Elliptical trainer or Polar FT4 HRM?

parias1126
parias1126 Posts: 64 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just joined a gym recently. I'm using a Life Fitness elliptical at the gym which asks for me to input my weight, age, and amount of time I want to workout. I also wear my HRM which is a Polar FT4. The elliptical tracks my heartrate the entire time I'm working out. I'm confused though. The elliptical always says I burn almost double what the HRM says I have burned. They both work off of my heart rate and the elliptical stays right in tune with the HRM the entire time. Isn't your heart rate, weight, age, etc how both would calculate your calories burned? I don't understand why the numbers would differentiate as drastically as they do.

Replies

  • jealous_loser
    jealous_loser Posts: 395
    I am assuming the FT4 takes into account gender and height where the elliptical does not? That would make the HRM more accurate than the elliptical.
  • kingvan
    kingvan Posts: 9
    Everyone is different and the reading from the elliptical won't be as accurate as the HRM, which is in constant contact with your body during the workout to track all the subtle changes that could take place. I would rely on the HRM for accuracy. That, and I'd rather take the lower calorie burn number to avoid accidentally over-eating and ruining my workouts. Just my opinion and logic though.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I am assuming the FT4 takes into account gender and height where the elliptical does not? That would make the HRM more accurate than the elliptical.

    This, exactly. Your HRM has way more data on you then the machine does and therefore is more accurate. I think most are calibrated for men and they tend to burn calories at a higher rate due to more muscle mass.
  • eyesontheprize13
    eyesontheprize13 Posts: 30
    I alo have a Polar FT4 and I rely on that for my information. Your HRM knows pretty much everything about you, and I once had a friend of mine who is also a trainer telll me that ellipticals and other cardio machines are perfect tells if you're a 40 yr old man. Your HRM is on your heart, I'd trust that.

    It's frustrating when the elliptical calories are double, but trust your HRM.
  • rebasporty
    rebasporty Posts: 287 Member
    HRM for sure...the calorie count on the machines are not accurate. Since I got my HRM I have been losing steadily.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    If the cross trainer looks like this (the shape of the rear shroud--the colors might be different):

    CLSX_CrossTrainer_Hero.png

    Then the calorie count is overestimated -- by a good 25% -30%. Your Polar may be way off as well, but I know this model has an inflated number.
  • parias1126
    parias1126 Posts: 64 Member
    If the cross trainer looks like this (the shape of the rear shroud--the colors might be different):

    CLSX_CrossTrainer_Hero.png

    Then the calorie count is overestimated -- by a good 25% -30%. Your Polar may be way off as well, but I know this model has an inflated number.

    That would be the machine!
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    Elliptical trainers are wildly inaccurate. Most people don't burn anywhere close to what these machines say. An HRM is always more accurate then a machine or MFP or other online calculators...I put my height, age and weight minus 10 pounds into an elliptical and it said I was burning like 800 calories in an hour, HRM is always around 350-400 calories which makes perfect sense since it doesn't get my HR up anything like running does...I knew ellipticals were too good to be true because it felt easier than running but burned more...turns out it was just complete crap haha but yeah your HRM is more accurate. sorry! But if you listen to machine and eat back the EC"s you're eating back cals you didn't burn.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Elliptical trainers are wildly inaccurate. Most people don't burn anywhere close to what these machines say. An HRM is always more accurate then a machine or MFP or other online calculators...I put my height, age and weight minus 10 pounds into an elliptical and it said I was burning like 800 calories in an hour, HRM is always around 350-400 calories which makes perfect sense since it doesn't get my HR up anything like running does...I knew ellipticals were too good to be true because it felt easier than running but burned more...turns out it was just complete crap haha but yeah your HRM is more accurate. sorry! But if you listen to machine and eat back the EC"s you're eating back cals you didn't burn.

    A lot are, but not all. The LF model I showed before is a older design that is still very popular. Because of the age, it has older software with less accurate equation. It's expensive and time-consuming to develop machine-specific algorithms. Life Fitness does it on their newer models - and those can be quite accurate, much more accurate than a HRM.

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