Can you burn 1200+ calories on an Elliptical machine..

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  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Sooooo glad that I found this!

    I decided to wear my HRM at the gym for the first time since I started going back a month ago.

    I am 205lbs, my workout was week 4 day 3 of C25K (which I was all over the place on MPH during the running portion but basically all in between 4.8 to 5.6 and at 4.0 for walking) and then I did 40 minutes of upper body weights, 8 different exercises.

    My HRM says I burned 1238 calories and then MFP says 584.
    When I was on the treadmill during walking, I did bring it down to 3.9 a couple of times(because the machine will not go into HRM mode at 4mph or more) and used the HRM on the machine to see if it was the same as what was showing on my HRM and the numbers were exactly the same.

    The problem is that you continued to use the HRM during your weight training. Even though your HR might stay elevated during strength training, you are not burning the same extra calories you do running (don't have time to explain why--you'll have to trust me on this). So your number is significantly inflated.

    I don't know if the MFP number is any better, since I don't know how you logged the workout. As a rule, MFP is going to struggle with interval type workouts because the intensity is changing. I will say that the MFP number is a LOT closer to reality than your HRM in this particular case.
  • netsirk12
    netsirk12 Posts: 220 Member
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    when i was 240 i was burning about 10 calories a min on the elliptical! go with MFP!
  • imsocorkyy
    imsocorkyy Posts: 18
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    The elliptical at my gym keeps track of your heart rate... there's a HRM on it... sooo... I think I'm good? If I'm not, please correct me. I don't want to think differently and be wrong in how much calories I've burned all this time...

    And I find that the MFP elliptical measurement is weird... wouldn't it be hard to gauge how much calories you burned if you don't know the speed you ran at the whole time? And yes, I know that elliptical speeds change pretty often depending on your consistency and such through the workout. Another reason why I don't use MFP... Time can't be the only way to measure... I would only trust the actual machine or a gear you wear to record the calories you've burned... not this site.
  • Jen16226
    Jen16226 Posts: 20 Member
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    I think I get it with the wearing it during weights. I guess it is a *duh* moment there.

    I did go with the MFP estimate just because I thought it was a heck of a lot closer to reality. LOL But we will see how it goes tomorrow when I do cardio!
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
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    I do 35 minutes on it and five is cool down I burn a little over 300 calories so it does average about ten a minute. When I had one at home it was about the same.
  • long4theocean
    long4theocean Posts: 46 Member
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    I don't know if that is possible in 30 minutes. You would have to have the resistance level very high and go very fast. We own a gym and I burn about 440 in 40 minutes at a flucuation of resistance between 25 and 30 and that is with my weight entered into the machine. I think the only true way to know is to wear a heart rate monitor. ON MFP I think they rate a lot of the activities high in calories. Not sure though, just my opinion.
  • MaryBowen27
    MaryBowen27 Posts: 132
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    So if I can't believe the silly machine and I can't believe MFP.. what the heck?

    MFP said I burned 400 something in the same 30 mins!

    Your best bet is to get a heart rate monitor which will be tailored to your age, size, weight and of course heart rate. One person doing 30 mins on the elliptical can be worlds different than someone else based on a number of factors. MFP is generally close-ish, but without a HRM you need to take MFP and exercise machines with a grain of salt.
  • marbly
    marbly Posts: 103
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    I was so disappointed the first time I wore my HRM on the elliptical.

    30 minutes the machine said 350. I was working hard, thought that sounded fair. HRM said only 150 :sad:

    I've been there!!!

    I had a previous HRM that did not show cal burn so I used the online calculator. I was absolutely horrified when I bought a new HRM which gave me the cal burn info of abt 30-40% less than what the online calculator gave me.
  • donrdon
    donrdon Posts: 216 Member
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    I'll put an hour on the elliptical and it will read anywhere from 1100-1250 for calories burned, I go with my HRM at around 450-500.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    The elliptical at my gym keeps track of your heart rate... there's a HRM on it... sooo... I think I'm good? If I'm not, please correct me. I don't want to think differently and be wrong in how much calories I've burned all this time...

    And I find that the MFP elliptical measurement is weird... wouldn't it be hard to gauge how much calories you burned if you don't know the speed you ran at the whole time? And yes, I know that elliptical speeds change pretty often depending on your consistency and such through the workout. Another reason why I don't use MFP... Time can't be the only way to measure... I would only trust the actual machine or a gear you wear to record the calories you've burned... not this site.

    Unfortunately, with very few exceptions, elliptical cross trainers have unreliable calorie readouts. The fact that the cross trainer has a heart rate readout means nothing--the heart rate display is completely separate from the calorie display.

    If you can measure the actual workload of a machine, then heart rate is irrelevant. That's why the machine doesn't require heart rate interaction to estimate calories. That works fine on treadmills and some bikes. However, with cross trainers/ellipticals, there is no standard movement--every brand and often every model within a brand has a different movement. Therefore, there is no common, accurate equation that can be used for all machines --like there is for treadmill and bikes. The only way for a manufacturer to accurately estimate calories burned on an elliptical is to do oxygen uptake validation studies on the equipment and develop their own machine-specific algorithms. That's not easy and it's not cheap. Most manufacturers do not have the resources to do it, nor the desire. It is easier to just copy a calculation from something else and apply it to the cross trainer--who's going to really know? There are only one or two cross trainer models out there that I know give reliable calorie readouts--more accurate than an HRM. But while they come from a big manufacturer, they are not commonly found in most health clubs.

    MFP is even worse in that it is using rough averages from a bunch of different machines. So while I often urge that people not place too much faith in HRM calorie readouts, a better-grade model like a Polar, properly set up, is probably going to give the best estimates on most elliptical cross trainers.
  • jammasterduggs
    jammasterduggs Posts: 54
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    quick tip , try different machines which measure your calorie burn over 10 - 15 minutes.

    then get back onto your machine..


    do you feel the same burn in your lungs, lactic acid burn in your muscles and feel like youve worked out at the same level?

    i hope a law of averages would bring that 1,200.00 down to a more reasonable figure
  • katie2786
    katie2786 Posts: 1
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    I'm 5'3" and 170. Just did 1.5 hours plus on the elliptical and it said I burned 1239. I hit it pretty hard on and off for the first hour and then took it easy the last half an hour. Sounds like your machine is pretty off. I'm hoping mine is in the ball park!
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    A lot of machines tend to REALLY overestimate how many you burn. Just to put it in perspective, I typically burn a little under 100 calories running a mile, and I run about a 9:30 mile (but I'm only 130lbs). I had to literally run a half marathon before I crossed the 1200 calorie mark, and it took my 2:15. So I HIGHLY doubt you're burning that much in such a short period of time.
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
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    My bigger question there was the METs.. 26 METs is INSANE.

    I think I've accomplished 22-23 METs on the treadmill a time or two for about a 30 second interval.

    Lately with very high effort I can keep a bit above a 15 cal/min effort according to the machines at my gym, and this is at 180lbs.. that 450 estimate is probably a lot closer for a half hour!
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    yes you can, but i think in 30 minutes it might be very well over estimating... i ride the elliptical for an hour, and burn 800 cals (im 200.3 pounds)... there have been times when i rode for an hour and a half , and burnt right around 1200... but never in 30 minutes! id be weary of eating back those calories!
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    unlikely; a quality heart rate monitor is the only accurate measure...
  • merapp9
    merapp9 Posts: 153 Member
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    I do the elliptical all the time...for an hour. I weight 193...in that hour I usually burn 700 calories...so agreeing with most of the above...the machine is whack!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    ..in half an hour? Is this possible?


    Today I went for:

    30 mins

    @ 450 watts 26.2 mets

    I'm 203 lbs

    & the Elliptical said I burned 1278 calories...

    Again, is this possible or is my machine whack?
    In 30 minutes? Nah. Calibration of the machine is way off. That's like a FULL SPRINT for 30 minutes.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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