Heart rate/calories burned/weight loss

[Befferz]

You've probably all heard that to lose weight/burn fat, your heart rate should be around 50-60% of your max heart rate, roughly guesstimated by your age and weight. This means that my target heart rate should be in the 150s. However, when I work out, my heart rate tends to go up to the 160s-170s, but no more than 180 unless I'm really pushing it, and only for a very short time. Does this mean that if I slow down and work less hard, I'll actually burn more calories and/or fat? (FWIW, my workouts consist mainly of classes--2-3 cardio, 1-2 strength/weights and 1 strength/flexibility weekly.)

[Befferz]

That's kind of my thought too. But I got a heart rate monitor a couple weeks ago, and have actually been trying not to push it so much since I saw spikes into the 190s. I still feel like I'm getting in a good workout, I'm just not panting quite as much afterwards. But in the last 2 weeks or so, I've lost about 4 pounds, and I feel like I've even been eating worse than usual lately, so that doesn't explain it. I was wondering if the heart rate thing might explain it, or if I'm just weird. I mean, I know I'm weird, but not JUST weird.

[Formerly SK]

Yeah, I'm usually in the 160 range too. My target is supposed to be 127-155 per this website:

www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083

I honestly don't pay much attention to it, rather I use my breathing/general feelings to guide whether I'm pushing to too much or too little.

[Deleted]

I consistently go above the recommended rate too and it hasn't killed me yet. ;D

[Befferz]

Oh I'm not worried about it killing me! I'm too stubborn to die any time soon. I'm just curious mostly, and wondering if this means that I should slow down my workouts a bit more to keep my HR even lower (i.e. within the range given on that site skinnykids posted, not super-low). Yes, weight loss is a goal, but not my only one.

[Deleted]

IMHO it is best to mix up your workouts, including the intensity of your workouts. Some low slow and some fast hard.

The higher your heart rate the more calories you burn which ultimately means the more weigh you can lose. Supposedly the lower heart rate does burn fat more efficiently, but if you are excersising on a regular basis the fat will eventually take care of itself.

[Genuine GA Peach]

there's lots of info in favor of interval training. Some days I really push myself, some days not so much. I do like my HRM. I don't know how accurate the calorie count is; I would think it's pretty close because set-up includes entering your age and weight.

a constantly lower resting heart rate is the best signal that I'm improving. My weight loss is S L O W (a really good week is 2 lbs); increasing run speed and endurance seem to rise and fall. I did take my measurements. It's great to check them every 3 months or so and see a big difference ;D