The 'fat burning zone' is where you are working out at about 70 – 80% of your maximum heart rate, also known as your fat burning heart rate. If you're looking to lose weight and keep fit, the general rule of the game is to increase the intensity of your workouts.
Zone 2 will burn a higher percentage from fat, but the total expenditure relative to higher zones will be less. If volume is equal, higher zones will ultimately burn more.
Zone 2 – endurance level: Exercising with a heart beating at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate for between 20–40 minutes is a step up that will bring you into the fat burning zone – a level at which you can effectively burn excess fat stored in your body.
Zone 1. Zone 1 training is the lowest intensity of exercise, and it targets fat burning. It is also known as your aerobic zone because you are working out at a low enough intensity to get oxygen into your muscles.
Zone 2 is definitely the fat burning zone in which your body relies most heavily on fat as its primary source of energy. That being said, it doesn't necessary mean that by spending more time in Zone 2 you will increase that ability.
Furthermore, cycling is a great way to target belly fat, as it engages your core muscles and encourages fat burning in your midsection. So if you want to focus on burning belly fat while biking, you need to pedal at a moderate pace for 30 to 60 minutes each day.
Zone 4: You're no longer burning fat to fuel you. You can't keep up at this rate for more than about 15 minutes. You could talk at this point if you absolutely needed to, but you really wouldn't want to have to. Zone 5: You can only keep up this amount of effort for a few minutes.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Men's bodies generally respond to dieting by the loss of more weight at their trunk and women typically shed the excess weight from the hips area. The causes of it are related both to hormonal influence and the application of whole-body composition.
Zone 1 and 2 training is important because of the benefits of these workouts. You build endurance, durability, and strength. In addition, these easy training sessions help build capillary pathways that transport oxygen to your muscles and carry waste away from your muscles.
Contrary to what you might think, if athletes spend a lot of time in zone 4 they're stimulating fast twitch muscle fibers to become better at continuous endurance exercise. In other words, the benefit of zone 4 training is that fast twitch muscle fibers become more aerobic.
In general, you'll want to spend more time in the lower zones, and sprinkle in the higher zones for variety. In the 80/20 style of running, 80% of your workout time should be spent in zone 2 and low zone 3; everything from high zone 3 on up should only make up 20% of your workout time each week.
For endurance athletes, Zone 2 training is going to be a key part of your training schedule. Quality time in Zone 2 helps to develop your aerobic fitness by improving cardiovascular efficiency.
Specifically, the fat-burning zone is typically achieved within Zones 1 through 3 or 50-75% of your maximum heart rate. One recent study found that maximal fat oxidation occurs between 45 and 65% of your VO2 max.
Zone 5: very hard (90-100% of MHR)
Zone 5, also known as the "very hard" or "maximum effort" zone, involves pushing your heart rate to 90-100% of your MHR. This zone is usually unsustainable for long periods and is reserved for short bursts of maximum effort.
A research study states that regular walking helps reduce belly fat, which improves the body's response to insulin. Walking for at least 30 minutes every day allows you to prevent weight gain. It can also strengthen the muscles in your legs and tone your legs.
What's actually best for trimming stubborn belly fat is a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training as this will burn calories, increase muscle mass and speed up metabolism. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week – this can be something as simple as brisk walking.
Riding for 30 minutes three to four times a week can help accelerate your weight loss and significantly improve your fitness levels. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling 4 times a week can burn about 1.3 kg of fat per month.