HIIT and fat burning

[nicole_]

so i understand that HIIT is meant to be ideal for weight loss/fat burning but im a little confused. Just wore my heart rate monitor for the first time, and this particular one tells you when you're in your optimal fitness and fat burning zones.
I've just done a HIIT workout with my max HR at 185bpm, yet my optimal fat burning zone was 144 and under..

During a HIIT workout i'm not under that for very long at all, so whats the deal here? lol

are HIIT workouts not as effective as they're meant to be, or is my HR monitor chatting shite? i could do a fast paced walk and probably hit my fat burning optimal heart rate, so why bother sweating my arse off with HIIT? :panic:

[Steph_at_constella]

Good question, cause i always wondered that too!

[McGuire86]

HIIT will burn fat alot faster. You can burn alot more calories in a 30 minute HIIT session than a steady paced endurance exercise.
You never allow your body to adjust to one intensity level, it keeps you guessing. After a HIIT session your resting metabolic rate will increase for another 24 hours !
Another reason it's better, it will help improve your speed, power, and stamina. Doing endurance all the time can cause muscle break down (catabolism) and you don't want that as muscle mass burns fat !

It's hard for a reason, no pain no gain ;)

[L33h]

And you might get a arse like mcguire's display pic... mmmm

[nicole_]

And you might get a arse like mcguire's display pic... mmmm

Don't think you'd have an arse anything like that through HIIT tbh, squats will get me there just fine :A:

I get that you burn more calories defo. If I was to stay in my fat burning zone, if probably be doing yoga/Pilates yet I feel like HIIT and weight lifting so much more beneficial :/
Was just confused as your fat burning zone is only 60-70% of your max heart rate, yet HIIT at max intervals is recommended. Was just wondering if anyone could explain why when you're out your optimum at burnig zone, must just be the fact you burn more calories makes the zone your in less important?

[McGuire86]

Like I said HIIT will get you there much quicker whilst making you more explosive, fitter and help maintain muscle mass. Keeping in your 'zone' is fine for burning fat but with less pros than HIIT, just depends what your goals are.