Exercise question: Fat burn setting v. Cardio setting

Factual Questions
1

Quick question for everyone: I’m trying to get back in shape after a few years spent doing nothing but sitting in front of a computer. My main issue is that I seem to have put on about 30 lbs of excess fat (maybe 40 lbs, considering that I don’t have the muscle I had when I was younger).

My gym has a bunch of different varities of ecercise machines, and they have a number of settings: the two that interest me the most are the fat burning setting and the cardio setting. The fat burning setting seems to put my heart rate at about 65% of my max heart rate. The cardio setting seems to put my heart rate at about 85% of my max heart rate.

My questions are:

  1. Suppose I exercised for the same amount of time using either the fat burning setting or the cardio setting, it seems as though I would burn more calories under the cardio setting. Would this result in more fat loss than exercising at the fat burning setting for the same amount of time?

  2. Would I be better off exercising at the cardio setting for time *t *or at the fat burning setting for time t+s if I chose t+s such that I’m burning the same number of calories under each setting?

  3. After a month or so, once I’m in better shape, is there some setting or exercise protocol that is better for fat loss than either of the above? (What I mean is, if my goal is losing fat, am I better off graduating to something like wind sprints, or should I stick with the treadmill at the cardio setting)?

  4. If my goal is to lose fat as rapidly as possible, is it OK to do cardio 7 days a week? I know there are arguments for taking a break between weight-lifting days–do the same arguments apply to cardio exercise? I have no problem with using different machines on different days.

Looking forward to reading everyone’s comments.

2

It’s hard to find hard science on this stuff, as every year or two some new discovery discounts old thoughts on it. Can you reduce your number of fat cells, or just the size of them? If you operate at a huge calorie deficit, do you burn muscle instead of fat?

The most hard facts I know of that are relevant to your goals are:
Oxygen consumed = calories burned
Calorie deficit = lose weight

So figure out what activity makes you breathe hardest for the longest time (that you can comfortably sustain) in order to rack up Calories Burned.

Watch your calorie intake and try to go for a calorie deficit every day. Figure out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is (find one at a site that counts, but here’s the first one on Google: BMR Calculator ). There’s a variety of “diets” but my opinion is to eat the number of calories that your BMR reads out (mine is 1942) every day. Balance it out over each week, so one day you can splurge and have 2500 calories, but over the next two days you have 1750 to balance it.

Supposedly, the formula I listed above will maintain your weight. That’s with no “additional” exercise - your standard daily activity.

To lose weight, you need to burn 3500 calories per pound of ugly fat. So, for a pound a week, exercise 500 calories per day. For two pounds a week, exercise 1000 calories per day. For 3 pounds a week, consider surgery - I don’t recommend dieting or exercising your way to 3 pounds a week.

If you’ve been sitting on your butt for a while, start light - 1 pound a week for the first month or two, then bring it up to 2 pounds a week. If you try to exercise (or diet) hard enough to lose 2 pounds a week in your first couple months, you will probably give yourself a mild sports injury (ankle sprain, hurt back) and that will demotivate you to work out.

Also, don’t skimp on the anaerobic exercising (weight-lifting). Yes, additional muscle mass will show up on the scale, but you aren’t after a number on the scale. You’re after looking and feeling good, and being healthy. Additional muscle mass is good for all of that - and it helps you lose fat. Having extra muscle means that every time you do anything (pick up a phone, pick up a beer, walk to your car) you’re burning extra calories. Just like a bigger engine in a car, powering those extra muscles takes extra oxygen (and, therefore, fuel) so you burn calories quicker just having extra muscle.

Hope this helps :slight_smile:

3

There are a lot of conflicting opinions on the subject, but what it basically boils down to is that between 60-70% of your max heart rate, you are burning fewer calories than you are when between 70-80%. But between 60-70%, a larger percentage of the calories you do burn are from fat than at 70-80%. How much different is not clear.

It is also likely you will be able to excercise longer at the lower rate.

I think it is less important to worry about the exact number of calories and just do what you enjoy, and mix it up some.

4

OK, so it sounds as though using the cardio setting would be more effective (because it burns more calories).

Muscle mass I’ve got plenty of. Borderline too much, according to my SO.

5

Is it important what % of calories burned are fat? I would think it does, but if we apply SeanArenas’s model, then all that matters is that I’m burning calories

That’s too easy. If I’m going to do this thing then I’m going to do so in the most efficient way possible :slight_smile:

6

As RedSwinglineOne pointed out, you’re more likely to be able to maintain the fat-burning rate for longer. Think about it this way: The cardio setting isn’t about burning calories as much as giving your ticker a workout. If your goal is to lose weight, then fat-burning is where the money’s at. If your goal is improved physical fitness, and more endurance, go for the cardio.

As for doing cardio every day, I strongly advise against it. Every week you need a day or two to let your body recover. If you must do something, do light stretching, or take a short walk. But whatever you do, take it easy. An injury now will make it take much longer to get where you want.

My regime is 3 days of weight lifting, 1 day of plyometrics (jump training) and 2 days of yoga. I find the yoga helps my muscles recover better, and preserves flexability that otherwise might be lost.

7

I think the Fat Burning and the Cardio on a machine probably varies more between machine manufacturer than any pre-defined, AMA- and Mayo Clinic-approved method, but I may be wrong - I’m not familiar with anything defined by authorities which exercise machine manufactures must follow when classifying one type of workout as “cardio” and another as “fat burning.”

My home fold-up elliptical has settings like Cardio and Fat Burning and other settings with catchy names. Personally, I change it up from day to day or week to week to give myself some variance. You don’t want to get stuck in a routine that’s too easy for your body.

I had a friend who ran 2 miles a day every day, and plateaued at a certain time, couldn’t beat it. I suggested he change it up, 2 miles one day, 3 miles the next. His 2 mile time improved slightly, but his time per mile on the 3 miles improved greatly.

Several months later, he plateaued again, and I suggested a bump to 4 miles. He’s near to a plateau on his time to run that now. I talked to some other friends who are marathon and half-marathon runners, and my uncle who taught physical fitness at the police department in Phoenix, and they all say your body needs routine with when you start your exercise, but variety in how strenuous and how long your workout is. Otherwise, your body gets used to it, and stops improving with it.

That’s another reason to start out easy, rather than jumping into it hard. I made this mistake last year. I “used to” be very active, with basketball, raquetball, inline skate hockey, and martial arts. Then I broke my ankle and never got back into the sports. Then last year, I started getting into hiking, running several miles at a pop on the treadmill, and skating 4+ hours at a time. I was surprised at how quickly my body “got back in to shape.” I was losing weight, looking really good, and feeling great! It was addictive, and I started pushing myself harder and harder.

Well, I got what they call a progressive or cumulative injury on my ankle, and had to stop all of these activities again in April last year. My ankle still swells up huge several days a week, even when I’m “off off it,” and I have to rely on diet and soft exercises to not bloat up again.