Perceived exertion

decentyouth

I’ve performed a number of different exercises over the years. What has surprised me is the amount of perceived exertion involved in each of the exercises to achieve the same calorie burn.

I first noticed this when I started attending a gym regularly. I used to love rowing and it would be the first piece of equipment I would start my work out with. One day, the rowing machine wasn’t available so I decided to try the cross-training machine. I couldn’t believe how much easier it felt to burn the same number of calories when compared with rowing. If the calorie read-outs on both machines are to be taken as reliable, then my perceived exertion whilst cross-training was less than that of rowing. It felt much easier to do.

I alternated between rowing and cross-training over a month or so and that feeling did not alter. In burning 500Kcals for example, cross-training always felt much easier to do than rowing, whatever intensity I worked at.

I’ve put together a short list of the exercises I have done over the years. Regular exercises, not one-offs. I’ve put them in order of my sense of perceived exertion.

I’ve imagined having to burn ~350Kcals in each exercise and how that would feel doing each at a reasonable intensity. So in my case, cycling feels easier than cross-training does; the Spartacus workout kills me.

Cycling
Cross-training
Rowing
Running – decent pace 8.5min/miles
Circuit weight lifting – Super-sets – Power Circuits (All the big heavy lifts one after the other – minimal rest) – weight 55Kg
Spartacus Workout (High Intensity Circuit Workout) with 2x15Kg dumb bells
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/high-intensity-circuit-routine/index.php

If you’ve ever encountered this, I would like to hear your experiences. Additionally, I would love to know where Zumba and Boxing fall within the list. Remember, it’s about the amount of perceived effort you feel whilst torching 350Kcals doing that exercise.

BflSaberfan

this is an interesting topic. I can burn 400 calories on an elliptical and not feel even close to my breaking point, but 400 calories of insanity makes me want to cry.

Capt_Apollo

unfortunately, you are going by the read out from the machine, which is horribly inaccurate.

davemunger

unfortunately, you are going by the read out from the machine, which is horribly inaccurate.

Yep. If you want a somewhat more accurate calorie count, get a heart rate meter. Still not perfect, but much better than what the machine says.

ryans5050

this is an interesting topic. I can burn 400 calories on an elliptical and not feel even close to my breaking point, but 400 calories of insanity makes me want to cry.

So true. Even with a HRM, 400 calories doing a stationary bike and 400 calories of Insanity is a huge difference for me.

K_Serz

unfortunately, you are going by the read out from the machine, which is horribly inaccurate.

Not only that but different types of exercises (walking, HIIT, lifting heavy, jumping rope, Prancercise) at different intesity levels also have an impact on your bodies metabolic functions AFTER the workout is over as well.

craigmandu

this is an interesting topic. I can burn 400 calories on an elliptical and not feel even close to my breaking point, but 400 calories of insanity makes me want to cry.

So true. Even with a HRM, 400 calories doing a stationary bike and 400 calories of Insanity is a huge difference for me.

That's because they aren't the same kind of exercise. Elliptical being cardio, while insanity is a mix of HIIT/Strength training. Simply put they don't engage the same fibers in the muscles, don't have the same demands on the body, and don't produce the same effects.

acogg

I did Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and lost one pound after feeling depressed and tortured for a month of Jillian. I decided to give myself a break and started Leslie Sansone's Ultimate 5 Day walk plan video. Though the Walk video felt fun and easy, I started dropping weight like crazy. When I tracked my weight loss vs. net calories, I was burning about 200 calories per 15 minute segment. Perception is important to motivation. Thanks for the topic.

Delicate

Dont forget time to achieve said burn.

Although women use epilators more than men, so they could be 'wired' to 'burn more' so that they think they have done better than they have, so they go and 'treat' themselves with food, for doing a 'good job' so the gym will have a potentially heavier customer who would keep returning? Just playing devils advocate =]

EvgeniZyntx

I’ve performed a number of different exercises over the years. What has surprised me is the amount of perceived exertion involved in each of the exercises to achieve the same calorie burn.

I first noticed this when I started attending a gym regularly. I used to love rowing and it would be the first piece of equipment I would start my work out with. One day, the rowing machine wasn’t available so I decided to try the cross-training machine. I couldn’t believe how much easier it felt to burn the same number of calories when compared with rowing. If the calorie read-outs on both machines are to be taken as reliable, then my perceived exertion whilst cross-training was less than that of rowing. It felt much easier to do.

I alternated between rowing and cross-training over a month or so and that feeling did not alter. In burning 500Kcals for example, cross-training always felt much easier to do than rowing, whatever intensity I worked at.

I’ve put together a short list of the exercises I have done over the years. Regular exercises, not one-offs. I’ve put them in order of my sense of perceived exertion.

I’ve imagined having to burn ~350Kcals in each exercise and how that would feel doing each at a reasonable intensity. So in my case, cycling feels easier than cross-training does; the Spartacus workout kills me.

Cycling
Cross-training
Rowing
Running – decent pace 8.5min/miles
Circuit weight lifting – Super-sets – Power Circuits (All the big heavy lifts one after the other – minimal rest) – weight 55Kg
Spartacus Workout (High Intensity Circuit Workout) with 2x15Kg dumb bells
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/high-intensity-circuit-routine/index.php

If you’ve ever encountered this, I would like to hear your experiences. Additionally, I would love to know where Zumba and Boxing fall within the list. Remember, it’s about the amount of perceived effort you feel whilst torching 350Kcals doing that exercise.

You are correct, perceived exertion (efficiency, in a sense) is not fully correlated with oxygen consumption and aerobic calorie burn. Swimming should be in your list.