Spinning - how many calories?

Brummig
Brummig Posts: 94
in Fitness and Exercise
So, trying new things and have just done my first spin class. According to MFP database 30 min class is less than 200 cals!!!! Is that right? Felt like more, but if that's it, it doesn't seem very efficient use of time in terms of cals burnt and in school hols every minute of gym time has to count! Any views?

Replies

  • ccvolleygirl78
    ccvolleygirl78 Posts: 6
    I spin once a week. Love it. How many calories you burn really depends on the settings you choose when you spin. More difficult you make the work out for yourself the more you will burn. I know this doesn't help much. I am out of breath and drenched when I finish so I know I am setting my bike to a difficult resistance. I think MFP estimates on the conservative side. So what I do is just take the calorie burn they say and very worst thing is I probably burned more. Most spin classes if you do them right have you burn 500 calories per hour. My class is 50 min. Never done a 30 min spin class so maybe 200 is right for 30 min?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Your calories expended will be a function of effort and time but 200 sounds low.

    There are a number of on-line calculators whereby you can enter age, weight, duration, intensity etc that will give you an estimate. Have you considered a heart rate monitor?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    My HRM shows about a 700-800 calorie burn for an hour spin class, but I go in there and get work done, so I try to keep my heart rate over 150 during the work.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    My HRM usually indicates about 600-700 calories in an hour of spinning...going pretty much full blast that whole hour...if I'm going a bit easier (but still working pretty hard) it's in the neighborhood of 400-500 so 200 for 30 minutes is completely plausable depending on intensity.

    People simply don't burn what they think they burn...this is why it is far more efficient to have a calorie deficit built into your diet rather than trying to build one with exercise. Use your diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.
  • REDMANIV
    REDMANIV Posts: 348 Member
    I am a part time spin instructor...I would recommend that you invest in a heart rate monitor. Using an HRM will take the guessing out of how many calories you have burned...also the monitor will help you know what zone you are working out in to maximize your workout time towards reaching your goals.


    To answer your question depending on your effort will determine how many calories you expended. : ) hope that helps!
  • fitpam90x
    fitpam90x Posts: 197 Member
    I do spinning 2-3 times a week and in a 45 minute class I burn around 400cal+ on the lower side and can burn up to 500 calories.
    When I log I use either my HRM data or instead of using spinning as exercise I log it as Stationary bike on moderate to vigorous effort. It all depends on how much you are giving it and yes like it was mentioned before, using a HRM would be a great idea so you can gauge exactly how much you are burning in a class.
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    In a 45 min class I burn between 300 and 350 calories.
  • Brummig
    Brummig Posts: 94
    Thanks for the info guys. To be fair as this was my first class I probably did burn less as I had no idea what I was doing - the instructor came over a few minutes in to tell me to increase the resistance as I obviously wasn't working hard enough!

    I don't rely on exercise calories to allow me to eat more, the exercise is for fitness but I do want to make it all count. I don't have a heart rate monitor. Useful as it would be in someways I think it would be dangerous as I obsess about enough things already. Also, as I can't get a home blood pressure monitor that can get any kind of accurate reading on me I don't hold much hope of a heart rate monitor doing better - my body is just weird like that!
  • mum2candd
    mum2candd Posts: 37
    I log mine as 30 mins stationary bike vigorous setting and MFP calculates it as 321 calories
  • Brummig
    Brummig Posts: 94
    Okay, really dumb question that I was too embarrassed to ask in the class. Only setting on bike seemed to be 'turn knob clockwise to increase resistance and anticlockwise to reduce". Because she said it was like a clock, as first I assumed it was one complete rotation so set it to 6 o clock assuming this was about the middle of the settings - that's when she told me I needed to up the resistance. I felt like I turned it several times without making much difference - how do I know where it should be? Does it do 10 full rotations, 5 or what? I didn't fiddle as much as I'd have liked, because I was very conscious of being at the front of the class and not wanting to stop!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Okay, really dumb question that I was too embarrassed to ask in the class. Only setting on bike seemed to be 'turn knob clockwise to increase resistance and anticlockwise to reduce". Because she said it was like a clock, as first I assumed it was one complete rotation so set it to 6 o clock assuming this was about the middle of the settings - that's when she told me I needed to up the resistance. I felt like I turned it several times without making much difference - how do I know where it should be? Does it do 10 full rotations, 5 or what? I didn't fiddle as much as I'd have liked, because I was very conscious of being at the front of the class and not wanting to stop!

    Not a dumb question at all.....

    The knob you're turning presses a felt pad against the flywheel creating friction which, in turn, increase the resistance on the bike.

    Some spinning bikes (especially if the pad that rubs against the flywheel isn't worn) are more sensitive than others and you can usually turn the knob several full rotations before putting on an undue amount of resistance. It's a matter of trial and error (and if you end up on a different bike next time it may be slightly different due to pad wear)
  • VanillaBeanSeed
    VanillaBeanSeed Posts: 562 Member
    Heart rate Monitor!! =))

    That being said, its all about the effort you put into it!

    In 30 mins, well, by the time you warm up and cool down, you might be burning only 200 cals.
  • Brummig
    Brummig Posts: 94
    Okay, really dumb question that I was too embarrassed to ask in the class. Only setting on bike seemed to be 'turn knob clockwise to increase resistance and anticlockwise to reduce". Because she said it was like a clock, as first I assumed it was one complete rotation so set it to 6 o clock assuming this was about the middle of the settings - that's when she told me I needed to up the resistance. I felt like I turned it several times without making much difference - how do I know where it should be? Does it do 10 full rotations, 5 or what? I didn't fiddle as much as I'd have liked, because I was very conscious of being at the front of the class and not wanting to stop!

    Not a dumb question at all.....

    The knob you're turning presses a felt pad against the flywheel creating friction which, in turn, increase the resistance on the bike.

    Some spinning bikes (especially if the pad that rubs against the flywheel isn't worn) are more sensitive than others and you can usually turn the knob several full rotations before putting on an undue amount of resistance. It's a matter of trial and error (and if you end up on a different bike next time it may be slightly different due to pad wear)

    Thank you for not making me feel like an idiot! I'll do some experimenting.
  • Brummig
    Brummig Posts: 94
    Okay, so yesterday I did a different spin class today - straight after a freestyle class (kind of got swept along with a few other people and the instructor!). It was badged as Tabata style (the 4 mins intense ...) OMG!!!!!! Definitely more calories burnt there - though I may not be allowed to do it again as I apparently worried the instructor when I collapsed on the bike at the end - didn't pass out totally. That will teach me not to fuel my body properly before a workout (Weetabix 4 hrs before does not cut out)
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
    I burnt 400 calories in a 30 minute interval. I am a small person too. It was more intense. 200 calories might be a more leisure ride. I like spinning; it burns way more than a traditional exercise bike.

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