Just a bit about the heart. The average resting heart rate is 60-80 beats per min (bpm). The lower your resting heart rate the more efficient your heart is, and the higher your heart rate vice versa. After starting my training I have gotten my resting heart rate in the 30's...... living well!!
You can get a great workout in with or without a heart rate monitor, however, it is much easier to push yourself during your entire cardio session if you know how hard you are working (without having to grab onto the metal handles on the cardio machine, or you can do cardio in other places like run outside!).
There are two energy sources your body utilizes, fat and sugar. The point at which your body starts utilizing mainly sugar is above what is called your anaerobic threshold (AT). The average calculation for this if you have a heart rate monitor is 180-age. If you consider yourself fit, add ten to that number.
So, I am 26 this would be my calculation:
180-26+10= 164 beats per minute
When you reach AT you feel the burn in your workout, jaw dropped, breathing to the point that if you were to talk you can't say more than two words without having to take a breath. For burning fat you want to keep just below this point.
While doing fat burning cardio I usually try to stay within 20 bpm of my AT (145-170 bpm).
You can get a decent heart rate monitor for $40-$70. The one I have straps to my chest:
Some exercises will increase your heart rate more than others, which is why you shouldn't always do the same form of cardio. If you run one mile everyday, after a few months your body will adapt and you will not get the same results (plateau). Move it to the stairs, cycle, elliptical, or add speed/incline. LOTS of ways to add variation.
If I look down and the watch is reading 100 bpm.. I know I need to push harder!
Thats motivation for me!
Hope this was helpful... back to it. Get ready for 2 week update and then COMPETITION TIME.
<3
Jess
facebook.com/jessdoitforyou
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