so what's up with 850-900 cals burned in less than an hour

Felidae_1981

A lot of people here seem to burn ^^ that many calories in one session of exercise, sometimes the title does not even seem to be vigorous exercise. How is this possible?

At my total max I burn 600cals in an hour of cycling class. I realize that if people weigh more they'll burn more, but I don't know if everyone that does this weighs more.

An hour at the gym with running, elliptical, stairclimber and so on brings me 300-400 cals MAX. I can't push myself any harder or I'd pass out.

What gives? what am I doing wrong?

Psyb3r

I wear a HRM, and do Zumba for 1 hour and burn approx 800 calories. It's intense. I guess it just depends on how far from your goal you are, and how hard you work at it. Some people don't put their all into a workout and some people give 110%

sirihermine

i'm usually at 700 -800 cals. for an hour of spin class, elliptical or arc trainer.
But then again, I weigh more than you, and I hit my max. heart rate several times during that hour.

Felidae_1981

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

StarvingDiva

I too wear a HRM and my calorie burn varies on any given day, but boxing and kickboxing for an hour will usually yield me around an 800 calorie burn, I can always tell when I'm going to burn more, if I spent more time running during warm up, if I do more squats in between punching the bag, if I do punch out for 1 or 2 minutes. Some days you just don't have gas in the tank, so even though you do the same workout, you may not be putting in the same effort.

melaniecheeks

I'm with you - 600 cals an hour is a huge workout for me!

j3nn14er

If you weigh more, you burn more. Don't worry you are doing fine--I can only burn like 600/hr running my hardest (5'8 130lbs)

btdublin

I agree and the MFP numbers are usually way over the top. I typically take 25-50% off what it recommends if I am not tracking with HRM myself.

Also, soooo many people keep saying they are using the elliptical machines. I find this the most useless workout for HR and therefore cal burn. Not much better than a recline bike! I don't know how you can burn 800 on the thing, I have only even burnt about 200-300 cals on one.

Go for a run or a spin class people - probably the only two things that will burn 600-800. Zumba too I do every now and then and that is definitely 800 cals if you put everything into it.

Zoe2901

No ine is saying you dont give 110% but you have 15-20lbs to lose and alot of people on here including myself have up to a 100lbs and even more to lose so people weighing more sre going to burn more

andrejjorje

Here is the very simple fact. Any physical activity that bumps up your HR in Zone 5 which is 90-100% from your max HR can burn up to 20 cals/min. You do the math now.
Here is some details.

Zone 5a: Threshold Endurance
Also known as: Superthreshold
% Lactate Threshold: 100%-102%
% VO2 Max: 91%-93%
% Max Heart Rate: 91%-93%
RPE Scale: 17

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work; typically used after some Zone 4 time has already been done. Zone 5 workouts are very short because it is difficult to maintain this level for any length of time.
Zone 5b: Anaerobic Endurance
Also known as: Speed Endurance
% Lactate Threshold: 103%-105%
% VO2 Max: 94%-98%
% Max Heart Rate: 94%-98%
RPE Scale: 18-19

Used for: Intervals and hill work to improve anaerobic endurance. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, for example, a 20 second sprint followed by 20 seconds of easy recovery (Zone 1).
Zone 5c: Anaerobic Capacity
Also known as: Power
% Lactate Threshold: 106%+
% VO2 Max: 98%-100%
% Max Heart Rate: 98%-100%
RPE Scale: 20

Used for: Short-term Sprinting. Intervals in this zone have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or more.

stephabef

I can burn 600 cals on the elliptical in an hour (but when I subtract the number of cals I would be spending just by being alive, it comes out to more like 550). I've never hit over that in an hour, and I'm not sure it's possible for someone at my weight/size.

However, I could totally see someone double my size hitting 800-900... quite easily, actually.

MrsCheddies

I used to burn close to 800 an hour on the cross trainer (this was measured through my heart rate monitor. My heart rate monitor in Zumba suggested I would burn around 500 calories an hour.

I think MFP grossly overestimates calories burned.

But I suppose weight does come into it i.e. the heavier you are the more you burn.

peterson_jessica

I'm 10 lbs. from my goal weight and went on a 30 minute run with my HRM last night and burned 343 calories. I guess it just depends. I would say that I am in pretty darn good shape but I still burned that much...

stephabef

I agree and the MFP numbers are usually way over the top. I typically take 25-50% off what it recommends if I am not tracking with HRM myself.

Also, soooo many people keep saying they are using the elliptical machines. I find this the most useless workout for HR and therefore cal burn. Not much better than a recline bike! I don't know how you can burn 800 on the thing, I have only even burnt about 200-300 cals on one.

Go for a run or a spin class people - probably the only two things that will burn 600-800. Zumba too I do every now and then and that is definitely 800 cals if you put everything into it.

I burn the same amount on a run as I do on the elliptical. If you're pushing yourself to the max, you can easily burn big. How can you even compare it to a reclining bike? A cross ramp elliptical works arms/quads/hamstrings/calves and you aren't sitting down. It can be a fantastic workout for someone with poor joints and is a cross training option for those of us who run on a regular basis.

heathersmilez

I think what’s throwing you off is you look at peoples profiles and they are a healthy weight, they aren’t double your weight so you don't understand why they are burning so much. The truth is all the photos on their profile are old, they are 20-40+ lbs heavier, admit it people! Mine are 2+ years old and 10-12lbs lighter but that's b/c I started on MFP 2+ years ago right before gaining 8lbs on my honeymoon. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, LOL!

I can't imagine burning 800 cals in an hour of Zumba, I've done it 2x, it was fast paced dancing but by no means as intense or nearly as fast paced compared to Turbo Fire or even spinning.

Just take it with a grain of salt and focus on you. All the "good work!" comments on your news feed mean nothing, do it for you.

thankyou4thevenom

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

There are several factors as to why you burn less than the other people in this thread.
1) You're lighter than them. The less mass you have to move, the less calories it takes shake that booty.
2) You're fitter than them. The fitter you are the less hard your body has to work to shake your booty, the less calories you burn.

Unfortunately you're fitter than the people in this thread so to work off the same amount of calories means you have to work even longer and even harder than someone who is morbidly obese/obese or in general less fit than you.

mikethom

For what it's worth:

I'm 51, weigh 281, when I exercise I wear a HRM and I use this site to calculate my calories: http://www.triathlontrainingblog.com/calculators/calories-burned-calculator-based-on-average-heart-rate/

I've guestimated my VO2 max at 26, and my average HR over an hour on the treadmill is 147 - the calculator estimates that I burn 1032 cals - I usually knock off ~ 100 for BMR so I'd probably enter 925 for the workout.

So looking at your profile I substitued your weight (guessed at from your ticker), age, and gender into the calculation (everything else is the same) and the calculator says that you would burn 447 cals - your BMR would be quite a bit lower than mine...

Mike

P.S. My HRM would tell me that I burned almost 1600 cals which I've never believed :laugh: MFP would tell me I burn ~800 cals for walking uphill over the same time period which seems to be close to what the calculator give me...

liroez29

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

I think it is probably just because you are not very over weight, I burn a lot of calories in an hour because I still have 30+lbs to loose. Your doing good for your body, that is what counts. I don't think that comment was meant negatively (although I can see why you thought so). There is no way anyone on here can really know how hard anyone else is working. Good luck to you!

debilyn574

No way I can burn that much either (I'm 5'8", 136). I believe men are able to burn more than women, not sure if it's just cause they typically weigh more or what, but I've learned to get over the fact that my gym partner's HRM says 1,000 calories when I'm hoping for 500!

HMonsterX

1) You're female. You naturally burn less.

2) You don't have much to lose. You naturally burn less.



That's pretty much it really. Dont judge yourself by the burn of others, unless they are the same sex and weight as you. This always drives Vonnie mad, that i always get higher numbers than her. :P

andrejjorje

Yes you're right. This one together with my answer should explain the facts. The more fitter you are the harder to go up in those crazy HR rates hence less calories burned.
The lighter you are the HRs needed to do things are lower than somebody much heavier.
Everything is related to HR.

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

There are several factors as to why you burn less than the other people in this thread.
1) You're lighter than them. The less mass you have to move, the less calories it takes shake that booty.
2) You're fitter than them. The fitter you are the less hard your body has to work to shake your booty, the less calories you burn.

Unfortunately you're fitter than the people in this thread so to work off the same amount of calories means you have to work even longer and even harder than someone who is morbidly obese/obese or in general less fit than you.

ree2705

The only time I really burn calories like this is 70 minutes cycling (12 Miles hilly terraine) on a mountain bike averaging 16mph - approx 1150 calories - I have about 20lbs to lose - this is a really intense work out for me!!! 850 - 900 calories is a really respectable work out and you shouldn't worry as you clearly are working hard ;0

theoneandonlybrookie

To the OP: I agree with you somewhat. I took spinning and trained with heart rate zones for several years and never burned more than 751 in an hour. I guess if you are much heavier than I am, you could bump that up a hundred calories or so. But I believe that the estimates given by machines, the MFP database, and yes, even some HRM models are inaccurate.

It is true that we will burn different amounts of calories based on weight, age, and other factors. However, to the person who said that you can burn 20 calories a minute in zone 5, I believe that it is physically impossible to sustain a zone 5 heart rate for an entire hour. It should, and probably only can, be sustained for 20 minutes max. Maybe, maybe elite endurance athletes can sustain 90% of maximum heart rate for long periods of time, but I don't think I'm too far off base in saying that most of us on here aren't elite endurance athletes.

By the way, accurate heart rate training will allow you to burn many calories. This is one reason that many people have inaccurate burns. The standard 220 - age test doesn't really work that well in determining max heart rate, but it's a formula that many HRMs use.. There are several tests that you can use to determine your lactate threshold: http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=633

That being said, I don't worry too much about it. I try to focus on what I'm burning and not care about others' exercise habits or calories burned.

Smuterella

According to my Polar HRM I burn between 350 and 400 calories in 40 minutes or so of cardio. I'm not overweight and, so far, as I'm new to the programme i'm doing, i haven't really pushed it. I suspect then, that I could burn around 700-800 in an hoiur if I did.

cekeys

I also use an HRM & i burn around 800-900 in a workout on the elliptical. I weigh 218, and keep my HR at the high end of the scale for my BPM for most of my workout. My average is typically 3-4 BPM less than the max when I'm done. Also, I'm not using the default HR range of 220-age 70-80% for moderate. I'm running the test at the beginning to tell me where my range is for the day, that will give a more accurate measurement.

Also remember that more movement = more calories burned. So on an elliptical/cross trainer you're swinging your arms as well. When I'm on a bike, i don't burn as much because I'm only moving my legs..

thekacks

Look at the person's exercise diary. Most likely they did something else earlier in the day. If you do a morning and evening workout like I do... when you post the second round ... it adds the calories burned for the WHOLE DAY not just that hour.

lwoods34

I am 5'3, 128 lbs and I burn about 9-10 calories per minute; depending on the activity. I can easily burn 700-800 calories in an hour, especially if I am running. I wear a HRM that is pretty accurate in telling me how many calories I am burning. It all depends various factors. Ive burned over 1,000 calories doing 90 minutes of interval running.

I think it all depends on the activity, how intense you are working out and your current level of fitness.

A lot of people here seem to burn ^^ that many calories in one session of exercise, sometimes the title does not even seem to be vigorous exercise. How is this possible?

At my total max I burn 600cals in an hour of cycling class. I realize that if people weigh more they'll burn more, but I don't know if everyone that does this weighs more.

An hour at the gym with running, elliptical, stairclimber and so on brings me 300-400 cals MAX. I can't push myself any harder or I'd pass out.

What gives? what am I doing wrong?

Mixmode

The more lean you are, the more efficient you are at exercise which = less calories burned per hour. Yesterday, per my HRM, my 30min bike ride burned 530 cal but I am 6'7" & 280lbs.

stormieweather

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

For me, it's even less. I come hobbling out of zumba, spin or kickboxing class, pouring sweat, with a beet red face....and only burned 300-400 or so calories. Bah! Still, it's fun and it's calories.

/jealous

Felidae_1981

Maybe I should clarify for some.. I (ME) do NOT burn 850 cals an hour. I do use an HRM and it generally has me burning between 350-400 in an hour workout, sometimes less if I do more weights (duh, not as much of an elevted heartrate there).

But on my news feed people who (as far as I know) are about my weight and same sex - burn close to 1000 cals in a single workout. And it's often not even running, but rather a "walk off the pounds" type of exercise. That being said they say they use an HRM as well.

I am just confused. I know I should be happy with what I'm burning. Sometimes wish I had more to lose, it may come off easier :P - at least at first.

Felidae_1981

That sort of impies I don't give 110%, which I do. I seriously can't be in any more pain. I only need to lose about 15-20 lbs and an hour of Zumba (with HRM) also only burns 400-500 cals for me.

For me, it's even less. I come hobbling out of zumba, spin or kickboxing class, pouring sweat, with a beet red face....and only burned 300-400 or so calories. Bah! Still, it's fun and it's calories.

/jealous

I know, right? Just because we burn less doesn't mean we don't work hard. But it does get frustrating...