A lot of people that workout on cardio equipment are familiar with what the machine designates as your “fat burning zone” and so at all costs attempt to stay within that. For one thing, the machine doesn’t know what your specific fat burning zone is, it just lists an average one. To be specific, you would first have to input your resting pulse, and I don’t know of any that ask for that. Two, your body’s first choice for fuel comes from carbohydrates, and the second choice is fat. That’s why in most cases a person won’t tap into stored body fat until after 30 minutes of exercise. However, the more intense the exercise, the more calories that exercise burns, no matter where the calories come from. So instead of worrying about getting above your fat burning zone, focus more on performing the exercise for 40 minutes at the highest intensity you can handle. Interval training is a great way to do this. By that I mean toggling back and forth between intensity and simply giving it your all. You will be much more successful in burning fat and losing weight with this approach.
Melissa Allen, BS, CPT, CES. Please visit my website at http://www.optimumcondition.org/services/stretching.html
