Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Is Target Heart Rate For Burning Fat a Myth?

In short, yes. This is because the target heart rate for burning fat is an old, and very limited mentality. If you have to work out enough to hit a target heart rate, then stay in that zone for a certain amount of time just to burn a little body fat, then you will be wasting a lot of time that could have been used for much more effective fat burning exercises.

Here's the real truth. When you have a good fat burning exercise plan, you will burn more calories outside the gym, than when you're actually doing each workout. This is because a properly designed fitness program will get you into the gym and back out in a very short time and be very focused on building or toning muscles and burning fat.

What's more, when you do elevate your heart rate enough to be "in the zone," you should allow it to fall back down very quickly. This is because recent studies have shown that high intensity training done in intervals is much more effective than just getting your heart rate elevated and keeping it there.

It is more effective to work very hard at specific times and take rest periods to allow your body to recover, than it is to just work very hard the entire time. This goes for muscle building, toning, and fat burning alike. If you perform each exercise one after the other, you won't get the same benefit as if you take a proper break between each one and allow your body a few seconds to settle down.

So, the bottom line is this: Yes, target heart rate for burning fat is a myth. It's much more effective to build or tone your muscles and do your cardio workouts in intervals, rather than just traditional long range cardio. You will be able to lose more fat in a much shorter amount of time if you follow these guidelines.

See Below for a great fat loss workout that implements these strategies.

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