Thursday, November 09, 2006

Gym Myth 1: "Fat Burning" Zone?


Like King Author's knights on a quest to find the Holy Grail, people in gyms unhappy with their appearance try to walk, run, pedal and step with the hope of finding the magical "fat burning" zone.

Often on the control panels of cardio-machines like the treadmill and the stair-climber are diagrams that suggest there is a powerful state of being (ideal heart rate) that will allow one to effortlessly reduce their body fat, called the "fat burning" zone. A mythical phenomenon that allows one to utilize 100% fat stores for energy while doing cardiorespirtory training for an extended period of time. The notion that the body can be brought to a state where by it just uses fat for energy during exercise is false.

If you are seriouly concerned about fat reduction, know that this can only be achieved when there is more energy being burned than consumed. This is known as the Law Of Thermodynamics. The only time the body burns 100% fat for energy is at complete rest. However very few calories are being expended. So don't think you can sleep your way to a trim waist line.

Remember, it is not how much fat you burn that ultimately determines weight/fat reduction, but how many calories you burn. You simply need to burn more calories than you take in.

2 comments:

Elina said...

So I'll actually have to sleep less and do more to burn some fat? Sniff, sniff...

B-Flx said...

That's right Noor - put your backfield in motion. :) shake it-baby-shake it