How many calories does an eliptical really burn????

Options
IRONMANT2015
IRONMANT2015 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on this program since Nov 11th. I thought I was doing really good. My favorite machine at the gym is the eliptical and I am on that thing everyday!!! I have been using the calorie counter on the machine to imput into my fitness pal. I thought I was doing great at burning over 700 calories in 1 hour!! I always pushed myself harder to get higher numbers. Today, I was having a conversation with one of the ladies at the gym and she laughed when I said how proud I was for hitting 700 calories in a workout. Is my thinking incorrect? Does an hour on the eliptical not burn 700 calories??? I want to do this properly, so if there is anyone out there who can straighten this out for me, I would so appreciate it!!!
I do know the machine I use is not to old, but it does not have the moving arms. I do that all on my own. :-)
Please help with any suggestions.
Thanks
T~:smile:
«134

Replies

  • Arienna
    Arienna Posts: 913
    Options
    You can burn quite a few calories on the elliptical but it all depends on your heart rate. The only truly accurate way to know is to wear a Heart Rate Monitor. It depends on how fast you go, the resistance, upper body movement..it varies a lot
  • abredbenner
    abredbenner Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    I just checked the elliptical on here and it says just over 600 calories for 30 minutes.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    Options
    I have been using my elliptical every day for 20-25 mins depending (trying to build myself up to it after having not used it for AGES!!)
    And I mine says I burn 250 when I use it for 20 mins and I burnt 300 when I did 25 mins. I've always thought it was right...lol
  • ckehoe89
    ckehoe89 Posts: 144 Member
    Options
    I use an elliptical at my gym and I work out for about 45 minutes. I really work hard and lose about 400 calories.
  • DaveyGravy
    DaveyGravy Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    It depends on your weight a lot as well - are you entering your weight into the machine before you use it? Somebody who weighs 130lbs, for example, won't burn as many calories as somebody who weighs 200lbs. Also, it can only ever be a guide in the gym as it's never 100% accurate, too many factors to be taken into consideration. Using the guide amount from the gym is good enough for me though!
  • Miss_Chievous_wechange
    Miss_Chievous_wechange Posts: 1,230 Member
    Options
    I consistently use an elliptical at my gym for an hour each day and it says I burn 700 calories in that hour. However, by the time I'm finished, I'm pouring sweat so I know my heartrate is up there. My goal is to burn 100 calories or more every 10 minutes.
  • Carleybby
    Carleybby Posts: 158
    Options
    Mine pretty much says 10 minutes - 100 calories.
  • cc_campbell81
    cc_campbell81 Posts: 622
    Options
    Also what your weight and fitness level are can affect how much you burn. My husband is about a foot taller and 100lbs more than me and he burns more calories doing the same exercises that I do. As you get closer to your goal and more fit you body doesn't have to work as hard to do the same stuff. So if the woman at the gym was in really good shape she may burn way less than you.
  • jrenaldo
    jrenaldo Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I had been wondering the same thing. I have read that the calories burned readout on cardio equipment is over estimated up to 30%. I did an experiment with my heart rate monitor and it said I burned 386 calories in an hour while the machine said 650. So unfortunately, I have had to increase the amount of cardio I do to reach my 800 calorie goal. Definitely not the news I was looking for!
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    Options
    the machines don't have your heart rate, your height, or your gender, so they're rarely right.

    the best indication is a heart rate monitor. aside form that, when your entering your weight, always enter 10 pounds lighter than you actually are, and then subtract 20-25% of the calories from the final number,
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    Options
    Today I did 30 minutes (working hard!) and burned 275 calories according to my HRM. The machine said I burned over 300.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    Another thing to remember that even if the 700 is right, that in that hour you would have burn calories at rest. Even if the machine was right that you burned 700, you have to minus off the cals you would have burned anyway or you are double counting those calories. As an example if you burn 2 calories per minute at rest then the cardio machine says 700 you only burned 580 extra that you would not have burned otherwise so in this example you wold enter 580 not 700 in MFP.
    580 comes from (700 - 120(2*60min)). Hope this helps. This applies even when you calculate using your HRM.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    Options
    I agree with everyone else. Get a HRM, while I doubt they are 100% accurate, they are more accurate than the machine.

    Also, one other misconception is the amount you sweat is not an indicator of calories burned, or effort....it just means your body was trying to cool you off.
  • jenn_in_sj
    jenn_in_sj Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    I usually try to estimate my calorie burn on the elliptical because I find the machine count is usually way off. For a person around my weight ... FAST running burns around 10 cal per minute and walking is about 5 or 6 per minute so it depends on how hard I work on the elliptical. I usually do at least a level 5 resistance and wind up sweating a TON. If my heart rate is up the whole time and I'm sweating like crazy and feel like I'm working hard then I estimate between 8 and 9 calories per minute. When it comes to entering my calories on mfp.com I always UNDER-estimate my calories by a little so that I don't go over my food calorie allowance for the day.
  • arasm
    arasm Posts: 65
    Options
    get a HRM & get one with a chest strap. I have a Polar F6 & it's great. Good luck.
  • jenn_in_sj
    jenn_in_sj Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    oh and try this website for calorie counts ... it's pretty acurate. www.caloriesperhour.com
    It's pretty acurate and they wouldn't even put the elliptical on their website for the longest time because they were having research done ont he calorie count and wanted to finish the study before they added it as an exercise to the site.
  • no_worries
    no_worries Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    I read in "Prevention" the "Flat Abs" issue "that elliptical trainers overestimate calorie burn by an average of 30%."

    The article suggests that you get a heart rate monitor since that will calculate how many calories you burn a little more accurately. I also find there is a big difference between machines at the gym and the stationary bike I have at home. I burn about 100 calories every 10 minutes, with every vigorous exercise, and the machines at the gym tell me that I burn WAY more.

    Remember, gyms want your buisness!
  • OpalFruitJam
    OpalFruitJam Posts: 114 Member
    Options
    I went on one at the gym today that has a built in heart monitor. I also entered my weight.
    It said I burnt 275 in 45 mins. It is such a struggle. Ugh.
  • vrdz3215
    vrdz3215 Posts: 493
    Options
    my HRM always shows atleast a 100 or more cal less than the elliptical machine at the gym.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    Options
    the machines don't have your heart rate, your height, or your gender, so they're rarely right.

    the best indication is a heart rate monitor. aside form that, when your entering your weight, always enter 10 pounds lighter than you actually are, and then subtract 20-25% of the calories from the final number,

    My machine has a heart rate monitor on it...but not every one does I am sure.

Categories