Calorie question

emmab0902

Does anyone know calories burned doing just kick or just pull?

fishgutzy

If I mix it up doing mostly freestyle I just put 1 minute per lap in the leisurely/moderate counter.

georgina1970

I'm not sure, but used my HR moniter in the pool today. It was enlightening.
I'm using a Polar F4.

emmab0902

I'm not sure, but used my HR moniter in the pool today. It was enlightening.
I'm using a Polar F4.

Enlightening how? What did you do and how did it compare to MFP estimates?

georgina1970

I'm not sure, but used my HR moniter in the pool today. It was enlightening.
I'm using a Polar F4.

Enlightening how? What did you do and how did it compare to MFP estimates?

Way lower than the estimates, but I am no way average. I'm only 150cm tall, and struggle to get any speed in the pool. Average about 1min/length. Sorry cant remember the actual cals burnt, but less than I thought it would be. Found it hard to get my HR up above 120/min unless I used paddles and fins. That got me to 130/min.

ElBence

MFP estimates are high by most swimmer's reckonings. I think the same theory may or may not apply to just kicks, depending on the stroke and the method. If I do a set of lung busters by dolphin kicking streamlined for the full 25 yards, I find my heart rate is a little lower than if I'm swimming a fly set of the same distance. However, when I use a kickboard to do a breaststroke kick set, I find that my heart rate is higher. I suspect this is because there is more drag for each kick without the kick-glide-pull rhythm, and so it takes me more kicks to get across the pool. Since the kick is the powerhouse of the breaststroke, this makes a lot of sense. When I do a flutter kick set, I'm usually on my back and streamlined, but it takes so much kick to get any momentum (no fins or zoomers) that I end up with a similar heart rate to when I'm swimming freestyle.

The way I log is to include all my kicks in the minutes for the stroke. I don't do a ton of dolphin kick sets. I don't feel bad about this because the breaststroke kick is more, the flutter kick is about the same, and MFP's estimates are high. The whole thing is a crap shoot anyway.

wild_wild_life

^^ you make a good point -- it could conceivably take more or less effort if you remove/isolate a part of the movement.

I wouldn't think it would be dramatically different than calories burned swimming, which, like with any activity, will depend on your weight, level of fitness, and intensity.