Calories Burned From Elliptical Workout

ChrisPontiff
ChrisPontiff Posts: 64 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So today I tried using the map my walk app to track my elliptical workout. The number of calories I got from the app were about 100 off from the elliptical. I know my best bet would be to get a wristband to track. But of the two I use which would be more accurate? Guessing the difference comes from the app not knowing the resistance levels?

Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    ChrisPontiff wrote: »
    So today I tried using the map my walk app to track my elliptical workout. The number of calories I got from the app were about 100 off from the elliptical. I know my best bet would be to get a wristband to track. But of the two I use which would be more accurate? Guessing the difference comes from the app not knowing the resistance levels?

    well, did you enter your height and weight info into the elliptical? If not, that could be one of the discrepancies.

    I would use whatever the lower number is (which i'm assuming is the app).
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,502 Member
    Ellipticals are notoriously inaccurate, by the way. Mine gives a calorie burn twice what I calculate. I typically figure 9 kcal/minute net.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Ellipticals are notoriously inaccurate, by the way. Mine gives a calorie burn twice what I calculate. I typically figure 9 kcal/minute net.

    According to my HRM, even when i enter my stats into an elliptical, they generally overestimate between 30-40% total calorie burn. Although to be fair, some of the ellipticals sync with my hrm and display my heart rate and accurate calorie burn info in real time. :sunglasses:
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,502 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Ellipticals are notoriously inaccurate, by the way. Mine gives a calorie burn twice what I calculate. I typically figure 9 kcal/minute net.

    According to my HRM, even when i enter my stats into an elliptical, they generally overestimate between 30-40% total calorie burn. Although to be fair, some of the ellipticals sync with my hrm and display my heart rate and accurate calorie burn info in real time. :sunglasses:

    That's pretty cool. The one I use is an older model in our company exercise room. Since it's a free fringe benefit there are no complaints from me!

    There was an article posted here not too long ago explaining that the treadmill and stationary bike calorie burns are in general fairly accurate while the elliptical is generally off. I can't find it, but the crux was that there are too many variables with the elliptical.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Typically, manufacturers use athletic males to determine caloric burn based on resistance, speed, height and weight settings, which usually results in higher readings if you aren't say.....an pretty in shape athletic male.
  • ChrisPontiff
    ChrisPontiff Posts: 64 Member
    I guess I'm going to breakdown and buy a band here soon
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,471 Member
    Depends on the elliptical vs other method of calculating. Some elliptical machines have an actual power meter, and if they do the potential to be very accurate. Some don't have a meter. Any machine or device is only as good as the measures it can have available to it, and the algorithms that calculate those measures.

    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Ellipticals are notoriously inaccurate, by the way. Mine gives a calorie burn twice what I calculate. I typically figure 9 kcal/minute net.

    According to my HRM, even when i enter my stats into an elliptical, they generally overestimate between 30-40% total calorie burn. Although to be fair, some of the ellipticals sync with my hrm and display my heart rate and accurate calorie burn info in real time. :sunglasses:

    @rainbowbow

    Just for clarification....

    Are you saying that when your HRM syncs to certain elliptical machines that the readout then defaults to the HRM calculations? My chest strap syncs with our machine, but the readouts are still driven by the machine. Not sure, but I assume if the chest strap had a pairing monitor, both would give differing displays for calories.
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