Heart rate during exercise and weight loss

[Uncle Flash]

Due to having three bikes in parts, I've taken to riding a bicycle to work again. For over a month I've been pushing hard and trying to eat the right food but with no weight loss. WTF! So I go harder.

Nothing. Gained two kilos.

On impulse I bought a HRM and straight away it says I'm going too hard. I slow down and it looks like losing a kilo a week. It also looks like walking may turn out to be the best exercise yet for old people. Go figure. Why hasn't anyone told me about this before?

Okay, that last sentence was a joke but since I've I've bought the HRM I'm more motivated to exercise than I've ever been. Even wearing my gym card on a lanyard around the house doesn't rev me up as much as the new HRM. The hardest part is the slowing down. I want to exercise. I will lose more weight.

Just wanted to share.

[lippy]

high intense training works and burn fat while just lazing around
Benefits of HIT - High Intensity Training

Exercise intensity or the amount of work done during exercise is usually customarily divided into four levels depending upon the maximal heart rate (MHR) achieved, and the percentage of carbohydrates and fat burned. Low intensity exercises, which are usually up to 80% MHR, are used to improve general fitness by increasing the muscles’ efficiency in using oxygen in the blood. Medium intensity exercises, which range from 80-85% MHR, improve the body’s anaerobic threshold. High intensity exercises which reach >90% MHR are used to strengthen the heart and improve the body’s anaerobic capacity.
What is HIT?

High intensity training involves exercise regimens that attempt to reach over 90% of the MHR. These are known to be very painful due to the rapid buildup of lactic acid and can result into higher tolerance to lactic acid. These exercises are generally performed with high to maximal intensity in short durations with emphasis on rest and recovery. It is believed that these HIT is superior to other regimens in terms of building strength and muscle size. In a recent study done in McMaster University in Canada, it was shown that HIT was just as effective in improving muscles as with conventional long duration exercises. Their results suggest that it is possible to achieve more by doing less. The exact mechanism for the effectiveness of HIT is still a mystery but it is believed that it stimulates the same cellular pathways that result in the beneficial effects comparable to that of endurance training. It is also hypothesized that HIT can be beneficial not only to already healthy individuals but also to the less fit, overweight, elderly, and those with metabolic diseases.
HIT Programs

HIT programs go against the traditional notion that longer exercises are better. There are a number of HIT programs but their bottom lines are the same: fewer repetitions at high intensity. They rely on the body’s natural adaptive responses. In order to elicit maximal muscle hypertrophy, the body should be led to believe that it needs increased musculature by training the body at 100% intensity. Of course, it would be impossible to sustain maximal effort for long periods but it is enough to result into larger and more efficient muscles.

Various bodybuilders such as former Mr Universe Mike Mentzer used a variation of HIT called the “rest-pause” routine which involved single-rep maximums with 10-second rest intervals. A cadence HIT may follow a 3-1-4-1 count per repetition. This means that 1 rep is composed of 3-seconds exertion, followed by a 1-second maximal contraction, then a 4-second return to starting position (negative movement), and ends with a 1-second rest period. Cardio-HIT programs may involve 10 minutes of HIT, 25 minutes of regular cardio, and 10 minutes of HIT. The HIT periods may involve 15 second sprints followed by 45-second jogging intervals within the 10-minute HIT period. This program reaps the benefits of both anaerobic and aerobic exercises.
Is Tabata HIT?

The Tabata Protocol is a 4-minute program that easily falls under the HIT category. It is known to be the one of the most intense HIT programs and with the shortest duration at only 4 minutes. It was developed by Izumi Tabata, former researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports. It was based on the training routine employed by the Japanese speed skating team which involved maximal sprinting for 20 seconds and 10 seconds of rest which was repeated 6-8 times in 4 minutes. Needless to say, the Tabata routine was based on the routine employed by world class athletes.

Although it lasts for only 4 minutes, the high intensity intervals used result in what is known as the “after burn effect” where the body continues to burn calories hours after the actual exercise. This is due to the depletion of glycogen during the high intensity exercises which result in the body burning the fat instead while it replenishes the body’s glycogen stores. It is superior to moderate intensity cardio as it is able to increase both aerobic and anaerobic capacities of the body. Tabata is highly flexible and can be employed in various exercises whether using free weights or bodyweight only. The best Tabata routines will involve warm up and cool down periods with the multi-joint exercises done for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated for 8 sets within 4 minutes. With the Tabata and HIT programs, having no time to exercise is no longer an excuse.

[SOLID]

Don't forget when starting a fitness regime often you will put on muscle mass, as you excersise you develop unused muscles which counters the fat loss.

[Uncle Flash]

high intense training works and burn fat while just lazing around
Benefits of HIT - High Intensity Training

Exercise intensity or the amount of work done during exercise is usually customarily divided into four levels depending upon the maximal heart rate (MHR) achieved, and the percentage of carbohydrates and fat burned. Low intensity exercises, which are usually up to 80% MHR, are used to improve general fitness by increasing the muscles’ efficiency in using oxygen in the blood. Medium intensity exercises, which range from 80-85% MHR, improve the body’s anaerobic threshold. High intensity exercises which reach >90% MHR are used to strengthen the heart and improve the body’s anaerobic capacity.
What is HIT?

High intensity training involves exercise regimens that attempt to reach over 90% of the MHR. These are known to be very painful due to the rapid buildup of lactic acid and can result into higher tolerance to lactic acid. These exercises are generally performed with high to maximal intensity in short durations with emphasis on rest and recovery. It is believed that these HIT is superior to other regimens in terms of building strength and muscle size. In a recent study done in McMaster University in Canada, it was shown that HIT was just as effective in improving muscles as with conventional long duration exercises. Their results suggest that it is possible to achieve more by doing less. The exact mechanism for the effectiveness of HIT is still a mystery but it is believed that it stimulates the same cellular pathways that result in the beneficial effects comparable to that of endurance training. It is also hypothesized that HIT can be beneficial not only to already healthy individuals but also to the less fit, overweight, elderly, and those with metabolic diseases.
HIT Programs

HIT programs go against the traditional notion that longer exercises are better. There are a number of HIT programs but their bottom lines are the same: fewer repetitions at high intensity. They rely on the body’s natural adaptive responses. In order to elicit maximal muscle hypertrophy, the body should be led to believe that it needs increased musculature by training the body at 100% intensity. Of course, it would be impossible to sustain maximal effort for long periods but it is enough to result into larger and more efficient muscles.

Various bodybuilders such as former Mr Universe Mike Mentzer used a variation of HIT called the “rest-pause” routine which involved single-rep maximums with 10-second rest intervals. A cadence HIT may follow a 3-1-4-1 count per repetition. This means that 1 rep is composed of 3-seconds exertion, followed by a 1-second maximal contraction, then a 4-second return to starting position (negative movement), and ends with a 1-second rest period. Cardio-HIT programs may involve 10 minutes of HIT, 25 minutes of regular cardio, and 10 minutes of HIT. The HIT periods may involve 15 second sprints followed by 45-second jogging intervals within the 10-minute HIT period. This program reaps the benefits of both anaerobic and aerobic exercises.
Is Tabata HIT?

The Tabata Protocol is a 4-minute program that easily falls under the HIT category. It is known to be the one of the most intense HIT programs and with the shortest duration at only 4 minutes. It was developed by Izumi Tabata, former researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports. It was based on the training routine employed by the Japanese speed skating team which involved maximal sprinting for 20 seconds and 10 seconds of rest which was repeated 6-8 times in 4 minutes. Needless to say, the Tabata routine was based on the routine employed by world class athletes.

Although it lasts for only 4 minutes, the high intensity intervals used result in what is known as the “after burn effect” where the body continues to burn calories hours after the actual exercise. This is due to the depletion of glycogen during the high intensity exercises which result in the body burning the fat instead while it replenishes the body’s glycogen stores. It is superior to moderate intensity cardio as it is able to increase both aerobic and anaerobic capacities of the body. Tabata is highly flexible and can be employed in various exercises whether using free weights or bodyweight only. The best Tabata routines will involve warm up and cool down periods with the multi-joint exercises done for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated for 8 sets within 4 minutes. With the Tabata and HIT programs, having no time to exercise is no longer an excuse.

I'm familiar with this style of training but sadly I'm not up to it. I'm fat, old, and lazy. I also have lungs eaten away from 30 years of smoking and a shoulder that hardly moves. My BP requires medication and I'm a candidate for any one of a dozen nasties that happen to people who didn't look after themselves when they were younger.

Well almost. RHR is around 60 and my MHR is supposed to be around 170 but I have no problem riding at 150-160 all day. The hardest part is keeping my HR down. For the moment, my new approach appears to be working so I'm going to run (ride) with it for a while. At least my legs still work as spinning that single-speed can be hard work sometimes.

3 kilos down, 17 to go.

[Brougham]

Geez lippy, copy and paste an entire volume? Couldn't you have just posted the link?

And UF - the HRM are brilliant. I use my polar all the time and it really helps to stay in the fat burning hr zone and not creep up into the cardio zone.

[goateeking]

keep at it chief, I think people get too hung up on watching scales. Solid's dead right, sometimes you are putting in the hard yards and you gain weight due to muscle mass. Caliper testing is a much better guide.
IMO the only exercise related thing you should be tracking is exercise frequency - if you're getting your heart rate 150-160BPM for 30-45mins every day you are doing the right thing. Try putting up a calendar for 30days, tell your mates about it so they can see your progress (and let you know if you're not achieving what you set out to!) and aim to fit a session in every day for 30 days. Really it's about establishing exercise as a routine in your life. If you're having a shocker and feel like you need a rest, go for a swim instead of taking the day off (you'll recover quicker and won't get out of the routine).
Most people (myself included) find it difficult to resist going hard as well, especially if you are not seeing the scales drop - just remember that consistency is the key to it long term. Going hell for leather is good, but for every one of those days, try mixing it up by following with a lighter active recovery day (ideally of a different activity). Really what I'm trying to say is: Intensity should be dialed back to allow you to exercise every day. If you're going hard every day, there is no way you'll make it through the 30 days.
One way to dial up the intensity and keep the sessions interesting (so you don't die of boredom!) is do intervals. Depending on the activity, work them in a 1:3 hard:easy ratio - eg. 15seconds hard cycling, 45 seconds easy cycling. You can use your HR monitor to do intervals as well - eg. 1min at High BPM range : 3mins at lower range.
Sounds like you're going well - keep up the good work!

[McGoo]

I dont have any scientific evidence, only personal experience. I started cycling almost two years ago, after a long time making sure the couch didnt blow away. I wasnt training to any particular regime, I was just riding 20kms to work a few times per week, and progressed into more and more recreational rides around Perth. I would usually ride at a pace that I felt I could sustain for the duration of a ride without lagging at the end, as well as having enough energy to function around the house with the kids later. After 3 months, I was down about 7 or 8 kgs, and I really started to notice that I was getting a flat stomach and lean legs, even though I was still technically overweight (182cms, and then about 98kgs).
Since then I havent been able to keep cycling as much as I would like, either due to injury, commitments, or working so far away its not feasible to cycle, but every time I start again it takes at least a month before I notice any results, but then I lose weight at an exponential rate for a month or two, then it slows down again. I would love to get below 90kgs one day, but so far I dont have the personal control not to eat yummy food.

All in all you will get there, and while the total weight may not be changing, your % of body fat may be decreasing as your muscle mass builds, and the more muscle you have the higher your resting metabolism, and so on and so forth.

[Uncle Flash]

I think a kilo a week is an achievable target but best of all, I want to do this for a change. The HRM has given me something I can hold in my hand and have it tell me I'm doing the right thing and it's nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be.

Mind you, lets see how my attitude holds up over the next few months?

[NanoBear]

Geez lippy, copy and paste an entire volume? Couldn't you have just posted the link?

And UF - the HRM are brilliant. I use my polar all the time and it really helps to stay in the fat burning hr zone and not creep up into the cardio zone.

I've been looking at the polar to tie in with Runkeeper. Would you say it's worth ~$75 for someone who needs to lose a lot of weight?

[Luke]

nanobear,

do your homework on sports gadgets. - DC Rainmaker: Product Reviews

[Brougham]

Meh that's a a pro-garmin site, no real info on Polar.

[Luke]

brougham,

he's pretty impartial.... but polar havent really released much recently that can compete... with polar if you want good info you need the watch + a bunch of pods...lamo... ive seen you push polar many times, i like polar, i had a bunch of their gear....but i think the competitors have really moved on....

+ there is lots of info there for nanobear...like, if using your iphone & runkeepter...than an ant+ dongle lets you grab lots of info from various sensors for reasonable money, such as - DC Rainmaker: First look at Wahoo Fitness ANT+ iPhone Adapter

[goateeking]

I used to run with a lower level Polar HR monitor and it was great for motivation. It gave me a trophy when I had acheived my goals for the week (frequency and time in the zone). You wouldn't believe how much getting that little trophy on a Monday morning motivated me for some reason haha.
At the moment I train cycling and running with the Garmin 310XT. It's pretty expensive, but when you take into account that it works on my bike for cadence, speed etc. and also my running with GPS, now I can't believe I've done without it for so long. Garmin tend to be slightly cheaper than Polar and I can vouch for Polar being of slightly better quality, but I'm lovin the 310XT. Beauty of being able to train multi sports with a centralised electronic workout log is a big plus. Also, with the GPS you can go for a run around your neighbourhood to places you haven't normally run and know exactly how far you've gone. One other cool thing is the virtual partner - you can go for your favourite track and set it as a course. When you go to run it again, you can compare your progress in realtime to your last performance around the course. You can also download training programs and use the partner that way.
Only a couple things to say about that level of watch though: 1) don't think you can use it to train swimming (I've found the only way to make the GPS work is to put it under a cap eg. for triathlons) & 2) Only really worth the money if you are actually doing multi sports. If you're not and don't want GPS, I'd go for one of the cheaper models in the Polar range (eg. FT7).
Minimum standard for your HR monitor is that it should be coded (to prevent cross-talk).

[rgvlee]

I just bought a 310xt for my wife, after asking for their best price I got it for $365 from Rebel with the HRM strap. RRP 449. I've had one for since April, they are the beez neez when it comes to GPS HRMs.

[speed3]

Polar seems to be the best one for runkeeper on android. Anyone got one?

[NanoBear]

Polar seems to be the best one for runkeeper on android. Anyone got one?

That's the conclusion I've come to. Runkeeper already has the log and the GPS
The info I'm particularly looking for is whether it's worth $X to be able to tell where my heart-rate is for weightloss.
Unfortunately I just noticed the runkeeper store won't ship the polar outside of USA, but I'm sure I can get it elsewhere.

[speed3]

I was just looking at that. Quite a few for 60-70 on ebay, not sure if they are exactly the same model though. I've already got the phone and the app is free so $70 for a HRM with GPS/logging etc seems to be very fair. Might not have the bells and whistles of a $400 stand alone unit but that doesn't concern me.

[speed3]

Polar Revolution

Polar wearlink can be bought direct from the aus website under accessories for $100. Ebay ones seem to be the non bluetooth versions.

[chief wiggum]

this heartrate thing is interesting. problem i have is i cant get the heart rate up anywhere near where i'm told it should be. as in no matter what i try, i'm short by 20-30bpm

[speed3]

Try more load. Run/jog up an incline/stairs or on sand. When I was fit and excercising regularly I was running at the beach. I'd run along the firmer sand at the waterline then if I wanted to make it harder on myself I'd run through the softer sand for a while. Definately gets the heart pumping.