Not all exercise is the same. Different modes of exercise have varying effects on the human body; these differences are subject to certain factors, such as frequency and intensity. Frequency refers to rest time in between bouts of exercise, whereas intensity is defined by the acceleration of your heart rate. The variation of these factors classifies the difference between endurance and fat-burning exercise. Understanding how to effectively manipulate frequency and intensity can help you achieve your fitness goals.

Low intensity vs. High intensity

A decent percentage of gym-goers typically consider high-intensity activity as the preferred method of increasing the body’s fat-burning capacity. However, the body actually uses fatty tissues as fuel at lower levels of intensity, which essentially means that you’re more likely to burn fat during low-intensity exercise. This does not render an excuse to slack off during your daily workout, but it does indicate that a difference exists between how your body naturally reacts at different intensity levels. The body uses carbohydrates as fuel during bouts of high-intensity exercise, which is ideal for boosting your metabolism and increasing endurance.

Fat-Burning Capacity

Understanding how your body burns fat can efficiently increase your ability to develop an effective exercise plan. Although variation between exercise intensity has a big impact on which fuel your body burns, the food you consume is also a prominent factor. If your exercise goal is to lose weight, you need to increase protein consumption. This will enable your body to chew through fat while also building lean muscle mass. The USDA recommends that you consume at least 50 grams of protein per day in order to sustain healthy muscle development. Healthy forms of protein include eggs, chicken breast and lean beef.

Burning Fat

Burning fat is a byproduct of regular exercise and eating a healthy diet, but it’s perhaps most important to monitor your heart rate while exercising to reach optimal fat-burning capacity. The healthy heart zone for increasing your body’s natural ability to burn fat is between 60 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your fat-burning heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and multiply by .7 (70 percent). Utilizing a portable heart rate monitor during your workouts will help you remain in the fat-burning zone. It’s also helpful to increase rest time to two minutes in between weightlifting sets, and walk at a moderate pace for three to five minutes per every 10 minutes of cardiovascular activity.

Building Endurance

Endurance training requires intensive bouts of high-intensity exercise, which means that you need to force yourself near peak exertion. The intensive endurance threshold is defined as 80 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate. If your exercise objective is to build up the stamina needed to run a marathon, use a target of approximately 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your intensive endurance heart rate, use the aforementioned formula and multiply by .8 (e.g. 80 percent). The 10 percent uptick in heartbeats per minute has a distinct effect on how your body reacts to exercise, and will ultimately help you achieve positive results.