The Truth About the Fat Burning Zone
Part 2: Setting Up Your Cardio Workouts
How Often Should You Exercise?
When it comes to cardio, it's up to you and your goals how much you do and how often. For weight loss, most experts recommend 60 or more minutes of moderate intensity activity most days of the week, but if you're a beginner, you may need to start at a lower level of exercise. For beginners, you might start with three days of cardio exercise for 20 or more minutes, adding time each week. If you're an intermediate or advanced exerciser, you can do cardio anywhere from 4 to 6 days a week, keeping in mind that varying your workouts and doing different activities, intensities and durations will offer great weight loss results
How Hard Should You Work?
While you won't burn as many calories in the 'fat burning' zone, you can certainly add it to your weekly routine. These workouts are great for endurance since you can exercise for a longer period of time than if you're working out at a higher intensity. Each week, you might have one long workout in the lower end of your THR and one shorter workout at the high end of your THR. Another option is interval training, an intense workout where you alternate high intensity intervals and recovery intervals. For workout ideas, check out these Cardio Workouts which include interval training.
To monitor your intensity, make sure you keep track of your target heart rate, or use a perceived exertion chart to make sure you're not working too hard.
Building Your Routine
Below is a chart detailing a SAMPLE week of cardio workouts for a person who exercises five days a week. This is simply an example of how to incorporate different types of cardio workouts into a typical week. Modify the workouts according to your own fitness level, time constraints, and likes and dislikes.
| Day | Intensity Level | Duration | Examples/Perceived Exertion |
| Monday | High Intensity | Duration: 20-30 minutes | Alternate 1-min sprint with 2 min walking. Perceived Exertion (PE) sprints: 8-9, walking: 5-6 |
| Tuesday | Medium Intensity | Duration: 45-60 minutes | Walking or jogging PE: 5-6 |
| Wednesday | Low-Medium Intensity | Duration: All day | Use a pedometer and try to get 10,000 steps |
| Thursday | Medium-High | Duration: 30-60 minutes | Kickboxing PE: 5-7 |
| Friday | Medium-High | Duration: 30-45 minutes | Elliptical Trainer PE: 4-5 |
| Saturday | Low-Medium | Duration: 30-60 minutes | Walking or aerobics class PE: 4-6 |
Don't forget to:
- Warm up and cool down for each workout
- Drink lots of water (take a sip every 15 minutes during your workout)
- Stretch after your workout
- Eat a small, well-balance snack an hour or two before you hit the
gym.
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