What is the true calorie reading when using machines

Bubba1922

I recently joined the gym and try to expense 700 calories on each visit - using the rowing machine, the stepper and the elliptical apparatus. One gym attendant told me that I should halve the calories shown. I always enter age, weight etc. on the stepper and elliptical. What do you think?

mperrott2205

They will never be 100% accurate. No piece of equipment that is readily available to you will be 100% accurate on calorie consumption.

ninerbuff

Also in a gym, the machines get used so much WITHOUT calibration. They may get calibrated once they hit the floor, but after that almost never unless they need repair. Better off with an HRM which gives you a more accurate measure. Just don't use it to count calories for anaerobic (lifting) exercises.

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FatMoojor

Buy yourself a HRM for your steady state cardio. It's the only way you can know your calorie burn.

nordlead2005

Or, just accept that you get a rough estimate. If you know you ran at 6mph for 20 minutes, then just enter it into MFP and call it good enough. In 6-8 weeks if you are losing weight slower/faster than expected, then you know you need to adjust your intake calories down/up accordingly.

sijomial

Some will be accurate, some will be high and some will be low.
There's a better chance that those that measure power output (watts typically) will be reasonable.
But same machine could be accurate/high/low for different people! (e.g. Concept2 rower calorie formula assumes a 175lb person is using it.)

Everything is an estimate (even the calories in food remember).
Don't overthink it or strive for unobtainable accuracy. Pick a method, be consistent and adjust based on long term results.

Don't get a HRM unless you want to know your heartrate accurately for training purposes. A basic one is just as likely to be off for calorie estimates as your machines despite people's willingness to believe what a gadget says.

Bakins929

nordlead2005 wrote: »

Or, just accept that you get a rough estimate. If you know you ran at 6mph for 20 minutes, then just enter it into MFP and call it good enough. In 6-8 weeks if you are losing weight slower/faster than expected, then you know you need to adjust your intake calories down/up accordingly.

I find MFP, and really all of the UA apps like Map My Run, way overestimate calories burned. I say that based on doing the same runs with a HRM and using Polars app, as well as using a HRM and Polar watch. For instance, on the same 5 mile run, Polar says 979 calories while Map My Run said something like 1400 calories. That was with both apps having access to the same HRM and GPS coordinates. Just my $0.02, but I think the HRM is more accurate than MFP not knowing the exertion level.