I do not understand elliptical machines sometimes

BigCountry00
BigCountry00 Posts: 288
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I typically work out twice a day (once before work and once after work). I do 60 minutes on an elliptical machine in the morning and then again in the evening (unless M-W-F where I run 2-3 miles in the afternoons). What I do not understand is this.....There are 2 different elliptical machines I use at the gym. On one of them I can work out for 60 minutes and at the end it says 3.3 miles and like 1150 calories burned. I am thinking SWEET! Then on another day I get on a different machine and it says at the end of 60 minutes, like 6.1 miles but only ~715 calories burned.

What is the right answer?

I am not too bummed by it because my clothes are fitting better and the scales are going down, but consistency would be nice.

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

Replies

  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    Different settings on each machine?
  • RebelliousRibbons
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
    It's possible that you're going different speeds on each machine that would affect your burn. But, if that's not the case, I would go with the lower calorie reading, just so that you don't find yourself overestimating, you know?
  • imgonnadoit123
    imgonnadoit123 Posts: 49 Member
    Depends on resistance settings and what speed you typically go.
  • jpeterburs88
    jpeterburs88 Posts: 201 Member
    Are you adding in your age and weight into both of them? The usually makes a difference and is a little more accurate. Also, the calorie counters in those machines are not always right. I would look into buying something to count calories (like BodyBugg that they use on biggest loser). That will probably be your best bet
  • notapromqueen
    notapromqueen Posts: 63 Member
    All machines are different, and never really 100% accurate. It could be a level setting on the machines, you could have been going at a higher speed one one and not the other without noticing... Basically the only way to get an accurate reading is to get a heart rate monitor; which aren't always 100% accurate themselves, but it's the closest to accurate that you'll get. =) Good luck!
  • BigCountry00
    BigCountry00 Posts: 288
    I usually set it on the interval where you go fast for a minute, then slower (but more resistance).

    I won't get too worked up about it, but will try to stick to one machine from now on. LOL
  • maysflower
    maysflower Posts: 180
    You should not be going by the machines readouts for calories burned. It is not accurate at all. For an accurate reading of calories burned, invest in a good Heart Rate Monitor. They take your pulse and using that plus the other info you enter, age, weight, height, etc., it gives you an accurate reading of calories burned.

    I own a gym rated elliptical at home, it usually says I've burned 550 to 650 in a 1/2 hour. My HRM showed me how inaccurate the readings on my elliptical are. I am actually burning 350 to 450 in a 1/2 hour.
  • anthony438
    anthony438 Posts: 578 Member
    Do they both have HRM contacts in the handles?

    On one I use it does, and it gives me far lower calories burned then the other one I use, which doesn't have a built-in HRM. I tend to go with the lower number, since it's based off of speed, resistance, time, weight/height, and heart rate. The other one is missing the heart rate info.
  • jbug100
    jbug100 Posts: 406 Member
    Do you enter your age and weight on the program on the machine? That may make it more accurate. I go pretty hard on the elliptical, and According to the machine I use, I burn roughly 600 cals/hr and travel 6 miles. The first machine you mentioned sounds like an overestimate to me. Having said all that, my HRM says I burn about 500 cals/hr on the elliptical which is what I trust.
  • Mixmode
    Mixmode Posts: 332
    Dont ever go by what the machines tells you. The cake is a LIE.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Elliptical machines are great for exercise, but when it comes to using the data from them to assess a workout, they live in this kind of phantom zone.

    Standard aerobic modalities--walking, running, stairclimbing, cycling--consist of relatively simple movements that don't have as much variation between individuals. They have been studied in great detail and the physiologic performance parameters are well understood.

    There is no standardization when it comes to elliptical cross trainers. Each manufacturer has its own unique movement. Often the movement designs are patented, so they cannot be duplicated. Because of this lack of standardization, there is no common reference for measuring the performance on each machine; there is no "real world" physical movement. Basically, a manufacturer can make up anything they want and choose to display whatever they want.

    And even within a single manufacturer or make/model itself, there can be software changes installed so that a machine made in one year can have a completely different measuring method from the same machine built in a different year.

    And to top it off, the way the machines wear over time can affect things as well.

    I know it can be frustrating--at one club I belonged to, they had 10 cross trainers--same model from one manufacturer--but they had 3 different versions of software loaded and the calorie counts varied by 30%-40%. If one was trying to get consistent data to compare performances you sometimes had to wait for a particular machine even though 4 or 5 others were open.
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