Happy 2021 from the Bowmars to you! The fresh start I am sure we all have been waiting for. I will let you in on a little secret though, nothing changes if nothing changes. So let’s change! It has always been my mission to put out helpful content in a way that is easy to digest and understand. My goal is not to confuse you just so you will hire me or Josh to train you. I want you to have the knowledge and confidence in yourself and in what you are doing to get to your goals.

Let’s talk about cardio. If you haven’t already, I recommend reading these two posts:

If I’m Trying to Lose Weight- Should I Lift or do Cardio?

How Much Cardio Should I Be Doing?

Now that you have read both of those posts, let’s talk about the “fat-burning heart rate zone.” The most basic equation is to take 220 and subtract your age. That is your MAX heart rate. Your fat-burning heart rate zone is 70-80% of that. For example: I am 31 years old so 220 – 31 = 189. Seventy – eighty percent of 189 would be 132 beats per minute – 151 beats per minute. 

I don’t like having to hold on to the machine while I’m exercising to determine my heart rate. It takes forever, and if you’re running outside, there’s no machine to hold onto! 

Here are a few ways to test your heart rate to see if you are in the range for burning fat. Also, please note, even if you are in the fat-burning heart rate zone, if you eat more calories than you burn that day, you could still gain weight. This is assuming you know what your fat loss calories and macros should be.

1. 10-second count- find your pulse and count how many beats in 10 seconds. Multiply by 6. Voila.
2. Pulse Ox Monitor (as shown in the cover photo)
3. Activity Watch

For more tips, check out the other posts here on my Sarah Bowmar site. 

It’s also important to understand how quickly you can recover (back to resting heart rate) as this is a great indicator of cardiovascular health!

Happy exercising!
Sarah Bowmar
Sarah Bowmar is a certified nutrition specialist, personal trainer, prenatal and postpartum trainer, entrepreneur, podcast host, and author.