Karate

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fatboyliz
fatboyliz Posts: 515 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone think that the numbers for calories burned are a little off for this? I have been plating with a heart rate monitor and find I burn around 350 in a 2 hour class. Obviously if you were constantly fighting you'd burn more, but when it's basics and kata it isn't as vigorous...I wondered if anyone else has any thoughts or experience of this? Doubting my heart rate monitor a bit. Hm.

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  • greengoddess0123
    greengoddess0123 Posts: 417 Member
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    When I log my taekwondo class, the count is insanely high, like almost 700 calories. I'm pretty sure I don't burn that much, so I knock off 200-300 calories off of it, depending on how strenuous class was. I definitely don't eat all those calories back. :smile:

    I'm assuming the count is if you were sparring constantly for that time.

    ETA: I don't use a HRM, but when I used a fitbit, it gave me about 350 for that hour. I always thought the burn was a little higher than that, since there's a lot of non-step activity that happens in class. I'd say trust your HRM, unless you encounter a problem losing.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    350 for two hours and high to you? Either way, we can't say what you're burning in a class that we've never seen. Just use your best judgement.

    And make sure you're on time for class.
  • yc4king
    yc4king Posts: 117 Member
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    Heart rate monitors aren't for counting calories, they're for tracking your heart rate :P That's all you should be using it for.
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    Agreed. My class is very traditional - mostly basics and kata. I wore my HRM once on the QT and barely registered 200 cals for the hour, including warm-up and post-workout stretching. I usually log 150-200 cals for the hour, depending on how strenuous the class was. If your class is faster-paced and includes more sparring, you'd burn more. Of course, if you're younger (I'm 52) and male, you'll likely burn more.

    I never use MFP's recommended cal burns - they're always way too high for me. I either use my HRM or cut the cals in half.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    350 for 2 hours doesn't sound like a lot.
    depending on your instructor and level of motivation of course...

    from what i remember from the days when i took karate, i would expect the warmup before and the strength training at the end to account for about 200 calories - plus however much you put into the actual practice - but again, that totally depends on the class/instructor/effort, and it's just an estimate based on memory (oh so accurate, i know).
  • greengoddess0123
    greengoddess0123 Posts: 417 Member
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    350 for two hours and high to you? Either way, we can't say what you're burning in a class that we've never seen. Just use your best judgement.

    And make sure you're on time for class.


    Ooo, I didn't see the 2 hour part. That does seem like a low count. I know my sabumnim likes us to work -- I'm always drenched in sweat and exhausted after class (we do at least 30 minutes of conditioning drills and speed/bag work). I feel like it's an equivalent burn to the step aerobics I occasionally do, about 300-400 calories per hour (again, depending on my perceived exertion).

    Also, DavPul, the "be on time for class" cracked me up. I definitely spent too much time on the forums yesterday. :laugh:
  • fatboyliz
    fatboyliz Posts: 515 Member
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    Thanks all! All interesting and helpful replies :)

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