How acurrate are the cardio machines when they tell you calo

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lessjess1
lessjess1 Posts: 71 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work out on the TRUE brand machines. It estimates around 280 calories burned on the elliptical (hill intervals, level 5) in 30 minutes or around 320 calories burned in 30 mins on the treadmill (12% incline at 3.5 mph). Does that sound right?

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  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Do you enter in your gender, age and weight in the machine? If not they are probably not that accurate. If you don't have a HRM I would use the lower of what MFP or the machine says.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    I've always wondered this.. Most machines ask for your weight for better carlorie count.. but there are so many other factors to consider as well.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    Even when entering my information into the machine I get up to 40% different in what my HRM records.
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Even when I enter my weight and age on the machines it's usually anywhere from 10-50 calories off. It usually doesn't know if you are male or female. My best suggestion would be to invest in a HRM if you are able to. Best investment I ever made!
  • lessjess1
    lessjess1 Posts: 71 Member
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    Actually I do have a HRM. But I didn't know it would tell me calories burned? Does it?!
  • lessjess1
    lessjess1 Posts: 71 Member
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    I have the POLAR CE0537
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    I can't seem to find that one online, I googled but no luck. I have the F6 and it does track calories. In my experience, even with entering height weight the machines at the gym overestimate by 25-30%, even though many use POlar brand HRMs built in.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    Ok, I just looked at mine and both the chest strap and watch say CE 0537, I am not sure what that means, I have the Polar F6, its written on the back of the watch towards the top. Is this what you have? if so, yes it does calorie count. Read the manual for whatever watch you have.
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
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    when i put in my weight age and gender the treadmill I use (lifefitness) tells me that I've burned close to 900 calories in 30 mins. I know from the calculators and experience with my own calorie tracking that I really only burned about 400 above and beyond my normal BMR. So now on the machine I put my weight in at 160lbs and found that the rate it gives me is more accurate than when I tell it my real weight (215).

    so not accurate at all!

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