What is the difference between cardio workout and fat burning?

[Spac3d]

I was on the treadmill today and it says if your age is 20 and your heart rate is from 130-150bpm, you are doing fat burning. If it is from 150-180bpm, you are doing a cardio workout. What is the real difference between the two? If you are doing a cardio workout, don't you get fat burning too??

Spac3d

 

[Rudee]

If your ticker is beating too quickly your body can't metabolize fat quickly enough to be used as energy, thus is uses glucose for energy and you get a nice cardiovascular benefit. To burn bodyfat you need to be at a lower target heart rate zone to allow the body to metabolize fat effeciently. At a higher heartrate the body enlarges capilarries over time and the whole cardiovascular system gets a boost from the increased blood flow. The biggest benefit goes your heart.

 

[Spac3d]

Alright, so that means I need to slow down on the treadmill. I want to do both cardio and fat burning - should I just alternate them throughout the week?? I also lift weights now.

Spac3d

 

[Fausto]

Actually, you will utimately end up burning more fat at a higher heart rate. At a lower rate, your body is better at utilizing energy directly from fat, but the catch is that you're moving slower so the overall caloric demands are lower as well. At a higher rate, your bod will be relying primarily on your glycogen stores, but burning way more calories overall since you're working harder. Those calories need to be recouped from somewhere and that somewhere is fat.

There have been several articles in various cycling mags and journals on this subject, I'll see if I can dig one up for you.

 

[RSMemphis]

Well, the whole science behind it is a little bit vague, there is a book from Lance Armstrong (you know, American who rides a bike really well - but since he is not in the NFL, NHL, or MBA, he is unknown) where he discusses the fact that a cardiovascular workout does well at burning fat, too.

I think one major reason why they say 130-150 is a good fat burning regime is so that they don't get lawsuits from 300 pound people who haven't worked out in a long time, and go "all the way" - to a heart attack.

If you want both cv and fb workouts, do the following. If you are going to be on the treadmill for like 40 minutes, start five minutes in the 130-150 regime, then do 20 or 25 minutes in the 150-165(170, depending on your age), and then go back for 10-15 minutes at 130-150 again.

 

[StageLeft]

I wonder how much the diff really is? Clearly both ranges burn both fat and increase your cardio strength significantly, though the higher rate naturally would increase your cardio more. As Fausto said to be safe perhaps just go with the higher one.

Really though I doubt the difference is high enough that the regular joe should be overly concerned with it. Plop your ass on a machine for a while and by the end you'll have burned fat and gotten some good cardio excercise.

 

[Fausto]

This is a pretty good article on the subject that sums things up nicely.

The Fat Burning Zone

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I wonder how much the diff really is? Clearly both ranges burn both fat and increase your cardio strength significantly, though the higher rate naturally would increase your cardio more. As Fausto said to be safe perhaps just go with the higher one.

Really though I doubt the difference is high enough that the regular joe should be overly concerned with it. Plop your ass on a machine for a while and by the end you'll have burned fat and gotten some good cardio excercise.

That is exactly what I was thinking. But since I want to be more trim, I want to shed a few pounds. I think cardio is just as important because if you do more cardio, you burn more calories and strengthens your heart. Doesn't that mean eventually you will burn more calories at rest than if you did just fat burning??

Time to read fausto's link.

Spac3d

 

[Spac3d]

Exercising at a higher level of intensity has a lot of benefits as well. For one thing, it increases your aerobic capacity and conditions your heart. For another, it burns a ton of calories. For a third, it pushes you, making you fitter and more conditioned -- and a more conditioned person is a more efficient fat burner during her nonexercising hours.

So throw out those fat-burning charts and use the following rule instead: Within the limits of your ability and fitness level, and without causing undue stress or increasing the possibility of injury, exercise as hard and as long as you can, as frequently as you can.

Seems there is our answer. Don't skimp, work out hard, and then you will be able to burn more calories at rest too

Much thanks to Fausto1

Spac3d

 

[BigToque]

The way the body burns fat is kinda like how the P4 works...

P4 = Less work per clock, but the clock frequency can go really high.
Body = Less calories from fat, but total # of calories burned goes way up.

I think I got that right