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heart rate for fat burning

marlopez

Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
441
0
West LA
first off, does anyone go in here?

i know if you work out too hard, you burn muscle rather than fat. my question is where is the line drawn when working out at a high heart rate so that you don't burn more muscle than fat? i am trying to get very lean and losing any extra excess fat. im around the 10% body fat range. for the past 2 months i've been running about 5 miles a day for 4 days/week at an 8 min/mile pace. i have definitely lost fat, but i feel like i have lost lots of muscle too since i look smaller, and when i lift i can't lift as much as i did before.

If I follow the break down for heart rate between the 3 workout zones: fat burning, endurance, and cardio (increasing with heart rate). i don't get tired at all in the lower two zones. i can't even go slow enough to stay in the fat burning and break a sweat.
if i work out in the cardio zone, i obviously burn way more calories, but how much of that is muscle? i know that 9 calories = 1 gram of fat.


what should i do? work out more in the lower heart rate zone despite not feeling tired?
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
~60% HR for fat burning during exercise.

However, if you want to feel like you got a work out -and- burn fat... intervals. You'll boost your metabolism and burn fat after the workout.

Lastly, just a reminder... fat in food is NOT the same thing as fat on your body. You NEED fat in your diet, especially good fats.
 

marlopez

Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
441
0
West LA
what kind of intervals and how long? how is 2 minutes at a moderate pace and 1 minute sprints over a 20 minute period?
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
I think you're suggesting cutting out beer and the good stuff in life.

You're fockin' nuts.
:D
Whiskey and ice/water or vodka/oj kills beer dead.

To the original poster, cleaning up your diet is an easy way to lose some fat.

If you are worried about losing muscle mass, eat more protein.