Calorie burn question

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tiggerluvzlots
tiggerluvzlots Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I workout out on my eliptical at resistance 5, and bump it up to resistance 8. I will workout on 8 for a minute then drop it back to 5. I do this several times throughout the duration of my workout. My machine says I have burned more calories then, the preset here in my fitness pal. How do I know if increasing the resistance does boost my calorie burn?

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  • bri170lb
    bri170lb Posts: 1,375 Member
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    tiggerluvzlots wrote: »
    How do I know if increasing the resistance does boost my calorie burn?

    Common sense...if you have to work harder at the higher level, you are burning more calories.

    Now, that doesn't mean that the estimate from the machine or MFP is correct.

    I would think that the machine would have the better estimate since it knows that you are changing resistance levels, especially if you put you age and weight into it when you start.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    because increased resistance means you're working harder...when you work harder you expend more energy...
  • tiggerluvzlots
    tiggerluvzlots Posts: 2 Member
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    I do not put in my age and weight. Yes, common sense says you work harder you are burning more calories. I just don't want to sell myself short, nor do I want to give myself more calorie credit. For example today my machine said I burned 518 calories after 36 minutes. The app says I burned 454.
  • rudy336
    rudy336 Posts: 66 Member
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    i would pick up a Polar heart rate monitor, i personally love my ft-4. ive had it since around may of 2014, and it's pretty accurate. tiggerluzlots, just while ago after work, i burned 504 in 33 mintues, with hills turned on a resistance on 10. the elliptical is amazing. i love it. my favorite piece of workout equipment.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    Go by the app number.
    Eat back 75%.
    If you are still losing at the goal you set. You know that you burn that number of calories doing that exercise and you can personalize your MFP elliptical entry to show that.

    If you are losing more, or less adjust the calories you eat back by a few % points.

    Cheers, h.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    tiggerluvzlots wrote: »
    I do not put in my age and weight. Yes, common sense says you work harder you are burning more calories. I just don't want to sell myself short, nor do I want to give myself more calorie credit. For example today my machine said I burned 518 calories after 36 minutes. The app says I burned 454.

    If you can't program basics into the elliptical, there is no telling what number it is spitting out at you. With any exercise where you either support or move your body weight, the body weight is one of the primary factors that will change your calorie burn.

    Does the machine you have give you any other data readouts? With the right data you might be able to confirm how close it is to more accepted formulas.


    rudy336 wrote: »
    i would pick up a Polar heart rate monitor, i personally love my ft-4. ive had it since around may of 2014, and it's pretty accurate. tiggerluzlots, just while ago after work, i burned 504 in 33 mintues, with hills turned on a resistance on 10. the elliptical is amazing. i love it. my favorite piece of workout equipment.

    Is that HRM estimated calories, elliptical estimated calories, or a chest strap paired to the elliptical? Just curious, as they have different strengths and weaknesses regardless. The elliptical machines do have a lot of variety and possibility to them.
  • ariel0318
    ariel0318 Posts: 6 Member
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    The app only measure step the machine measure heart rate and how hard your going with resistance

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