If you’ve ever ran on a treadmill and kept checking your heart rate in the so-called “fat burning zone” only to not see any change when you stepped on the weight scale?
You may be doing a lot of working out and cardio, but progress has frustratingly plateaued. As a personal trainer of 20 years, I hear this concern from new clients all the time. They think they’re staying in the “fat burning zone” but it’s something isn’t working.
Maybe you’ve been doing your cardio all wrong by wasting your time staying in the wrong heart rate zone. Slogging through slow and steady workouts can leave you frustrated without the results to show for it. You’re not lazy, you could just be in the wrong fat burning heart rate zone.
Below you’ll find an easy-to-use fat burning zone calculator. You’ll uncover your true fat burning zone when working out to lose weight.
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Ideally, you’ll use a heart rate monitor to continually track and measure your heart rate during workouts because it’s going to be very difficult if you have to keep checking your heart rate to see if you’re staying within the fat burning zone.
There’s a saying: If you don’t track it, you can’t measure it. And if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
This is going to be even more true when you’re working out in the fat burning zone. You might think you’re staying within the range, but without tracking your heart rate, it’s all guesswork. Using a heart rate monitor will take the uncertainty out and help you train smarter, not just harder.
I personally prefer to use an Apple Watch to track my heart rate. It’s very convenient to use and the data is reliable. It also allows you to move freely when exercising. But you can also use a chest strap or a simple fitness tracker such as the Whoop, Fitbit or the Oura Ring.
Whatever you use, it’s essential to have a real-time heart rate so you get instant feedback. You’ll know when to dial it up or ease it off. This makes each session more effective without wasting your time.
I know with the chest straps though is that they can be uncomfortable to wear. There’s also the friction of having to put it on and take it off. And keeping it charged, which can be too much of a pain to use for a lot of people.
Many cardio machines have built-in heart rate trackers that you can use. All you have to do is put your hands on the designated spot, and it should give you a pretty accurate reading for your heart rate.
But you’ll have to keep your hands on them a lot, which can be difficult if you’re walking on the treadmill or using the elliptical and needs your hands for arm movement.
Your Personalized Fat Burning Zone: Use the calculator with the Karvonen formula by putting in your age and resting heart rate to find your optimal fat burning heart rate zone. This formula is more accurate than the 220-age method.
Optimal Heart Rate Range: Keeping your heart rate within 60-70% of it’s maximum allows your body to efficiently use stored fat as fuel, boosting weight loss.
Benefits of Low-Intensity Cardio: Doing longer sessions with LISS cardio can be more sustainable and easier on the body, especially for beginners or those with joint issues.
Understanding the Fat Burning Zone Myth: While the fat burning zone leads to a higher percentage of fat burned, higher-intensity workouts will burn more total calories. You can also use both methods with 2-3 shorter HIIT workouts and 3-6 longer LISS workouts in a week.
Josh Schlottman is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition.
With more than 20 years of hands-on coaching experience since 2005, Josh has helped thousands of clients in-person and online to build muscle, lose fat, and improve long-term metabolic health through science-based strength training and nutrition strategies.
Josh is the founder of TrainerJosh.com, where he publishes evidence-based workout programs focused on bodyweight training, fat loss, and healthy aging. His fitness insights have been featured in outlets such as Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, Askmen, Prevention, Healthline and other health publications.
