calories burned during excercise.

I do insanity some days, and I do a jiu jitsu conditioning workout on other days that is roughly equivalent. I'm pretty fat these days, but I have a lot of muscle mass as well, particularly in my legs. I weigh 310 pounds, and most folks usually guess that I'm around 250. I don't know exactly how to calculate calories burned in one of my workouts. How are you folks coming up with your estimates. I put the activity in as 45 minutes doing "martial arts," and at my weight, the program estimated that I burned 928 calories.

Replies

  • travlinjess
    travlinjess Posts: 243 Member
    Well, sex and height will also factor in calories burned...which MFP does, but others here will need it if you're looking for comparisons.

    This is a hard thing to gauge because so much depends on factors you can't really measure on your own...such as what kind of shape you're in already and how much effort you're putting into it.

    The best tool to use to calculate calories burned is a Heart Rate Monitor.

    I just invested in one myself...waiting for it to arrive. You can find a decent one for $50-$100, and definitely go for one with a chest strap.

    I ordered the Polar FT4 and read that the strap is extremely comfortable.

    Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but good luck with it, and keep on working it like you are!! :)
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Get a HRM, that will give you the bets estimate for arobic activity. Be careful with estimates obtained form MFP, in the experience many of them tend to overestimate cals burned.

    Here is a website I go to form time to time to get estimates:

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
  • Bambalama
    Bambalama Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks. Yep. After some more intense googling, it looks like I need to get a heart monitor, and a food scale. Until then, I reckon I'll go with the estimate. It's a pretty intense workout, guided by a personal trainer who is a former collegiate gymnast who also goes to our BJJ academy. She makes Shawn T look like a pansy. I'm definitely going to order the monitor, though. Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it.
  • PXMike
    PXMike Posts: 94 Member
    I bought a MotoACTV a couple months ago and its bio-metrics are great. It basis each workout according to the exercise catagory, your height and weight, and your heart rate. My PT and I tested it against a clinical metabolic study and it was very accurate. I base all my calorie counts with it whether it be running, elliptical, weight training, whatever. It even has a mode that allows you to where it during the day either on your wrist or anywhere on your person and it will track your walking by steps, distance and calorie burn. Other than that I use a fitbit. Other than that, you can go to healthstatus.com. it has a very detailed calorie calculator that I'm told is very dependable. Enjoy those Workouts!
  • I second getting a heart rate monitor as it will track how you're doing as your exercising and can give you a more accurate reading on how many calories you're burning! It's a worthy investment (I myself just bought one). Definitely worth the $100 I paid for a Polar FT40, but there are cheaper ones that do the trick as well!
  • johnnylufc
    johnnylufc Posts: 39 Member
    heart rate monitor is the best thing you can buy . i have the polar ft7