There is a lot of misinformation about fat loss, and the truth is that there are so many different factors that go into it. Some people will tell you to do cardio at low intensity, others will tell you not to do any kind of cardio at all. You’ll hear conflicting advice about how much protein you should be eating or how many calories your body needs. But one thing that everyone agrees on is that weight training should be included in your workout routine (or at least they should agree on this if they’re giving good advice).
Heart Rate
Heart rate is a measure of how hard your heart is working. Heart rate zones are based on age and fitness level, with lower numbers representing lower intensity and higher numbers representing higher intensity.
Zone 2 training is considered the fat burning zone because it keeps you in the aerobic training zone—where your body uses oxygen to burn energy—but doesn’t push you so hard that it becomes anaerobic training (where your body generates energy without oxygen). The idea behind Zone 2 training is that it can help prevent muscle loss when dieting, because you’re still getting some of the benefits of exercise even though you aren’t doing as much as usual.
Fat Loss
Fat loss is the process of losing body fat, while weight loss is simply a reduction in total body weight. The two are not synonymous, as many people who lose fat gain muscle and vice versa. Fat loss is something most people who exercise or diet seek out because it’s often easier to maintain lean muscle than it is to maintain fat stores.
But what about Zone 2 training? How does this technique affect fat loss?
Zone 2 training can help you burn more calories over time by creating a greater metabolic demand for energy from your muscles during exercise—a boon for anyone trying to lose weight or keep their energy levels up during workouts. Additionally, since Zone 2 training causes less fatigue than higher-intensity cardio, you’ll be able to perform more reps per set with better form (and thus greater efficiency).
metabolism
- Metabolism is the rate at which you burn calories.
- The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism.
- The more fat you have, the lower your metabolism.
- The more fit you are, the higher your metabolism will be throughout the day.
zone 2
Zone 2 training is often referred to as the fat burning zone, and for good reason. It’s where you’ll be spending most of your time during your workouts, and it’s where you should be when looking to lose body fat.
A large number of studies have shown that performing cardiovascular exercise at an intensity between 60 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the best way to achieve a calorie deficit without sacrificing muscle mass or strength.[1] Therefore, getting into zone 2 means that you’re taking advantage of this particular benefit while keeping your body in an optimum range for improving fitness levels across the board.
The nice thing about zone 2 is that it can be achieved with a wide range of different intensities depending on what type of activity you’re doing: walking at 3 mph on flat ground requires less effort than jogging on an incline at 4 mph or running sprints off road at 5 mph.
Training in zone 2 will help improve your fat loss goals.
Zone 2 is the best training zone for fat loss. The reason? Zone 2 training is low intensity, but high enough to improve your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day. In other words, it’s a great way to keep burning fat 24/7.
The first step in successful fat loss is establishing a calorie deficit—meaning that you’re eating fewer calories than you’re burning. It’s easy to do this with zone 1 training (think walking), but harder if you want to add more intensity and burn more calories during exercise.
This is where zone 2 comes in handy: it allows you to stay at an optimal level of fitness while still creating a calorie deficit by increasing your heart rate just enough so that your body burns extra energy after your workout ends.
So, to recap, training in zone 2 will help improve your fat loss goals. While high-intensity exercise isn’t required when it comes to reducing body fat, it is still an excellent way to burn more calories during your workouts and increase the amount of time spent in a calorie deficit. It’s also important not to spend too much time in low-intensity exercise because this can actually hinder progress as well!