950 calories in an hour on the eliptical machine?

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Bettyanne77
Bettyanne77 Posts: 42
in Fitness and Exercise
I currently weight 233lbs and if I go to my local gym and work out for 1 hour on the eliptical machine working pretty hard nd getting sweaty my polar HRM and the exercise calculator says I am burning close to 1000 calories in that hour? Can that really be true? If so I take it that it only works out like that while I am in the obese catagory and will reduce when I get down a few pounds and get fitter?

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  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,718 Member
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    Where have you got your heart rate to get such a big burn? I am around 200 lbs and I target a heart rate of 140-155 on the elliptical and it takes me 90 minutes to burn 800 according to my HRM. The machine reading gives me 30% more.
  • Edinburgh1986
    Edinburgh1986 Posts: 11
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    I weight around 220lbs and have been burning around 340/350 cals on the treadmill in 30 mins but that only 8 mins of running (C25K programme). Heart rate gets an average of 162-165 (maximum 181).

    So I would probably guess that as long as you're working relatively hard on the machine, 950 cals is probably right.

    Saying that...I have no idea how anyone can do even 15 mins on the elliptical. I wish I could do it but wimp out after like 2 minutes!!
  • GaloisGirl
    GaloisGirl Posts: 26 Member
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    Saying that...I have no idea how anyone can do even 15 mins on the elliptical. I wish I could do it but wimp out after like 2 minutes!!

    Music! ;)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I currently weight 233lbs and if I go to my local gym and work out for 1 hour on the eliptical machine working pretty hard nd getting sweaty my polar HRM and the exercise calculator says I am burning close to 1000 calories in that hour? Can that really be true?

    First question: in that same hour, can you go out and run 7 miles?
  • mheebner
    mheebner Posts: 285 Member
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    I use the same calories burned average as running, approximately 100/110 calories per mile. An hour on the elliptical my HRM always gives me about a 600-700 calorie burn, the machine always states somewhere in the 100 calorie per mile range, and MFP gives a ridiculous 1200 calorie burn.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Elliptical is about half the metabolic intensity of running, for same perceived effort. So a solid way to estimate, for those who are fit enough to run, is to take your running burn over the same length of time and dividing it by 2.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    Yes, it's possible, but you might not want to rely completely on it. Working on the elliptical can have about the same calorie burn as running. Of course, just as with running, how much you burn depends on how fast you go, as well as on how long you do it, and to burn 1000 calories in a hour you'd have to be going at a pretty good pace.

    Yes, the calories you burn will decrease as you lose weight, just as your BMR will decrease - that is true with any exercise.

    Here is a calorie burn calculator that I "believe" in: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc And I say "believe" because all calculators like this are based on assumptions, and can give only estimates.

    In any case, kudos to you for being able to stay on an elliptical for 60 minutes! :)
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
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    When I use the elliptical, I go for 65mins, interval program, high intensity. I am 5'8'' and 165lbs. I burn approx 700 cals in that time. Depending on your intensity (which you say is high), I think that could be accurate! and yes, your calorie burn will decrease the smaller you get :)
  • Bettyanne77
    Bettyanne77 Posts: 42
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    Thank you for all the feed back, my Heart rate is between 160 - 170 or there about, my resting heart rate is around 72 ish. I find the eliptical ok to use but I think my body weight might generate some momentum. Under the fat I have maybe still have a lot of muscle in my legs.

    To the person who asked if I can run 7 miles, no I can't at all, I'm just too heavy to run. I can get on the treadmill and walk up hill for hours at a brisk pace and really sweat but running I just can't do as I am still to heavy for my frame. The eliptical offeres me some support for my body weight I do understand it isn't as good as running fitness wise but I'm not yet at a place where I can do that.

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