A question I get asked all the time is: “Do I need to train in a certain heart rate zone to lose fat?”
The short answer is no. Your heart rate zones are a guide, not a strict rule. But understanding them can help you train smarter and see better results.
What Heart Rate Zones Really Mean
Your heart rate changes depending on how hard your body is working. Zones give a rough idea of intensity when you’re doing your online fitness classes:
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Zone 1 – Very Light: Easy pace, recovery work.
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Zone 2 – Light: Comfortable, sustainable pace, often called the “fat-burning zone.” (NB – this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be losing “body fat”, which is where a lot of people get confused. It’s where your body uses a higher % of fats for energy. For overall fat loss, you must be in a calorie deficit).
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Zone 3 – Moderate: Gets your heart rate up, builds stamina.
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Zone 4 – Hard: High effort, short periods, improves performance.
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Zone 5 – Maximum: Maximum effort, sprinting or intervals, very short bursts.
Important: You don’t need a heart monitor to get results, you can also gauge intensity by how hard you’re breathing and whether you can talk comfortably.
Do You Have to Train in the Fat-Burning Zone To Lose Fat?
This is the big question. Zone 2 does use a higher percentage of fat for energy, but higher-intensity sessions burn more total calories overall…
BUT…
You need to be in a calorie deficit for fat loss full stop – it doesn’t matter which zone you work in, if you’re not in a deficit, you will not lose fat.
You don’t need to stick to one zone to see results. What matters more is mixing up your training.
A mixture of easier, moderate and harder sessions will improve your overall fitness, endurance, strength and recovery, rather than just focusing on one “magic” zone. Variety challenges your body in different ways, keeps workouts interesting and helps prevent plateaus.
How to Use Heart Rate Zones Without Overcomplicating Things
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Start with what feels comfortable: You don’t need to obsess over numbers.
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Mix easy and harder sessions: A couple of moderate-to-hard sessions each week, plus some lighter work, gives your body the challenge it needs to improve.
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Listen to your body: Heart rate is a guide, but your energy, stress and sleep are just as important.
Take-Home Message
Heart rate zones can guide your training, but you don’t need to stress over hitting the “perfect” one. Focus on consistency, effort, and variety in your sessions, and your fitness will improve steadily – without overcomplicating things.
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For more on this, listen to this week’s episode of the Lorna Marie Fitness Podcast HERE
Or you can watch it just below:
