to it's maximum is one thing, saying"to heck with it", is completely different. Speaking as a 34 year old with two heart stents( I've been through CAD re-hab 2X) I would say you shouldn't pu**** any higher than the upper limits for your age. That being said- I always feel like I can go WAY over my target, but then I remember that my BP would sky rocket if I tried too long and it would effect my recovery rate. Maybe if you like that particular machine you should put in your 30 on it, move to a different one and then put 30 more on it.....or just ask for permission when it's not very busy... Hugs, Angie

thanks Angie. i think i will move to a treadmill or something if it isn't too crowded.  appreciate the help! judi

Have you ever tried interval training? In all the studies I have read it's a great way to get more out of a short workout. I started doing interval workouts this summer and it made a huge difference - I saw improvement immediately, although it was tough at first. But I have read that after interval training you continue to burn more fat than at a sustained heart rate type of workout. (I can't find the source that I read that in, but I'll try to find the article). For an interval workout you would do a brief warmup then get your heart rate up at a high rate (75-85%) for about 2-5 minutes, then slow down for enough time to get your heart rate down to about 60% then keep repeating. It is hard to do at first but it's great to do when you don't have lots of time. And it might work with the whole time restriction at your gym. Hope this helps!

thanks pj that is a great idea! i've read a little about it, my dh does it but i was worried i was too out of shape to do it. that was 6 months ago so i should be able to now. good thoughts, thanks! judi