Stationary bike with arm movement also?

mrslondon

I went to the gym yesterday and instead of just getting on the regular stationary bike, I did the one where you can move your arms also and increase resistance with your arms and the pedals. I found that to be a much better workout as you can work out everything at the same time. What should I log this as? And if the machine tells you how many calories you burn why is it always lower than what MFP says? I know for a fact I worked my butt off

petithamu

I would take the MFP database as well as the machine's calculation with a grain of salt...the best way is to purchase a Heart Rate Monitor. When I first started on MFP, I asked so many people about a HRM and it is the absolute best purchase I have ever made for weight loss. They can be pricy and if you have to use MFP or the machine to log, I'd say be careful on eating back your exercise calories because the database may very well be incorrect and you'd be taking in extra calories without knowing it!

gatorflyer

Funny you should post this today, since I was on a stationary bike last night and was doing my own arm movement exercises as the same time. I think the only real way to know for sure is to use a heart rate monitor. We're all different and it has to do with how much exertion you did. I basically use the machine as a guide but rely on the HRM for the true results. As an FYI, last night my stationary bike said I burned 152 calories in 20 minutes (pretty low resistance since this was the first time on the bike since a rib injury), and my heart rate monitor said I burned 142 calories. Again,l we're all different and I think the numbers from MFP and other online calculators are based on general numbers and should be used as a guide, while an HRM is probably a more accurate gauge.