Are exercise machines accurate???

Scoobies87
Scoobies87 Posts: 379
edited September 28 in Fitness and Exercise
So, I've been working pretty had doing an hours exercise a day. 40mins on the cross trainer burns 200 and 20 mins on the treadmill (walking, uphill) burns around 100.

However I have noticed other members burning considerably more in considerably less time then me on similar equipment and I am wondering if the exercise machines calculate the calories burnt accurately?

I am tempted to buy a HRM but is there a difference in accuracy??

Replies

  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
    HUGE difference. And HRM is specifically tailored to you- it takes into account your age, weight, and your heart rate. Machines don't take any of that into consideration (most anyway). I have found that there is a major difference between the machines I use and my HRM. MFP is a bit closer to accurate than machines, but still, an HRM will give you the most accurate calorie burn. Don't trust machines at all!
  • ten_bsb
    ten_bsb Posts: 5 Member
    The level that you set on the machine will make a huge difference in calories burned (ie a level 7 on the treadmill will burn more than a level 2). I don't have an answer for the machine accuracy, but that may be a reason that your numbers look different from other members. I'm abou to go on the elliptical...I may do a little expirement on the calories burned at different levels / 10 minute increment..
  • Sacredmaiden
    Sacredmaiden Posts: 17
    Hi there,

    I've often wondered the same thing. While I can't answer the question about your machine, I can take a guess at why you see such a difference in caloric burn. The intensity of your exercise impacts total calories a great deal. For instance, I burn about 10 calories a minute on my machine (avg workout being 35 minutes, with 5 minute cool down = 375 calories). However, my baseline is 5 resistence and 5 pitch. I do intervals that crank up to ~10 resistence (depending on the day) and 7-8 pitch (depending on which muscle group I'm targeting). If I do a more mellow workout, I burn way less calories.

    Hope this is helpful!
  • clpott19
    clpott19 Posts: 11
    I was tired of always guessing on my calories burned, so I bought a HRM. It uses my height/weight/ and heart rate to give me an accurate calorie burn. When comparing to my cardio machines, I burn MORE calories on my HRM && when using the generic exercise calculations on MFP, I burn LESS (since it doesn't take in consideration your age/weight/orHR).
  • chelekaz
    chelekaz Posts: 847 Member
    It depends, does the machine that you are using allow you to enter your height, weight, age, etc? Does it have the grips to hold to measure your heart rate? If so, I would say that is pretty accurate. I got an HRM for Christmas and found that it was relatively close to the machines.
  • sb_summer
    sb_summer Posts: 8
    They're more accurate when they let you input your weight and age. Also, the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn on any given machine, because it takes more energy to move more weight. So that might be part of the reason you're noticing that other people are burning more. Your pace also makes a big difference. I know if I run on the treadmill at around 7mph, I burn around 600 cals a minute. 5.5 mph burns considerably less.
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    It does read pulse but doesn't take into consideration age/weight etc. My mum uses the same equipment as me and according to that she has no pulse lol.

    So judging from what a lot of you have said it looks like I should at least try it! I work pretty intensely so maybe I am burning more...

    Does this mean I can have a chocolate bar now? :P
  • ten_bsb
    ten_bsb Posts: 5 Member
    So here are the results of my experiment:

    I did an interval program that adjust the incline and resistance every 4 minutes....the lower level burned ~ 28 calories in 4 minutes (or 7 calories/min), while the higher level burned 42 calories in 4 minutes (or 10.5 calories a minutes). That alone would equal an extra 105 calories burned over a 30 minute workout! (talk about an incentive to crank up those dials!) I wore a heart rate monitor, and found very little difference from what I normally get from the machine output; however as another member noted, the machine sophistication matters. This machine allows the user to enter weight and age and measures heart rate on the handle bars.
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    Wow thanks for that last reply! I will indeed crank my workout up a notch! The problem is after 3 years of laziness and smoking I am very unfit so I guessit will, like everything, have to be gradual. I will however up it to the next level now and see if I can handle it :-)

    x
  • Mekob25
    Mekob25 Posts: 88 Member
    What is this 'HRM' people are talking about?
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    Heart rate monitor

    x
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    My HRM is saving my life.
This discussion has been closed.

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