Posts by whitewomanover50

I use the original formula to calculate my MHR and THR -- (220 - age)*70% for the low end of aerobic activities and (220-age)*85% for my high rate.

But mostly I have just been experimenting.  I started my program just about 2 months ago, counting calories (1200/day), and working out 5-6 times a week, including about 30-40 min outdoor walking 3 days a week, and 3 days strength training (now with 20 min. cardio also) the other 3 days. I have lost about 10 pounds, so I am on track.

I lost weight faster--not visible on the scale but in my stomach in the mirror--when I walked with my monitor showing between 70%-75% of my Maximum Heart Rate.  I don't pay attention to the scale because I am also building muscle tissue which weighs more. 

I boosted my walks up to at least 30 minutes over 80% 3 times a week and found I did not loose inches as fast, and 'felt' fatter again, and I suffered more isoreness, too.  After two weeks of that I have dropped back to the 70-75% range this week and am already seeing the difference. 

My cardio workouts are with dvd's and I usually go up to about 95% somewhere in there and have to go slower than the teacher to keep it down around 90%.  Those are still not really high enough calorie burns to justify the reduced fat-burning percents.  Elliptical machines, steppers, rowing machines that move you up to 600-700 calories/hour might justify all the sweat. 

My experience is that I lose more weight when I keep the THR in the lower 'fat-burning' ranges.  Do the math with actual calorie burns for your weight, for different intensities, and watch your own body.  More calories per hour is not necessarily enough more to burn more fat. 

Thanks for your post!  We need more info about this stuff for us newbies.

One thing I would like to add is that warmups before, and especially stretches afterwards, have really helped me.  I have had mild osteoarthritis for about 20 years, but it has actually improved with walking several times a week.  Also, I have noticed that doing plies several times during my walks helps reduce the slight discomfort in the weak muscles and ligaments on the insides and outsides of my knees.  They used to give me a lot of pain, but now hardly any. 

Under the kneecap, however, I am now experiencing some new pains, rarely, and I think these are from my new videos that have a bunch of lunges in them. 

The slow stretchy lunge, without bending the back leg, is fine.  It's the normal lunge with lowering the knee to the floor that I just can't handle.  I stretch my quadriceps on the floor instead.  

I still have concerns about doing interval/cardio dvd's two days in a row.  I really got sore from that--and the soreness seems to be causing some nerve reactions in my left arm, too.  Tight muscles pinch nerves?  Just certain movements cause shooting 'jolts' like when you hit the funny bone.

So I am resting up from all those bicep curls and stuff today.  Anyone else experience any kind of nerve reactions from toning exercises?