Heart Rate For Weight Loss Means Nothing

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One of the biggest myths in fitness is that you have to maintain a certain heart rate in order to lose fat or that there is a perfect heart rate for weight loss number. But that’s just not true. Unfortunately, this myth has led to a lot of low-intensity training and therefore, a lot of failed fat loss programs.

The quicker you stop concerning yourself with the "high heart rate equals the best workout" mentality, the quicker you will start to change your body and lose weight.

Turbulence Training – Better Than Measuring Heart Rate For Weight Loss

In the Turbulence Training workouts that I recommend, you are going to burn more fat and more calories when you are OUT of the gym because of the high-intensity muscle blasting training methods that you will use. Not because your heart rate increases during the workout (even though your heart rate will be up there from the supersets and intervals) or you reach some magical heart rate for weight loss number. There isn’t such a number!

Yes, your heart beat will increase during any type of exercise, whether aerobic or weight lifting, but it’s the use of your bodies muscles that actually burn fat. And the harder you work those muscles the more fat you will burn and weight you will lose.

Lifting Heavier Weights Increases Calorie Burning

In the last 10 years, research has shown us two very important things about exercising for fat loss. First, lifting heavier weights leads to burning more calories after the workout when compared to lifting light weights. So that’s why 8 repetitions per set is better than 12 reps per set. And that’s one of the foundations of Turbulence Training.

Is Interval Training Superior to Slow Cardio?

And the second thing we have learned is that interval training is superior to slow, steady cardio for fat loss and post-exercise calorie burning. So it’s more effective and more efficient to use short high-intensity interval training workouts instead of slow, long cardio sessions. High intensity workouts are the only workouts that qualify as a fat loss workout.

When Do You Need to Know Your Heart Rate?

The only time you might need to know your heart rate is during the recovery period of the interval training. It’s important to take enough time between intervals so that your heart rate drops significantly (let it drop to less than 60% of your maximum heart rate).

That way you get more work done when it counts. You don’t want to start your next high-intensity interval too soon, nor do you want to exercise too hard during your recovery interval.

All of these details are provided in the interval guidelines in the Turbulence Training e-book. And I’ll show you how to properly structure your intervals so that you have enough recovery between each. That way, you don’t have to worry about monitoring your heart rate or anything fancy. Just follow my instructions.

So the bottom line:

Don’t worry about your heart rate during exercise (unless you like to keep track for interest sake). Instead, make sure that you are working at a high-intensity during each lifting and interval session.

The Turbulence Training workout guidelines will give you all the details you need on the specific rest periods to use between supersets and intervals.

There is a better way to train.

To Your Good Health,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

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About the Author:

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines.

His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, click here: TurbulenceTraining

Thanks for reading Heart Rate for Weight Loss.

 

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