Calories for Martial arts seem high...

CommanderFiend2015
CommanderFiend2015 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all--hope I'm asking in the right place. I am having a hard time believing the calories the app is giving me for my Taekwondo classes, and I guess I just wanted to ask others experiences. The app is saying my 75min class is over 1,300 calories (I'm 234 lbs). That seems unbelievable, but when I google I'm getting the same kind of results.

I mean, I guess it is like HIIT to some degree (speed combos then calm, then combo, etc) and we do do at least 35 min of conditioning work... but 1300 calories?!

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    So log a smaller amount - maybe half or 75% - whatever seems reasonable to you based on the research you did. If you find you're losing too quickly start logging a higher number. If you're not losing as much as you calculated log a smaller amount. Or you can even start with the full amount and adjust from there. However you want. Good luck!
  • kerryosborne
    kerryosborne Posts: 9 Member
    FWIW - I manually logged a tae kwon do class and it was about 1100 calories for a 45 min class... then I did an "Other" workout using my Apple Watch and it was more like 500 calories. I'd rather underestimate than overestimate, so I try to remember to start the workout on my watch instead of manually entering.
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
    1k per hour as a heavyweight is fight training. If, like me, you're a heavyweight your calories will be higher than a lightweight or middleweight. In my experience a 1k per hour workout is achievable but very difficult. I cross check it with my Garmin heart rate monitor, which has a chest strap and is more accurate.

    We're not talking traditional katas or stretching or any of that. This is burn out rounds on a heavy bag, hard interval work like jump squats, and sparring with elite athletes that are trying hard to hit you. If you're already in shape and find yourself talking to yourself and saying, "Please don't let me throw up," you're probably there.
  • brilliantwords
    brilliantwords Posts: 97 Member
    edited August 2017
    Im 200 lbs (female), 30% bodyfat, but with good cardio endurance, and can only burn MAX 600- range calories per hour kickboxing at my max effort, to the point where my heart rate monitor has me working often 80-99% of my max heart rate. Ive also (until recently) been a group fitness instructor for a high intensity MMA inspired cardio class. Average is more like 500-something calories range for me. (I use a heart rate monitor as well). Although the more you become conditioned to a particular exercise, the less calories you'll burn doing it.. so perhaps you are burning a high amount still, but 1300 does seem unusually high.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,337 Member
    When I did TKD, I found the same thing. And when I thought about it, in my 1 hour class, there is a fair bit of standing about, or doing slow drills, which wouldn't make sense to the calorie count. I think the count is based on the calories burned if you went hard out sparring for the full time, so I used to only log half, and less if it was a poomsae or other, less vigorous, class.
  • bingo_007
    bingo_007 Posts: 101 Member
    I think you need to adjust depending on your actual training. Typically 15 mins skipping as warm up. Padwork 9 to 12 mins. Heavy bag usually about half an hour. Then technique n cool down'is marked as low intensity which I would mark as Pilates. Or you just adjust to taking 50 to 75% of the calories burned depending on your trainings'intensity ☺
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