Free Weight Loss Exercise Programs
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Research shows that there is an optimum fat burning heart rate zone. Exercise in this zone and you will maximise the amount of fat you can burn, and reduce the amount of time you need to exercise. It has been a long held belief that the best heart rate range for burning fat was around 65% of your maximum heart rate threshold, ie low intensity exercise. Recent scientific research has discovered a more effective and also more efficient approach to fat burning, which has been proven to greatly acclerate the fat burning and weight loss. The old theories regarding the optimum heart rate zone for burning fat are now outdated, and studies recently released by the University of NSW shows that interval training using heart rate thresholds is more effective at burning fat. Interval training and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), involves periods of high intensity exercise, followed by recovery periods. I will explain the method in detail, below.
Low intesity training, where your heart rate is between 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate, has been used for weight loss exercise programs for a long time, for the following reason. As you start to exercise, your body uses sugars and glycogen to fuel your muscles. As you increase your intensity, the readily available fuel source quickly runs out, and your body starts to combine fat with oxygen as a fuel source to power your muscles. As long as you stay in the low intensity heart rate range, you continue to burn fat.
One way to determine your heart rate is to find the vein on the side of your neck with your finger and count the pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Another spot to find your pulse is under your wrist. To get a more accruate reading, you could invest in a heart rate monitor. They are very very accurate and give you a continuous reading.
For a full explanation of how to calculate your optimal fat burning heart rate to use during your training, refer to the Heart Rate Chart calculator.
Research has now shown that higher intensity training in the range 65% to 75% of your maximum heart rate has a double benefit of burning fat while exercising and also during the recovery phase. Low intesity exercise results in little if any calories being used for recovery purposes. At the higher intensity the body also has a higher energy expenditure meaning more fat and more calories are burned, resulting in greater weight loss.
It is important to note that increasing your heart rate over 75% of your maximum heart rate for an extended period of time, (depening on your fitness) burns relatively less fat, as you have moved out of the optimal fat burning heart rate zone, but due to the higher intensity workout, you actually burn more calories, which will acclerate weight loss. Without getting too scientific, as you move to higher intensity exercise, your body moves from aerobic activity, fueled by fat and oxygen, to anaerobic activity fuelled by carbohydrates. The reason for the change is that the body isn't able to break down fat quick enough, so turns to carbs as a fuel source, which doesn't require oxygen to be converted to an energy source. The main problem with this fuel source is that lactic acid is produced. Lactic acid casues that burning sensation in your muscles. It is difficult to maintain exercise for prolonged periods in this range.
I will give you an example to explain why you should move out of the optimal fat burning heart rate range to maximise weight loss. I will illustrate that the percentage of fat burned may fall (from 60% of total fuel sources to 40%), but the total amount of fat burned will increase (from 60 to 180 calories) with interval training, and the total number of calories will also increase (from 100 to 450 calories), resulting in faster weight loss, which is the ultimate goal. I will compare fat burned when you are resting, during low intensity exercise and then high intensity exercise. When you are resting it is estimated that the average person burns fat at 60% of available fuels (depending on how fit you are to start with, and total body weight). When the heart rate increases during low intensity exercise, to 65-70%, approximately 300 calories are burned. High intensity training only uses 40% fat as a fuel source because the body cant burn fat quick enough to supply the fuel required. The key point to note is that the total calories burned from fat is far higher when you do a high intensity workout than if you exercised at a low intensity. In summary, an extra 150 calories (in total) will be burned if you use high intensity exercise compared top low intensity training, and of that total, an extra 30 calories will be burnt from your fat stores. Refer to the following table:
|
Activity |
# calories consumed |
% fat burned |
calories used from fat |
| 30 minutes at rest | 100 calories | 60 % fat used | 60 calories fat |
| low intensity exercise - 30 minutes | 300 calories | 50% fat used | 150 calories fat |
| High intensity exercise - 30 minutes | 450 calories | 40 % fat used | 180 calories fat |
An effective method of increasing your exercise intensity and training in the higher heart rate zone, but not losing the fat burning
benefits, is interval training.
This method of training can be used quite effectively while jogging, on the bike, or on your exercise bike. Before doing any sort
of interval training, do a
Do the interval component for approximately 20 minutes, after doing warm up exercises. Then cool down for 5 to 10 minutes. Interval training is demanding on the body so depending on your fitness level, you may only need to do it every second day.
To accelerate your weight loss, try these exercise programs:
Exercise bike interval workouts;
Treadmill interval workouts.
Both types of equipment are great for interval training.
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Check out this video about internal training.
If the video is blocked, either allow blocked content, or click here for the interval training video.
To calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate - (BMR), which calculates the number of calories the average person
burns during a day if at complete rest, use the following formula - (Harris Benedict formula):
Men
BMR=66.4730+(6,23 x weight lbs)+(12.7 x height inches) - (6.775 x age) or
BMR=66.4730+(13.7516 x weight kg)+(5.0033 x height cm)-(6.7550 x age)
Women
BMR=655.0955+(4,35 x weight lbs)+(4.7 x height inches) - (4.6756 x age) or
BMR=655.0955+(9.5634 x weight kg)+(1.08496 x height cm)-(4.6756 x age)
Based on this information, you can calculate your resting metabolic threshold, and based on your exercise and calorie input, determine if you are buring more calories than you consume, and therefore losing weight.
When using the free weight loss exercise programs above, make sure that you build up your fitness level gradually, and always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Combining these free weight loss exercise programs and the fat burning heart rate technology will help you burn off that fat forever. Good Luck!