07/29/2021
Awesome post about cardio for burning fat and losing weight.
I read an article recently that suggested the ‘Fat Burning Zone’ as the best way to exercise to burn fat
While I appreciate the authors intent, I think it will be misinterpreted
While exercising in the “fat burning zone” IS the best way to “burn fat”, that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to LOSE fat
The “Fat Burning Zone “refers to an exercise intensity where the body burns primarily fat as a fuel source. But that doesn’t mean actual loss of bodyfat. I'll explain:
At low intensities, including rest, your body burns mainly fat. Obviously you don’t burn a lot of cals sitting, but any that are burned come almost exclusively from fat
At higher intensities, your body starts to burn less fat and more carbs
Carbs are like dry kindling – they burn fast and easily. Fat is like a wet log, and burns extremely slowly, so it’s not a good fuel source for high intensity work
But let's consider the TOTAL amount of cals burned
Walking burns around 60% of cals from fat
High intensity exercise burns around 20%
An hour of walking at 2.5mph for a 140lb person burns around 200 cals
That’s 120 cals from fat.
But 60 mins higher intensity exercise will burn closer to 600. That’s 120 cals also
However most people concerned about “fat burning” are really looking for fat LOSS
And if fat LOSS is your goal, none of this is relevant. Burning more or less fat during exercise makes no difference in terms of fat loss when compared to burning more total calories than you consume
Bottom line – the fat burning zone for the fat loss client is not important, and focusing on it can actually negatively impact results
(Does anyone really think that a lack of fat loss from exercise is because people are just training too hard?)
For fat loss:
1) Create a caloric deficit: a shortage of fuel that your body will make up by cannibalizing its own tissue
2) consume enough protein: this triggers the body to use fat stores for energy and not muscle
3) choose a form of “anabolic signaling” exercise that sends a signal to the body that it needs to keep the muscle and preferentially lose fat
Ditch the fat burning zone!
