Can 297 calories for 24 mins on the exercise bike be right?

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Replies

  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    I did my first hour of PowerRide cycle class this past Saturday. I had my Polar FT4 on and I weigh 240 pounds... I didn't have the resistance up as high as most of the folks in the class since I was new to this... but I did run through most of the standing, sitting, standing, sitting, fast cycle (60seconds), regular, fast, regular, .... you get my drift.... I burned 584 calories.

    Now there was another woman in the class who said she burned over 1000 calories... I beg to differ... especially because it wasn't her first class and she definitely weighs less than me (eyeing it up)... but she had a Timex HRM... and I've had a Times before... it DOES NOT give you accurate calorie burns. It will take an accurate Average Heart Rate for the time you work out though... and you can put that information into a website that will calculate your calorie burn.

    edited typo
  • hilarygeppert
    hilarygeppert Posts: 6
    Ah thanks everyone (and thanks for the good luck wishes Dara :) )

    I actually live in Germany so no Wallmart - we do have Aldi of course but they change their special promotions weekly, the only stuff they always have, week in week out, is the food and other basic groceries, so the odds on finding a heart rate monitor there are also low. I will try Amazon and get one if they have a reasonably priced one. Yep I am overweight Wendy so I guess that helps (nice it helps with something ;) ) and I will check the calculator website - can't scroll down far enough to check who suggested it, but thank you.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    There are lots of factors to consider, I burned more calories when I weighed more so it depends on your weight and the intensity at which you cycle, if you're building up a good heart rate and you're overweight it's very possible
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    If you under estimate you cant go wrong so put in light effort and see what that gives you! x :wink:
  • tonyamariepierce
    tonyamariepierce Posts: 42 Member
    i wear a hrm and it sounds right to me. i dont burn the calories biking that i do running. now i can increase my resistance for a better burn but its about what i burn for a 20 or 25 minute ride.
  • hilarygeppert
    hilarygeppert Posts: 6
    Depends on the intensity.

    It's possible but sounds a tad optimistic. It's not worth sweating over really (the number that is - not the exercise ;)

    :) Thing is that as I have decided to use MFP to track food I have also been inputting exercise into it, and it adds the calories burnt through exercise to the calorie allowance for the day, which is the main reason it matters if I am adding too many. I could just not add anything of course, but the idea of tracking makes sense to me, as a motivational tool and to just give me an idea of what I am doing right or wrong over all...
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    It depends on your weight, resistance level, heart rate, etc. It is very possible that you are burning what the machine says.

    Do you enter your weight into the machine before your workout? If you have that option, then it's more accurate. Most machines are calibrated for weight at around 150. If you weigh more, then you could be burning more. If you weigh less, then...you get the idea. Add in fitness level, and it gets trickier.

    It's all a guess, even with a HRM, so I always underestimate my calorie burn on the MFP diary by 10-15%. So far, that has worked for me.
  • Jo5ie
    Jo5ie Posts: 33 Member
    It doesn't matter what other people say they burn depending on their exercise. I agree the most accurate method to know is to buy a HRM however I appreciate the cost can be too much. I have a HRM and when I am on the treadmill it reads my heart rate properly but over estimates my calorie burn. The treadmill will say I've burnt 200 cals but my HRM says 150. I think MFP have calculated an average for their exercise database (I have read their response to this query before and it is quite scientific and will be specific for you and your weight). For some people this will be spot on and for others they will be wrong. It can't be accurate for everyone. Serioulsy though, is it that important to get it exact? You are working out and burning calories and getting fit!! You can choose to log all of it, half, or two thirds. Well done and keep it up!
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    I have been selecting the "general" category from the drop down next to the stationary bike option, but this suggests I have burned over 297 calories, which is a nice idea but I am not sure I believe it!

    Can anyone tell me whether it is likely I am burning 297 calories in a 24 minute session (its the auto programmed mixed gradient option on the bike, I assume that's relatively standard, and I select a medium difficulty and have to enter my weight so I assume it is adjusted accordingly)?

    Many thanks for any help!

    You could easily exceed that.

    Outdoors on a bike, I do about 1000 Cal/hr @ 150 lbs. You are doing 750/hr - well above a leisurely pace, but your not putting down 200 Watts.
  • RayLeone
    RayLeone Posts: 4 Member
    The calorie guide here is optimistic, use the calorie counter on the exercise equipment.

    For example the guide shows 789 calories burnt for 90 minutes of doubles tennis, just not possible.
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
    It is mathematically possible to burn that number of cals in that time, but as per previous posters, is unlikely. If you are using stuff in the gym, does it have panels where you can put your hands to check heart rate? e.g. in my gym part of the handlebars on the exercise bike are metal panels that you hold and it tells you how hard your heart is working.

    You can then put it in here http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

    to calculate how many calories you have burned

    My HRM is on the blink at the moment, new one on order, so I have been doing it that way.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Depends on your weight and intensity. A lot of factors go into calorie burn. I, at 140 pounds, can burn about 600 an hour on the elliptical if I push myself very hard. But the elliptcial is a pretty intense exercise.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    For me, 14mins is 125 calories (5km at a 85rpm on a medium resistance).

    So, 297 for 24minutes seems a little optimistic.

    Because everyone works just as hard as you and has the same results/experience as you?

    Provided for comparison... trolololol
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372

    For example the guide shows 789 calories burnt for 90 minutes of doubles tennis, just not possible.

    That depends on how rubbish your partner is ;-)
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I usually burn at this rate -10 cals a minute, at Zumba (based on my FT4 HRM) and I'm on my last 10 pounds, so it is possible. But until you get a HRM monitor (and what I used to do is) only count a half or two thirds of estimates you're given from machines and MFP, especially if you're eating back exercise cals. On my (cheap-*kitten*) stationary exercise bike at home I only burn 5 cals a minute on the biggest resistance setting. I work up a sweat too but I'm always dissappointed with how many cals I burn compared to Zumba, especially since it feels like such a chore. :P
  • hilarygeppert
    hilarygeppert Posts: 6
    Has anyone got a Pulse Sonic K920D Heart Rate Monitor Watch - they have then for 9.99 on Amazon UK - I am wondering whether there is any chance at all it is actually accurate for that price! The average review is 4 stars... but I'd love to hear if anyone has one??? If its likely to work I'll order one, as its a tenth of the price the ones my gym sells!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Keep in mind... whether you use MFP's numbers, the one on the gym machines, or an HRM... they are all still just calculations/estimates. There is no right answer. So if you're just looking for the cheapest HRM you can find, how much better do you think that estimate is going to be than any other?

    People talk about HRMs like they are the holy grail. They aren't. Are they a cool gadget? Sure. But at the end of the day you have to put in the time and do the work and figure out, based on how you choose to log, where your sweet spot is, such that you still perform well in your workouts, feel good day to day, and are seeing progress in your health/fitness/weight goals.

    IMO, pick one number, be consistent with it, log thoroughly for a month or so, then evaluate your results. If you are logging a deficit but gaining, chances are your estimates are wrong (eating more than you think and/or burning less than you think). If you are logging a surplus but losing, chances are your estimates are wrong (eating less than you think and/or burning more than you think).

    .
  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,736 Member
    The larger you are, the more calories you'll burn in general (mor eof you to move around). I ride a lot, too, and it's probalby a pretty close estimate.
  • EmzGetsFit
    EmzGetsFit Posts: 6
    Has anyone got a Pulse Sonic K920D Heart Rate Monitor Watch - they have then for 9.99 on Amazon UK - I am wondering whether there is any chance at all it is actually accurate for that price! The average review is 4 stars... but I'd love to hear if anyone has one??? If its likely to work I'll order one, as its a tenth of the price the ones my gym sells!

    I bought this one - it was good for a while but the battery ran out in a couple of months (I was only using it for an hour 3 times a week at most). Thats when I replaced it with the one from Aldi which had better reviews.

    Our Aldi does the same with offers as yours but on their website you can see whats coming up - they cycle the sames offers here so you can usually get something within a month or 2. Thats why I bought the one from Amazon because I didnt want to wait for Aldi to get in the Crane one I had been recommended - now I wish I'd just waited.
  • BIGGROSE
    BIGGROSE Posts: 6
    Yes. High intinsity, littleresistance. yep
  • Aniseedvan
    Aniseedvan Posts: 28 Member
    Keep in mind... whether you use MFP's numbers, the one on the gym machines, or an HRM... they are all still just calculations/estimates. There is no right answer. So if you're just looking for the cheapest HRM you can find, how much better do you think that estimate is going to be than any other?

    People talk about HRMs like they are the holy grail. They aren't. Are they a cool gadget? Sure. But at the end of the day you have to put in the time and do the work and figure out, based on how you choose to log, where your sweet spot is, such that you still perform well in your workouts, feel good day to day, and are seeing progress in your health/fitness/weight goals.

    IMO, pick one number, be consistent with it, log thoroughly for a month or so, then evaluate your results. If you are logging a deficit but gaining, chances are your estimates are wrong (eating more than you think and/or burning less than you think). If you are logging a surplus but losing, chances are your estimates are wrong (eating less than you think and/or burning more than you think).

    .

    This, don't beat yourself up about not affording a HRM just yet. Make sure you take body measurements as well as your weight, and monitor for a month.

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