Outdoor activites vs. indoor exercise

Melwillbehealthy

I"ve noticed that on MFP, biking outside, burns about 1/2 the calories compared to the same amount of time spent on the elliptical at the gym. Is this true? I always thought that outdoor activites take a little more energy than indoor due to other variables ie. weather, terrain, etc.

BigGuy47

Estimates are just that... estimates.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Doesn't an elliptical burn more than bicycling regardless of location?

deluxmary2000

You're comparing apples to oranges. Elliptical vs biking is not the same calorie burn regardless of whether it's done inside or outside.
A better comparison would be running outside to running on the treadmill. Or biking outside as compared to biking on a stationary bike.

Melwillbehealthy

deluxmary2000 wrote: »

You're comparing apples to oranges. Elliptical vs biking is not the same calorie burn regardless of whether it's done inside or outside.
A better comparison would be running outside to running on the treadmill. Or biking outside as compared to biking on a stationary bike.

Good point...I wonder how biking on a stationary bike compares?

ew_david

I wouldn't (and don't) use MFP exercise calories at all. 99% of them are inaccurate/way too high.

jacksonpt

Melwillbehealthy wrote: »

deluxmary2000 wrote: »

You're comparing apples to oranges. Elliptical vs biking is not the same calorie burn regardless of whether it's done inside or outside.
A better comparison would be running outside to running on the treadmill. Or biking outside as compared to biking on a stationary bike.

Good point...I wonder how biking on a stationary bike compares?

subjectively, a stationary bike is more difficult (requires more work, thus more cals) than an actual bike because you're ALWAYS working against some resistance. On a real bike you can coast.

On a stationary bike, it takes more work (watts) to average the same speed than it does on my real bike.

markrgeary1

_dracarys_ wrote: »

I wouldn't (and don't) use MFP exercise calories at all. 99% of them are inaccurate/way too high.

That agrees with what I've observed. I have to cut the MFP numbers in half to get close to what the elipicital says it measured.

tdecel

jacksonpt wrote: »

On a real bike you can coast.

I've never been able to coast on a climb. How do you do it?

jacksonpt

tdecel wrote: »

jacksonpt wrote: »

On a real bike you can coast.

I've never been able to coast on a climb. How do you do it?

The entirety of your ride is uphill? If you stop pedaling, you stop instantly and just fall over?

Did you go to school with my dad and have to walk up hill both ways through 6' of snow barefoot?

MeanderingMammal

jacksonpt wrote: »

tdecel wrote: »

jacksonpt wrote: »

On a real bike you can coast.

I've never been able to coast on a climb. How do you do it?

The entirety of your ride is uphill? If you stop pedaling, you stop instantly and just fall over?

Did you go to school with my dad and have to walk up hill both ways through 6' of snow barefoot?

After an 18 hour shift down t'pit

Michael190lbs

I ride both and unless I'm standing on my stationary bike the outdoor bike is more difficult.


1. My core is engaged to keep the bike upright I have road, wind, bump resistance sure I can coast but I'm out to ride so more than likely my legs are still moving without all the resistance when going down hills just like interval training on my stationary bike. sometimes I'm at 110 RPMs and sometimes 50-60 depending on the program and difficulty
2.

Melwillbehealthy

Thanks for the responses...I guess it doesn't really matter if I bike on a stationary bike or outside on a real bike...as long as I keep getting exercise, it's good. I enjoy biking outside a lot more than I do in a gym.

Machka9

Personally, I log cycling outside at about 100 cal for every 5 km.

I log cycling inside on my trainer less than that ... it probably works out to about 80 cal for every "5 km".