Someone please explain

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
Paula posted today to ask which workouts "use more calories". I've noticed that a lot of people on these boards chat about how many calories they burned doing various cardio exercises, and I'm a bit confused by this emphasis.

When I do my cardio, my goal is to keep my heart rate in the target zone for my age and fitness level for about 45 minutes. Anything that gets my heart rate where it should be is a great workout, and the more fun it is the better. Since I start to get bored after about 45-50 minutes, and I know that boredom is an exercise-killer, I usually stop at that point.

I honestly can't fathom what you can learn from looking at the calorie count, as the only way you can change it is by exercising longer, and I think that most of us have pre-determined how long we're going to be working out.

How does looking at the calorie count on your HRM motivate you? I just don't get it. Can someone explain? Thanks!
-Nancy
 
Sorry, I can't explain, I do the exact thing you do. I don't use HRMs, I don't count calories burned, I just try to make sure I pant & sweat for about 40 minutes.

I don't use bodyfat measurements, I don't use BMIs, I barely use the scale. I just gauge my results on how I feel when I look in the mirror.

Maybe beginners use them to measure their progress?
 
Laura, you do cardio without a HRM? I've become dependent upon mine. I'm always adjusting my speed or incline on the treadmill based upon the HRM reading. Did you ever use one?
-Nancy
 
I'm not someone who uses an HRM or counts calories burned, but I'd always assumed people did it so they knew how big to cut their piece of pie after dinner.

Sandra
 
I would love to have that feature at my fingertips more often - I want one of those HR monitors so badly - but I have used that feature on stationary equipment in gyms - I loved it - totally motivating - for example - if I want to lost one pound per week extra I vamp it up a notch and know I need to burn off roughly 3500 calories per week - roughly 7 days of hour long high intensity cardio for me - )

I used to count calories per hour burned on the treadmill to give me an idea of how much I am burning off versus how much I put into my body in that one hour - its a nice tool to have and use -

Running/circuits/and hard interval workouts burn the most calories for me - so its nice to know if I need to kick it into gear I choose to do those workouts more........

Hope that makes sense? Sometimes I need to count what goes in and what is going out and it makes me more accountable to myself......
 
I don't use it as a target or as a motivator, except after the fact. I also do not use the calorie counter as anything but a fun addition to the gadget... I *never* believe the number to be accurate, nor do I use it as a tool!

I generally use the calorie number my HRM gives me for 2 reasons:

1. to BRAG }( }( }(
(same reason I have a temperature gadget in my car for those frosty bootcamp mornings... I want to know at what temperature I got out of bed so I can complain properly!)

2. when it tells me a high number (as it does after 2 long runs for bootcamp in the morning, for example), I do use that as a reminder to eat enough to keep my energy level up
 
Nancy-

I agree with you completely. I use my HRM to see how I'm doing cardio-wise. Since I'm back to exercising regularly fairly recently, my HR goes through the roof more than it should, so I try to rate what I'm doing. I can then compare from week to week how I do in a particular workout (like in a rotation), to see if I'm improving aerobically.

Love your posts, Nancy - you're always the voice of reason!

Susan L.G.
 
Reba,
No, the whole idea of "kicking it into gear" makes no sense to me. I try to stay at about 80% of my MHR during most of my workout, and there's no kicking it up from there. I guess if you're only working at, say, 60% of your MRH, then you can kick it up, though, and I guess looking at the calorie count could motivate you to do so. Is that what you mean?
-Nancy
 
Nance-

If I were to run a certain distance, I could make it take 2 hours and get to X number of calories. I may never get to 80% of my max during those 2 hours, though.

If, however, I ran that same distance in 1 hour, I would likely get to XX number of calories, at the same time being at 92% of my max.

It's simply a different number to look at. Since most machines assume you are a male, the calorie counts on machines are never accurate (since several factors including age, weight, sex, height contribute to the guess at calories burned figure), it could only ever be a motivating tool, not an excuse to eat more.

:)
 
Sandra and Ame, I can certainly see why the information would be interesting once you've completed your workout. I usually look at the calories used when I'm done with my workout. For me, it's generally not enough to make the slightest difference in how I eat, but I could certainly see how it would for you, Ame!

I couldn't imagine exercising just to use up the puny number of calories I burn during my workout. I exercise primarily because it gives me energy and keeps me youthful and healthy, but I also do cardio because it causes my body to use more calories ALL the time, not just during the workout. :D

-Nancy
 
Nancy,

I mainly use my HR to monitor my % of max However, I've got to say that I love having the calorie counts too.

I like comparing the different workouts to each other and seeing which ones are burning the most.

I also like using the information to see when the same workout is becoming easier for me and burning less calories. I guess the advantage of using a treadmill or something is that you don't have to worry about that because you just increase your speed or incline, but over time the same workout DVD won't work you as hard.

Not sure how accurate the number is anyway, but since I am comparing to previous readings I've had I figure it is at least good for that.

Hope this helps.
 
Yay Susan! Good for you for going back to regular exercise! I also use my HRM to make sure I don't overdo it. I can't believe how frequently I'll get carried away and notice my HR soaring. The HRM lets me know to bring it back down to a safe level.
-Nancy
 
I think everyone has a "magic" number - calories burned, calories eaten, target heart rate, weight, body fat, etc. It's the number that makes you feel like you're accomplishing what you want to accomplish. It's different for everyone.

For me, it's the number on the scale. If it moves up, I know I need to be more conscious of my work outs and my eating. If it moves down, OK (I'm no where near a dangerous low point so I usually don't care if it goes down a lb or two).

I do use my HR monitor, but only when I power walk. If I wear my HRM, I push myself more. When I don't, I can tell I'm not working as hard. I haven't worn it during my Cathe cardio because I'm so winded and sweaty, I can tell I've gotten my HR up there. It would be interesting to see how high my HR goes with some of those WO's. I may wear it next time, just out of curiosity.

I've got a question for you - how did you determine your target HR? I've used HR calculators that I've found online, but the numbers they give me don't sound right. One calculator told me my target rate is between 114 and 145. I don't even breath hard until I get into the upper 120's so that doesn't sound right. Another told me 127 to 163, sounds more plausible, but I can't get to much over 150 w/o feeling like I'm going to die. I assume it's somewhere in between those two. Is there a better way to figure it out?

Claude


"Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Satchel Paige
 
"I like comparing the different workouts to each other and seeing which ones are burning the most. I also like using the information to see when the same workout is becoming easier for me and burning less calories."

Noelle, why aren't you comparing your HR during the workouts to see how hard you are working? For example, one workout may keep you at 80% of your HR for longer periods, and another may cause you to reach only 70%. I would imagine that when doing a Cathe step workout, a lower HR would indicate that you need to, say, add another riser to your step or use more impact. I don't see how a calorie read-out can do that. Am I missing something?
-Nancy
 
I don't pay attention to calories at all. My goal is to keep
>my heart rate in the target zone for my age and fitness level
>for about 45 minutes. Anything that gets my heart rate where
>it should be is a great workout, and the more fun it is the
>better.
>
>I honestly can't fathom what you can learn from looking at the
>calorie count, as you can't change it anyway, so how can it
>motivate you? I just don't get it. Can someone explain?
>
>-Nancy


Nancy,
For me it's a gauge to compare workout to workout. It's just another piece of info that sums up your workout numerically, like average heart rate. I like to compare my workouts to eachother to get an idea where my fitness level is. For example, I used to burn just tons of calories for LowMax. Now it's far less because my endurance has improved that much. If I didn't keep track of that, I would have never known just how much stronger I've gotten over the last year.

Carolyn

“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That is the essence of inhumanity.”

George Bernard Shaw
 
Looking at the calorie count is a way to compare the intensity between workouts. You said

>> I honestly can't fathom what you can learn from looking at the calorie count, as the only way you can change it is by exercising longer.

That's not true. Some workouts burn more calories per minute than other workouts. For me, I don't just exercise in my target aerobic zone - sometimes I go anaerobic as well and I can get a pretty big range in my heart rate and calories burned from workout to workout.
 
Nancy,

I guess maybe it is just personal preference on my part. I do check the %s of max HR throughout the workout and make sure they are in line with where I want to be. But for me it is much easier to compare one workout to another by quickly looking at the total calories burned than by trying to figure out if one put me at 81% for so many minutes and then 79% for so many minutes how much harder is it than another workout that was 80% for so many minutes...etc. I guess I am just looking for one hard number to compare to that takes no time to figure out. Does that make any sense?
 
Claude, ideally, you should take your resting pulse three mornings in a row, just after waking up. Add all of them together, and divide by 3, to get the average.

I'm too lazy to do that, but I think mine is about 60.

The formula is:
(220) - (your age) = MaxHR
(MaxHR) - (resting heart rate) = HRReserve
(HRReserve) x (60% to 80%) = training range %
(training range %) + (resting heart rate) = (your target training zone)

My age is 50, so my calculation is as follows:
220 - 50 = 170 (MaxHR)
170 - 60 = 110 (HRR)
110 x .6 = 66 (60% training percentage)
110 x .8 = 88 (80% training percentage)
60 + 60 = 120 (target training zone, in beats per minute)
88 + 60 = 148 (target training zone, in beats per minute)

To be honest, I often surpass 148, and feel fine, so maybe my resting heart rate is lower than I think. However, I generally like to hover right around 148 to get the most cardio-efficient workout I can in the least amount of time.

HTH,
Nancy
 
I have used HRM's for years. About 12. I could care less what calories I burn but to some it is important. My main cardio is running and I can do speedwork sessions based on my Heart Rate. I can also tell if I am overtraining by what my HR does while running. Of course I do use a HRM doing other cardio now as I am a bit hooked...:)
 
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