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I don't do much cardio myself but I'll try to answer this:
The main thing to remember with most forms of cardio, especially running, is that to burn fat you need to be within the 'fat burning zone'. The fat burning zone is a boundary that is set by heart rates. Obviously you are burning fat or all the time whilst on the treadmill, however it is most effective in this zone.
As you increase the intensity of your exercise, their is a greater proportion of calories from carbohydrates, and a smaller proportion of calories from fat. But the harder the exercise, the greater the total number of calories. So if you train harder, the % of calories from fat goes down, but the total number increases.
The general formula is:
[(220 - age in years) - Resting Heart Rate] x Exercise Intensity + Resting Heart Rate
But personally, I wouldn't bother with it. If you want to burn fat either run at a high-ish speed for long periods of time (gradually work up); OR do something high intensity like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as this will burn off more fat.
Hope that helps.
The main thing to remember with most forms of cardio, especially running, is that to burn fat you need to be within the 'fat burning zone'. The fat burning zone is a boundary that is set by heart rates. Obviously you are burning fat or all the time whilst on the treadmill, however it is most effective in this zone.
As you increase the intensity of your exercise, their is a greater proportion of calories from carbohydrates, and a smaller proportion of calories from fat. But the harder the exercise, the greater the total number of calories. So if you train harder, the % of calories from fat goes down, but the total number increases.
The general formula is:
[(220 - age in years) - Resting Heart Rate] x Exercise Intensity + Resting Heart Rate
But personally, I wouldn't bother with it. If you want to burn fat either run at a high-ish speed for long periods of time (gradually work up); OR do something high intensity like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as this will burn off more fat.
Hope that helps.
Running is great exercise, and treadmills really let you order your workout. There are a few things to remember though in order to use them to keep your body fat down.
1) Always warmup, a fast walk or very light job for 4 or 5 minutes, your body will like you for this.
2) Keep your heartrate to about 80% of your max, I find mine is around 150 for an 18 year old. You will likely be alternating between fast walking and jogging.
3)Aim for about 30-40 minutes, twice a day, 4/5 times a week (Once your fitness is up obviously!) To see real drops in your body fat.
4) Never run on flat, It will just mean you have good stamina, but no building of strength.
Someone told me once 2000kal roughly = 1lb of fat, but I wouldnt get in the habit of training to calories, just get into a routine, keep your discipline, and you'll be dropping weight in no time.
Best of luck!
1) Always warmup, a fast walk or very light job for 4 or 5 minutes, your body will like you for this.
2) Keep your heartrate to about 80% of your max, I find mine is around 150 for an 18 year old. You will likely be alternating between fast walking and jogging.
3)Aim for about 30-40 minutes, twice a day, 4/5 times a week (Once your fitness is up obviously!) To see real drops in your body fat.
4) Never run on flat, It will just mean you have good stamina, but no building of strength.
Someone told me once 2000kal roughly = 1lb of fat, but I wouldnt get in the habit of training to calories, just get into a routine, keep your discipline, and you'll be dropping weight in no time.
Best of luck!
I agree with all of the advice given above and would also add that afterwards you should make sure that you fuel your body properly both before and after for optimum results. Carbs before, protein and carbs after. Complex carbs are best as they help to keep you going throughout your workout, although simple ones eg bananas are great if you are eating them about an hour before exercise as they are quickly absorbed by the body.
Also I would aim to do some other exercise apart from running to give your body a bet all-over workout, maybe on some days you could do other machines at the gym or go swimming or do an exercise class. Just an idea because it stops you getting bored and can help prevent your body reaching a plateau quicker (when you stop seeing results).
Good luck!
Also I would aim to do some other exercise apart from running to give your body a bet all-over workout, maybe on some days you could do other machines at the gym or go swimming or do an exercise class. Just an idea because it stops you getting bored and can help prevent your body reaching a plateau quicker (when you stop seeing results).
Good luck!
friendsfreak88
I agree with all of the advice given above and would also add that afterwards you should make sure that you fuel your body properly both before and after for optimum results. Carbs before, protein and carbs after. Complex carbs are best as they help to keep you going throughout your workout, although simple ones eg bananas are great if you are eating them about an hour before exercise as they are quickly absorbed by the body.
Also I would aim to do some other exercise apart from running to give your body a bet all-over workout, maybe on some days you could do other machines at the gym or go swimming or do an exercise class. Just an idea because it stops you getting bored and can help prevent your body reaching a plateau quicker (when you stop seeing results).
Good luck!
Also I would aim to do some other exercise apart from running to give your body a bet all-over workout, maybe on some days you could do other machines at the gym or go swimming or do an exercise class. Just an idea because it stops you getting bored and can help prevent your body reaching a plateau quicker (when you stop seeing results).
Good luck!
Yes, swimming is definetely a good option too as it works your whole body. If you are going to the gym, its ideal to swim after your cardio to relax the muscles aswell.
I dont agreee with some of this advice.
There is a lot of confusion over this 'fat burning zone' yes you are right that at a certain heart rate the proportion of fat burnt to that of glycogen is higher and it falls slightly as you speed up but the totaly energy expenditure also increases so although the proportion of fat burnt falls, the absolute amount increases, so you still burn more fat then if you where going slower.
Also remember that the body will use fat to restore muscle glycogen so its not like its a bad thing to burn more muscle glycogen. Just media hype that its more important to burn fat.
If you still really want to try and burn the most fat that you can, you have to excersize intensily for sevral hours untill your muscle glycogen 'runs out' and your body starts vastly increasing the proportion of fat burnt.
When this happens your performance is reduced and you feel fatigued, its a gradual process and you wont suddenly feel yes its happening, but if you have gone long enough for it to happen you will know, its not the same as when you are out of breath or something, you will be totaly shattered by the end and will probably feel this way for a few days.
Nobody reaches this level at the gym, welcome to the world of endurance sports.
There is a lot of confusion over this 'fat burning zone' yes you are right that at a certain heart rate the proportion of fat burnt to that of glycogen is higher and it falls slightly as you speed up but the totaly energy expenditure also increases so although the proportion of fat burnt falls, the absolute amount increases, so you still burn more fat then if you where going slower.
Also remember that the body will use fat to restore muscle glycogen so its not like its a bad thing to burn more muscle glycogen. Just media hype that its more important to burn fat.
If you still really want to try and burn the most fat that you can, you have to excersize intensily for sevral hours untill your muscle glycogen 'runs out' and your body starts vastly increasing the proportion of fat burnt.
When this happens your performance is reduced and you feel fatigued, its a gradual process and you wont suddenly feel yes its happening, but if you have gone long enough for it to happen you will know, its not the same as when you are out of breath or something, you will be totaly shattered by the end and will probably feel this way for a few days.
Nobody reaches this level at the gym, welcome to the world of endurance sports.
*titanium*
I dont agreee with some of this advice.
There is a lot of confusion over this 'fat burning zone' yes you are right that at a certain heart rate the proportion of fat burnt to that of glycogen is higher and it falls slightly as you speed up but the totaly energy expenditure also increases so although the proportion of fat burnt falls, the absolute amount increases, so you still burn more fat then if you where going slower.
Also remember that the body will use fat to restore muscle glycogen so its not like its a bad thing to burn more muscle glycogen. Just media hype that its more important to burn fat.
If you still really want to try and burn the most fat that you can, you have to excersize intensily for sevral hours untill your muscle glycogen 'runs out' and your body starts vastly increasing the proportion of fat burnt.
When this happens your performance is reduced and you feel fatigued, its a gradual process and you wont suddenly feel yes its happening, but if you have gone long enough for it to happen you will know, its not the same as when you are out of breath or something, you will be totaly shattered by the end and will probably feel this way for a few days.
Nobody reaches this level at the gym, welcome to the world of endurance sports.
There is a lot of confusion over this 'fat burning zone' yes you are right that at a certain heart rate the proportion of fat burnt to that of glycogen is higher and it falls slightly as you speed up but the totaly energy expenditure also increases so although the proportion of fat burnt falls, the absolute amount increases, so you still burn more fat then if you where going slower.
Also remember that the body will use fat to restore muscle glycogen so its not like its a bad thing to burn more muscle glycogen. Just media hype that its more important to burn fat.
If you still really want to try and burn the most fat that you can, you have to excersize intensily for sevral hours untill your muscle glycogen 'runs out' and your body starts vastly increasing the proportion of fat burnt.
When this happens your performance is reduced and you feel fatigued, its a gradual process and you wont suddenly feel yes its happening, but if you have gone long enough for it to happen you will know, its not the same as when you are out of breath or something, you will be totaly shattered by the end and will probably feel this way for a few days.
Nobody reaches this level at the gym, welcome to the world of endurance sports.
Well yeah, thats what I said: Run at a high speed for a long period of time. But like you said, you will get tired out and rest is very important.
lapsaJ
Well yeah, thats what I said: Run at a high speed for a long period of time. But like you said, you will get tired out and rest is very important.
My bad, i didnt read your post carefully enough.
*bump*
Alright, need a bit more advice...
Am really working hard to try and get a six pack, was wondering if people could tell me if they think I'm on the right track...
- I eat 2 meals everyday (
) and a snack or two- try to limit fat % and number of cals.
- I run 45-50 minutes every other day at 5 MPH, usually burn about 650-700 cals in that amount of time
- On the days when I don't run I do 100-125 situps.
So I'm wondering if there's anything I should do differently? Been running for about 2 months now (though just recently started doing 45-50 minutes). Should I run longer at a slower speed? Run less at a higher speed? Aim to burn more cals? Do more situps? Am considering taking a bike ride on the days I don't run, would that help at all? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Alright, need a bit more advice...
Am really working hard to try and get a six pack, was wondering if people could tell me if they think I'm on the right track...
- I eat 2 meals everyday (
) and a snack or two- try to limit fat % and number of cals.- I run 45-50 minutes every other day at 5 MPH, usually burn about 650-700 cals in that amount of time
- On the days when I don't run I do 100-125 situps.
So I'm wondering if there's anything I should do differently? Been running for about 2 months now (though just recently started doing 45-50 minutes). Should I run longer at a slower speed? Run less at a higher speed? Aim to burn more cals? Do more situps? Am considering taking a bike ride on the days I don't run, would that help at all? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Do some crunches, most people dont concentrate on lowering body fat and tihnk they can do it simply thorugh ab work outs, thats not true but it still helps to do some ab work, since it makes your abs bigger.
20 minutes of semi-intense exercise will begin to burn fat (obviously less if you havent eaten but thats extremely dangerous if the exercise is prolonged).
5mph is rather slow but you are doing it for a while. Its more of a cardiac workout than a fat burner.
Try 10 mins power walking (4-5mph), 5 mins quick run (not flat out), 10 mins walk (or more, until you feel recovered), 5 mins run, 5 mins walk, 5 mins faster run then walk until you are fully recovered.
Regain your blood sugar levels afterwards, avoid fat intensive snacks (like mars bars)
Do pull ups and sit ups for a 6 pack.
All you want is a six pack? Why - it makes little sense if all you want is a toned stomach and don't care about the rest of you.
Why only 2 meals a day? Running at 5mph is hardly going to cause you to break into much of a sweat after the first week or so. If you're going to run at 5mph at least run with an incline. Up the speed to make it more interesting and run for less. Haven't tried this personally but you could try running for 5 minutes at 5,6,7,8,9 and 10mph - it's a half hour work out obviously and should be more effective than what you currently do.
Why only 2 meals a day? Running at 5mph is hardly going to cause you to break into much of a sweat after the first week or so. If you're going to run at 5mph at least run with an incline. Up the speed to make it more interesting and run for less. Haven't tried this personally but you could try running for 5 minutes at 5,6,7,8,9 and 10mph - it's a half hour work out obviously and should be more effective than what you currently do.
G4ry
All you want is a six pack? Why - it makes little sense if all you want is a toned stomach and don't care about the rest of you.
Why only 2 meals a day? Running at 5mph is hardly going to cause you to break into much of a sweat after the first week or so. If you're going to run at 5mph at least run with an incline. Up the speed to make it more interesting and run for less. Haven't tried this personally but you could try running for 5 minutes at 5,6,7,8,9 and 10mph - it's a half hour work out obviously and should be more effective than what you currently do.
Why only 2 meals a day? Running at 5mph is hardly going to cause you to break into much of a sweat after the first week or so. If you're going to run at 5mph at least run with an incline. Up the speed to make it more interesting and run for less. Haven't tried this personally but you could try running for 5 minutes at 5,6,7,8,9 and 10mph - it's a half hour work out obviously and should be more effective than what you currently do.
Well I don't only care about getting a toned stomach but I don't have much in the way of exercise equipment besides a treadmill and an ab lounge which doesn't seem to work
Yeah I have the incline up all the way, it's quite a difference actually from just running on the flat.
Thanks guys!
The_Bear
20 minutes of semi-intense exercise will begin to burn fat (obviously less if you havent eaten but thats extremely dangerous if the exercise is prolonged).
5mph is rather slow but you are doing it for a while. Its more of a cardiac workout than a fat burner.
Try 10 mins power walking (4-5mph), 5 mins quick run (not flat out), 10 mins walk (or more, until you feel recovered), 5 mins run, 5 mins walk, 5 mins faster run then walk until you are fully recovered.
Regain your blood sugar levels afterwards, avoid fat intensive snacks (like mars bars)
Do pull ups and sit ups for a 6 pack.
5mph is rather slow but you are doing it for a while. Its more of a cardiac workout than a fat burner.
Try 10 mins power walking (4-5mph), 5 mins quick run (not flat out), 10 mins walk (or more, until you feel recovered), 5 mins run, 5 mins walk, 5 mins faster run then walk until you are fully recovered.
Regain your blood sugar levels afterwards, avoid fat intensive snacks (like mars bars)
Do pull ups and sit ups for a 6 pack.
Does that really work though? It seems like it would be a lot less work and burn much fewer calories than what I'm doing now...
Are crunches better than situps for working out your abs? Have heard people swear by both.
Apollo
Does that really work though? It seems like it would be a lot less work and burn much fewer calories than what I'm doing now...
Are crunches better than situps for working out your abs? Have heard people swear by both.
Are crunches better than situps for working out your abs? Have heard people swear by both.
Crunches work your abs more. Weighted crunches are even better, holding a plate across your chest. 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Obviously depends on which you can do though.
fragreaper
Someone told me once 2000kal roughly = 1lb of fat
Nah, it's 3500 roughly, hence a 500 calorie per day deficit will yield 1lb fat loss per week, a 1000 calorie per day deficit will yield 2lbs lost per week.
As for how long you have to run to start burning fat, that depends on your surrounding diet, your individual metabolism, and the type of running you're doing. For instance, HIIT will burn muscle glycogen during exercise, but will "trick" your body into running on fat for the rest of the day, whereas running within the fat burning zone will burn fat during exercise but mean you probably burn muscle glycogen the rest of the day. The body is very clever at conserving whatever energy it needs to.
Equally, if you go running after just eating a meal of pasta, for example, you will be burning carbs for a lot longer than if you went for a run in the morning after just a protein shake, having eaten no carbs the previous day.
with regards to the fat burning zone/cardio zone issue..
is this to say that if you go over the fat burning zone (in terms of faster heartrate) and up up running in the cardio zone, will you burn less fat than if you were running slower? or will running in the cardio zone burn more fat as well as having cardio benefits?
is this to say that if you go over the fat burning zone (in terms of faster heartrate) and up up running in the cardio zone, will you burn less fat than if you were running slower? or will running in the cardio zone burn more fat as well as having cardio benefits?
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