Elliptical calories burned??

mjestano

I'm having trouble figuring out how many calories I'm really burning on the elliptical.

I use the workout room at my apartment building and the elliptical is an older Sohn model without arm movement. I go for 45 minutes on level 6, at a pretty moderate pace (I'm 5'7" and 186 lbs, and it's enough exertion so that I can carry on a conversation but not enough breath to sing).

The machine tells me I burned about 215 - 230 calories depending on my pace, but MFP is telling me that 45 minutes is 571 calories! The machine's estimate seems too low, and MFP's seems way too high. I "feel" like I'm probably burning somewhere just under 400 calories, because 45 minutes on the treadmill at 4.5mph (a brisk walk for me) gives me a little over 400 calories - a number that the treadmill (a newer model) and MFP agree on.

I've been trying to split the difference and track my elliptical workouts as 30 minutes on MFP instead of the 45 I'm actually doing, which puts the calories burned at 380.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks!!
MJE

AvsFreak

Usually, regardless of the machine or exercise, they say if you are putting in a vigorous effort and getting up a good sweat, you can expect to burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes.

If you're just using the recumbent bike while reading a book or texting, (like I see people doing all the time) I would expect the calorie burn to be lower.

twinsmom7602

I have often wondered this myself, as I have a 300 cal and 150 cal option. 150 is 15 minutes, and 300 is 30 minutes.
My HRM says way less when I wear it though??!! MFP says more than my HRM???!! It gets so confusing. PS. My HRM and Phone App are pretty accurate when used together.. Go figure.

Liftnlove

I'm having trouble figuring out how many calories I'm really burning on the elliptical.

I use the workout room at my apartment building and the elliptical is an older Sohn model without arm movement. I go for 45 minutes on level 6, at a pretty moderate pace (I'm 5'7" and 186 lbs, and it's enough exertion so that I can carry on a conversation but not enough breath to sing).

The machine tells me I burned about 215 - 230 calories depending on my pace, but MFP is telling me that 45 minutes is 571 calories! The machine's estimate seems too low, and MFP's seems way too high. I "feel" like I'm probably burning somewhere just under 400 calories, because 45 minutes on the treadmill at 4.5mph (a brisk walk for me) gives me a little over 400 calories - a number that the treadmill (a newer model) and MFP agree on.

I've been trying to split the difference and track my elliptical workouts as 30 minutes on MFP instead of the 45 I'm actually doing, which puts the calories burned at 380.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks!!
MJE

I think that sounds totally reasonable. I do the elliptical a lot myself, and I think at your weight, with the exertion you say you're putting in, 400 cals for 45 minutes sounds about right. You could always buy a heart rate monitor if you want a more accurate reading, but I've never messed with that myself. I think guesstimating and using common sense works about as well, and I don't want a sweaty chest strap to have to deal with.

OwenStubbs

I use a Polar FT-60 HRM. I am 5-7", male, 174 lbs, 49years old. I use an eliptical 3-4x/week. I guess I could carry on a conversation, but only in brief sentences... My heart rate averages around 120-125. 3-4 times during my workout, I increase the resistance and my pace to the point that I get my heart rate up into the 150's and keep it there for several minutes before backing down. it takes me nearly an hour to reach 400 calories burned. I have reached 400 calories burned in 45-50 minutes, but that is a faster overall pace/resistance. The machines I use at my gym will register as much as 700-900 calories burned, which is ridiculous.

There is a pretty big difference in calories burned in an hour from a heart rate of 115 to a heart rate of 135... Maybe your machine is not too far off with mid-200's for calorie burn in 45 minutes at your pace... its probably a little higher, but I doubt it is 400-500 range in just 45 minutes given your description.

mjestano

My HR is usually somewhere between 130 and 170 when I really get going.

mmmmaureen

I weigh 260 lbs and I go on the elliptical every morning for about 15 minutes or 3 km and I do one of their preset programs and it says I only burn 67 calories and I work up quite a sweat. My friend says she walks for 10 min at a leisurely pace and burns about 220. I feel like I should be burning more. So am I or is that about right?