Have you gone to the gym and worked out for hours and hours and seen no results for your sweat and tears? Many people do cardio but completely miss the point and end up doing more damage to their bodies than actual fat burning. The following tips will help you lose the weight you are working so hard to get rid of.

One of the difficult things about a cardio work out is that you can put everything you have into a workout and get no results. The key to a good cardiovascular workout is to find your target heart rate and stick within it. Your target heart rate is what you need to follow because that is the point that your body burns the most fat.

To find your target heart rate, you want to find your resting heart rate. You can do this by counting your pulse for one minute when you wake up in the morning. Then you want to subtract your age from 220, which is your maximum target heart rate. This is called your heart rate reserve. Next, calculate the lower limit of your target heart rate by multiplying .6 or 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. Then calculate the upper limit of your target heart rate by multiplying 80 percent or .8 to your maximum heart rate. Combine the last two calculations and divide by two and you have your target heart rate.

Next time you go to the gym and you hop on an elliptical, bicycle or treadmill, make sure you have your target heart rate calculated so you can burn the fat that you are working so hard to lose. Instead of spending useless hours at the gym not burning anything, you can base your cardiovascular workout based on the most effective way to lose weight.