The #1 Way to Torch Calories

It may seem old-school, but the heart rate monitor is still one of the most effective fitness gadgets out there. If you’re not using one, you should: tracking your heart rate can help you drop pounds, go faster and bust through a plateau.

Follow this beat-by-beat guide to sweat smarter. You’ll love the fit body results.

STEP 1: Get Your Ticker Tracker

Timex Easy Trainer An ideal pick for beginners, the Timex cuts straight to the essential workout info: your total time and heart rate. $50; Timex.com.

Suunto M4 Along with the basics, the Suunto offers routines based on goals you set, tests your fitness level and gives you a workout summary so you can chart your progress. $169; Suunto.com for stores

Garmin Forerunner 610 The touchscreen combines heart rate, pace and distance with its built-in GPS, then wirelessly uploads stats to your computer when you’re done. $350; Garmin.com

STEP 2: Meet Your Max

Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the hardest you can go during a workout. To find yours, use this new formula created specifically for women:
206 – (88% of your age) = MHR

STEP 3: Get in the Zone

Use your MHR to shift between tough and easy workout zones; this allows you to push yourself—key to getting slimmer and speedier!—then recover, so you don’t burn out, says Carl Foster, Ph.D., director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse.

Zone 1 target heart rate (THR): 50 to 65 percent This is your warm-up and cool-down zone. You’re working at a comfortable level, and you can easily hold a conversation.

Zone 2 THR: 65 to 70 percent This should be your go-to zone, Foster says. It increases muscles’ capacity to store ready-to-burn glycogen (fuel!). The more glycogen in muscles, the harder you can work during tougher ses-sions and the more calories that go poof. Training at this level also torches a higher percentage of calories from fat. Remember, though, that going slower also zaps fewer total calories, so you’ll have to keep up these work-outs a little longer.

Zone 3 THR: 85 to 90 percent Working in this range increases your ability to push harder for longer; challeng-ing sessions will ultimately feel easier, says exercise physiologist Jason Karp, Ph.D.

Zone 4 THR: 90 to 95 percent Near-all-out training like this can crank your body’s ability to burn blubber by 36 percent in two weeks, according to a study from the University of Guelph.

STEP 4: Hit the Gym!

To torch calories and get fitter, faster, put your THR zones into practice with this seven-day cardio plan from Roy Benson, coauthor of Heart Rate Training. Remember to always warm up and cool down for 5 minutes in Zone

MONDAY
Long Slow Sizzler (Zone 2)
THR 65 to 75 percent of your max
Maintain your THR for 40 minutes. Go, girl!

TUESDAY
Superfast Calorie Blaster (Zone 4)
THR 90 to 95 percent of your max
Alternate 90 seconds at your THR with 90 seconds of slow recovery. Repeat 5 times. You can do it!

WEDNESDAY
Day off!

THURSDAY
Repeat Long Slow Sizzler for 60 minutes (Zone 2).

FRIDAY
Repeat Long Slow Sizzler for 50 minutes (Zone 2).

SATURDAY
Burn Revver (Zone 3)
THR 85 to 90 percent of your max
Alternate 3 minutes at your THR with 2 minutes of recovery. Repeat 4 times.

SUNDAY
Day off!

Keep track of how fit you’re getting (and how many pounds you’re shedding!) with SELF’s workout log.

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