Jillian Michaels' Formula for Calories Burned

quinl1lr
quinl1lr Posts: 11 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been scouring the message boards recently to find out how many calories are burned during Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (level 1). It seems to be the answer of choice is, get a Heart Rate Monitor. Well, I do not own one, nor do I have it in the budget to purchase one (broke grad student and all). However, after giving into googling a solution, I found an interesting formula from Jillian herself. It goes like this...


" It's all relative to your age, body weight, height, gender, and so on. The general rule of thumb is, for every 25 pounds of weight you have on your frame, you will burn an additional 50 calories an hour provided you work out at the same intensity for the entire hour.

For example, I weigh 120 pounds — which is almost 5 groups of 25 pounds — so if I multiply 50 calories by 5 for 250 calories, then divide that per-hour amount by 60 it comes out to slightly more than 4 calories a minute." - Jillian Michaels


ie: Someone weighing 200lb, (200 / 25 = 8) that's 8 groups of 25lb, so...... 50 additional calories x 8 = 400 calories,
THEN 400 / 60 minutes = 6.7 calories are burned a minute (I rounded up from 6.666666666)

Yes, those who have more to loose have higher calorie burn (you're moving more mass which equates to more force and effort that results in great amounts of calories being burned).

My challenge/ question:

1. To all those with HRM, based on your equipment reading do the calories come close to the formula? (obviously use your own weight and time to find your calories per minute)

2. To all those without HRM, does this formula come close to either MFP calorie count? OR if you use a machine with a calorie burn tracker, does it match your calories burned per minute?


Good luck! I'm very excited to hear the results.

~Lauren
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Replies

  • awerewka
    awerewka Posts: 151 Member
    I am doing the shred using a HRM and I am 225 pounds. I am burning 200-230 in the 27 minutes.
  • jamacattack
    jamacattack Posts: 94 Member
    400/60 = 6.6666 not 66.6666 so therefore if you round up 7 calories a minutes.
  • quinl1lr
    quinl1lr Posts: 11 Member
    Just noticed the math error. Thanks
  • jamacattack
    jamacattack Posts: 94 Member
    Just noticed the math error. Thanks

    And I just noticed my typo, lol. minute not minutes! :)
  • LERadicalDreamer
    LERadicalDreamer Posts: 61 Member
    I am 126, and I am burning 210ish calories according to my HRM.
  • bcl003
    bcl003 Posts: 331 Member
    I seem to burn about 100 calories more than this formula tells me according to my HRM...
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I'm not 100% sure I'm doing my math right

    I'm 132 pounds. 130/25= 5.2 5.2x50= 260 260/60= 4.3 calories per minute

    According to my HRM (Polar FT4) I burned 285 calories doing 36 minutes of Jillian's Body Revolution this morning, which would be 7.9 calories per minute. This was varying intensity, with my HR ranging from 120-180.

    When I was doing 30DS I was getting a burn of 10 calories per minute.

    Based on this and assuming I did the math right, I think her formula number is pretty low for anything of moderate to high intensity.

    My resting heart rate ranges from 55-60bpm, so I do think I am pretty fit. My HRM is set to account for my fitness level also, so I actually get a lower number than back before I programmed it to account for fitness.
  • elelat
    elelat Posts: 117
    I'm 5'10, 184lbs and according to my HRM I burn from 8-10 calories per minute.
    It really depends on the effort I put in.

    So according to Jullian it would be
    184/20 = 9
    9x50 = 450
    450/60 = 7.5 cals

    I burn way more than 450 calories in 1 hr at the gym.
  • Derinq
    Derinq Posts: 52 Member
    I weigh around 169lbs and I burned 260 doing the shred yesterday - I think it depends on the intensity of the workout too :)
  • LindseySprake
    LindseySprake Posts: 333 Member
    I think 'Intensity' is the key word.

    As per that calculation, I should burn about 274 cals per hour (I weigh 137lbs)

    According to my HRM I genrally do between:
    200-250 cals in a 60 min yoga class (low intensity)
    450-500 cals in a 60 min step class (high intensity)

    Having never done 30 Shred I don't know how intense it is.
    Perhaps that calculation is based on low-moderate intensity exercises?

    Hope this helps :)
  • quinl1lr
    quinl1lr Posts: 11 Member
    I fully agree with the addition of "intensity" to the picture. I'm thinking that the general idea of the post was missed, it was more of a way to get people involved in how many calories are actually being burned in their workout and how we can accurately track them. The problem is it depends on who you talk to, what equipment you use, and how hard you push yourself. I've run into a great many people who think that whatever gives them the biggest number for calories burned is correct. That's not always the case, and more than likely the number is off.
    Everyone that add the gender/age/weight/length of time/ intensity is completely correct. There's so many extra factors that must be equated. How to properly equate intensity is dependent on to who you talk to and that's a whole other extended conversation.
    But, all in all, I'm happy to see people are trying the formula. Sad to see it seems to be quite under the estimated calories burned.
  • AnarchyCupcakes
    AnarchyCupcakes Posts: 18
    This was actually very helpful for me, thank you!
  • nikkidevin
    nikkidevin Posts: 4 Member
    This was helpful to me. I just joined and use Jillians 30 day shred. At least this way I have something to base counting calories on until I can get a heart monitor. Thanks.
  • goldied01
    goldied01 Posts: 149 Member
    When using my treadmill, it says that I burn a little over 400 calories when I do interval training for 60 minutes (including warm up and cool down.) I'm 175lbs. So, when I add it at the end of the day, I put 300 calories burned in case of any discrepancies. It seems to work and I am losing weight. :wink:
  • kamkoolot
    kamkoolot Posts: 10 Member
    I'd rather under count my burned calories than over count it. That's just me. :)
  • megot78
    megot78 Posts: 31 Member
    bump
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    I'm too lazy to bother calculating or using a HRM, so whenever I do one of Jillian's videos on my non-run days (I mostly do Shred it With Weights or Killer Abs, but throw in 30 Day Shred once in a while) I just choose 'Circuit training' in the MFP library and it tells me that I burn 229 calories in 30 minutes. I know that number is inflated (I'm only 123 lbs) , but I figure that it's a decent rough estimate. I don't eat my exercise calories back, so I'm not overly concerned.
  • Lisa2bHappy
    Lisa2bHappy Posts: 107
    @ OP... I love this thread :-P thanx
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I find that logging it as circuit training (which is what most people without HRM's do) is way off. Both my bodymedia and my HRM have me at a 220 burn for Shred, while MFP circuit training log was telling me 388.
  • traykaye
    traykaye Posts: 2
    I'm new to this, so it may sound dumb.:( but what's
    Hmr?
  • traykaye
    traykaye Posts: 2
    I recently started the Jillian Michaels 30day shred
    And wasn't sure how to enter the calories burned,
    Into my fitness pal.
  • Three4MeNHim
    Three4MeNHim Posts: 43
    I just bought a heart rate monitor (watch) on ebay for $6.22 including shipping. No idea if it will work well or not but I thought I'd try it out.

    Until it arrives, I'm estimating my calories burned at 200.
  • kasunic0602
    kasunic0602 Posts: 1
    I'd rather under count my burned calories than over count it. That's just me. :)


    AGREE
  • lemonfizzle
    lemonfizzle Posts: 40 Member
    This is interesting. I would love to hear more respiinses.
  • zaxaz
    zaxaz Posts: 32 Member
    I'm new to this, so it may sound dumb.:( but what's
    Hmr?


    Heart rate monitor
  • leeann1973
    leeann1973 Posts: 1 Member
    I found that when working out at the gym on a treadmill or eliptacal they both give an average of 9 to 11 cal burned per a minute. I wasn't sure how to calculate my calories for jullian micheals shred it with weights so I just did 10 cal per a minute * 30 = 300 cal but no I'am thinking maybe it's a few cal over. All though I had to struggle for some of the workout.
  • tooliebell
    tooliebell Posts: 177 Member
    According to my HRM,I burn on average 230 calories in the 25 minute video. This has been pretty consistent through all 3 levels, with level 2 being a bit higher at times.

    Yes, intenisty is a huge issue. I was dog butt tired one night I did it and I know my intensity level was much lower, and it showed in my calories burned.

    My stats are 5'8" and 170lbs.
  • LydJax
    LydJax Posts: 1 Member
    This was very helpful! Thanks!
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    There is a 30DayShred group that started Monday, there was a formula given (from Jillian Michaels) ... I worked it out and got a calculated burn of about 185 (I'm 5"6, 168 pounds). I've done it four times now, with a HRM, twice I got about that (183, 180) and twice I got a bit lower (143, 145) ... I really feel like I'm giving it my full intensity ... I feel like I'm coming in lower than everyone else though!

    My Fitbit only credits me 138, but it's going off steps only, so that isn't surprising.
  • hungryhobbit1
    hungryhobbit1 Posts: 259 Member
    You still need to factor in intensity and your fitness level. According to the formula I would burn 346 calories in an hour, but usually I come closer to 450 (according to my HRM) if I'm exercising at peak intensity. I don't know if 30 day shred would be peak intensity, as I've only done it once and that was a while ago. As I exercise more and get into better shape, I find I'm burning fewer calories an hour even if I ratchet the intensity all the way up.

    The HRM was totally worth $70.
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