Heart rate monitor and trying to lose rate?

[Chipper]

So in my aim to do the three peaks challenge in September I've decided to get a heart rate monitor from Polar. It's a G7 which from all accounts is a basic model but provides me with calorie burn and splits my exercise results into two groups, one being fitness and the other fat burn.

So I did a 44 minute cycle ride today with an average heart rate of 149 and a maximum of 173. At the end of the ride the watch indicated that 43 minutes was fitness training and under a second was just fat burn.

At over 19 stone I need to lose weight ASAP for my knees coming down the mountain but I also need to increase my level of fitness for the challenge.

Is it a case that I need to just reduce my pace on the bike to a more sedate level to hit this particular zone and will it really shed my weight?

I went on the rower for 30 minutes with virtually the same results. I'm certainly getting fitter but it seems very hard to shift my belly!

Any tips would be helpful.


Thx

Looking at

[Ordinary_Chap]

You say you're 19 stone, how tall are you?

Also you want to lose weight + gain fitness if I'm correct?

If so I'd advocate a mixture of training, of high and low intensity work. I'd also suggest some weight lifting maybe just a couple of times a week or something like that to get some core strength as well as fitness.

How many times do you want or are able train per week?

[Chipper]

I'm 6'4 and 33 years of age. I have a full semi commercial life fitness cross trainer and ive rented a concept 2 rowing machine . I also have a full commercial lat pull down with rower as well as a full commercial bench and free weights. I plan to do some free weights a couple of nights a week but it's mainly weight loss and fitness I'm after.

I can train 7 days a week. I was thinking of cycling roughly for 30/40 minutes a day with 30 minutes on the cross trainer or rower after. Should I aim for a rest day in the week? It's just that I feel my 11 mile route isn't particularly long and I honestly don't feel like I'm over doing it.

This is all with eating healthy with a good balanced diet.

[Ordinary_Chap]

Chipper said:

I'm 6'4 and 33 years of age. I have a full semi commercial life fitness cross trainer and ive rented a concept 2 rowing machine . I also have a full commercial lat pull down with rower as well as a full commercial bench and free weights. I plan to do some free weights a couple of nights a week but it's mainly weight loss and fitness I'm after.

I can train 7 days a week. I was thinking of cycling roughly for 30/40 minutes a day with 30 minutes on the cross trainer or rower after. Should I aim for a rest day in the week? It's just that I feel my 11 mile route isn't particularly long and I honestly don't feel like I'm over doing it.

This is all with eating healthy with a good balanced diet.

Training 7 days a week would be overkill imho, the body needs recovery time.

The cross trainer and rowing machine are good bits of kit! Weights will help you lose weight like very little else especially mixed with cardio and a good diet. If I was aiming at great gains I'd consider morning cardio (ideally fasted) and then do weights split of 3 nights during the week.

I'd do core lifts - bench, squat, deadlift 3x's a week (something like the stronglifts program) and then a mixture of low intensity cardio and high intensity cardio to build some all round fitness if I were you but rest days are important to keep the body healthy and allow recovery.

Training is important for fat loss but the diet is where the real fat loss happens.

I'd also encourage you to get out at the weekends if you can and start walking up and down some hills if you want to get used to the event, just don't do too much too soon, being of a larger weight can cause some strain on the joints.

There are a lot of ways to skim this cat but I'd suggest something like above.

[Chipper]

Thx O C . I'll try putting a proper program together on that basis and see if it helps.

[shouldbworking]

It sounds like you're on the right track OP. Sadly the route to lasting weight gain is not (usually) to be found with rapid loss followed by levelling off - more of a steady decline over time.

That said, the first stone or two go the quickest in my experience so you should be in a lot better position come september.

[Halb]

Ordinary_Chap said:

I'd do core lifts - bench, squat, deadlift 3x's a week (something like the stronglifts program) and then a mixture of low intensity cardio and high intensity cardio to build some all round fitness if I were you but rest days are important to keep the body healthy and allow recovery.

Training is important for fat loss but the diet is where the real fat loss happens.

I'd also encourage you to get out at the weekends if you can and start walking up and down some hills if you want to get used to the event, just don't do too much too soon, being of a larger weight can cause some strain on the joints.

OC, what high intensity do you do? Duration as well?
I agree that diet is the most important as regards fat, it's also what you need to look at for long term.
And agree again on the joints issue, I did too much too soon at the start of the year and my ankles suffered.

[Ordinary_Chap]

Halb said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

I'd do core lifts - bench, squat, deadlift 3x's a week (something like the stronglifts program) and then a mixture of low intensity cardio and high intensity cardio to build some all round fitness if I were you but rest days are important to keep the body healthy and allow recovery.

Training is important for fat loss but the diet is where the real fat loss happens.

I'd also encourage you to get out at the weekends if you can and start walking up and down some hills if you want to get used to the event, just don't do too much too soon, being of a larger weight can cause some strain on the joints.

OC, what high intensity do you do? Duration as well?
I agree that diet is the most important as regards fat, it's also what you need to look at for long term.
And agree again on the joints issue, I did too much too soon at the start of the year and my ankles suffered.

I usually do fast walks/slow jogs on the beach in the morning and then short hiit sessions after weights when I'm doing it keeping my heart rate 110-140bpm.

HIIT after weights is in the eyes of a lot the most effective since glycogen levels are low.

I've focused on both types over the past year (doing one type constantly) and now tend to feel a mix of the two is good for overall fitness and weight loss.

I've also learn't I can become quite ripped with no cardio at all, just by doing weights and having a tight diet. I am, however, an advocate of cardio on health grounds alone and feel everyone should do some type of cardio.

Although saying that in the next couple of months I'm going back on to a bulk (probably September) and will focus much less on any cardio.

[Tiggsy]

Exercise for fat loss is about calories burnt (same as diet for fat loss is about calories not eaten!)

Training at a higher HR will burn more calories...end of.

WHILE training the body may use different sources to provide energy but you will burn calories faster at higher HR and that will equal more weight loss long term.

of course.....30 secs at 200bpm is not as good as 30mins at 100bpm.....but dont plod along at 135bpm when you could do 160 just because you'd be in the wrong "zone"

[Chipper]

Thx Tiggsy as I've just tried to keep my heart rate at under 126 and frankly it was boring on the bike ride and I didnt feel I was pushing myself.

On another note is a one day rest period enough if if I'm training 6 days a week?

Roughly I'm cycling 11 miles at high pace 6 days a week and then either 30 minutes of cross trainer / rowing or weights after the bike ride, so basically changing the 30 training each day and mixing up my routine.

[Tiggsy]

with cardio I belive you can feel when you're overtraining....if you feel ok - train.

weights are different as its easy to do too much and be counter productive.