Going to the gym

[Oneeyedvic]

I currently go to the gym in the mornings and have between 30 -45 mins on cardio equipment.

I have a heart rate monitor and keep my heart rate at around 150 (I am 34).

I am really only going to the gym to lose weight (and it is working well).

I used to do 15 mins on different machines - mainly so that I didn't get bored.

I have recently purchased an Archos video player, so now I an watch an episode of a program, alleviating my boredom.

Question is:

Is there much difference between using all the machines (recumbent & upright bike, rowing machine etc), or am I okay to just use the cross trainer for 45 mins.

[Doolallygirl]

Variety is the spice of life. If you are only doing cardio work, as long as you are still pushing yourself and reaching the same levels that you are happy with I don't see what the difference would be, except for the muscles you use.

Just out of interest, I go to the gym every weekday and my heart rate soars to 188 on some occassions when I'm really pushing myself! I always think I'm on the brink of a heart attack though so slow back down again!! Is 150 a good speed to have your heart rate set at then?

[Oneeyedvic]

Is dependent on age.

Most machines give you a guide, but you can check here: http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/target_hear t_rate_calculator.htm

There can be discrepancy between different ways of measuring - see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate

To be most effective, you need to be at around 80% of your theoretical maximum. If you go over this, you are no longer fat burning http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm (anaerobic exercising).

[Oneeyedvic]

Another good site here: http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/coach/heartrate. htm

Apparently it is more efficient to burn fat by exercising slower!

[Oneeyedvic]

Though this says different: http://www.runningforfitness.org/faq/weightlos s.php

[Abdulmajid]

You can not spot reduce flab but a plethora of equipment as said will help tone your whole body.

I am not a fan of gyms at all and a good power walk or run using your arms will be just as good.

In your right heart zone, you will not build muscle but will tone it.

If you do some resistance work you will build muscle. This MA show no weight loss as a pound of muscle is the same as a pound of flab...............BUT............bigger muscles will increase your basal metabolic rate, hence loss of fat. A pound of muscle uses a hell of a lot more energy than a pound of flab to maintain itself.

As for heart rate, I have not opened your links as 220 minus your age will give you 100% max bpm.

Work to 60 percent of that.

Hence you case will be lower than your 150 bpms. (around 110).

If you are entering anaerobic NOT aerobic you are NOT burning fat as oneeyedvic says. (aerobic means cardio-vascular or CV). Your heart will be working to pump oxygen which will burn the fat. Anaerobic will be burning lactic acid and proteinous matter.

Hence sprinters are muscular and long distant runners are slim.

The ideal is of course the swimmers build, which happily combines the both

Keep it easy, trust me.

And I have credentials unlike this so called gym trainers who actually know jack sh!t!!!!

[Doolallygirl]

Oooh so as I'm 25, my 100% heart rate would be 195 and I should be working to 117 rather than the 188 I'm getting now?..... interesting.....

[Abdulmajid]

Depends on your fitness doola.

If you are merely after fat loss, you will be wasting your time with that hear rate.

If you are fit then it is excellent (though dangerously close to 100 percent)

Regarding weight loss, less really is more, seriously.

That is why simple walking is one of the best fat burning exercises you can do.

[Oneeyedvic]

The most common formula encountered is:

HRmax = 220 − age (caution: can vary significantly!)

This is attributed to various sources, often "Fox and Haskell". While the most common (and easy to remember and calculate), this particular formula is not considered by some to be a good predictor of HRmax.

A 2002 study [4] of 43 different formulae for HRmax (including the one above) concluded the following:

1) No "acceptable" formula currently existed, (they used the term "acceptable" to mean acceptable for both prediction of V_{\mathrm{O}_2 max}, and prescription of exercise training HR ranges)

2) The most accurate formula of those examined was:

HRmax = 205.8 − (0.685 * age)

This was found to have a Standard Deviation that, although large (6.4 bpm), was still deemed to be acceptable for the use of prescribing exercise training HR ranges.

This actually puts your maximum heart rate at 188.7

As per the links that I have put up earlier (and Abdulmajid (or Wardminter as he was previously known) doesn't like to read facts, he prefers his own opinion)

60-70% will help you burn more fat
70-80% will help your cardiovascular system.
80%-90% is the Anaerobic Zone - which can be beneficial if you are training hard and for competitions.
90-100% is the Red Line Zone and in this zone you will only be able to train for short periods of time. It effectively trains your fast twitch muscle fibres and helps to develop speed.

As with all of this, every one is individual and obviously as different levels of fitness.