Exercise Machines Vs. Heart Rate Monitors...

Princessa1982
Princessa1982 Posts: 82
edited September 30 in Fitness and Exercise
I want a heart rate monitor that shows heart rate and calories burned. But that is not in the budget till I am finished our vacation. I rely on the machines at the gym, which I have been told in the past that they can be roughly 25% higher than reality. I am curious what your thoughts and experiences are!

I always input my age, weight and check my heart rate accurately on the machines to try and minimize the false readings....

Replies

  • swaymyway
    swaymyway Posts: 428 Member
    Machines are not accurate - I feel for people without a HRM who follow MFP to the letter, eating how many cals it tells them to + exercise cals, because despite their dedication they are eating too many calories! I feel even more for the people that use the MFP estimates - when I see 'Someone just burned 1230 calories doing housework, cleaning, vigorous effort' it makes me shrivel a little inside and I have to resist the desire to tell them...you know you didn't REALLY, right?
  • leslturn8
    leslturn8 Posts: 505 Member
    dont rely on them! I brought a HRM for 90 dollars off ebay, I ran with it on a treadmill, and it transmitted my HR to the treadmill and the calories on the treadmill was 150 where as my HRM read 250! The heart rate monitor is a great investment and if you cant affford it atm, you will have to go by the machines, dont add or subtract because you may be off in the wrong direction, too much not enough, I may have been burning less then the treadmill but you cant be sure unless you have a HRM!
    hope i helped a little bit?
  • gmann1973
    gmann1973 Posts: 247
    they are not always higher I burn about 2x the cals the one of the ellipticals say at the Y. nobody else will use it so always open n I rely on my HRM. but really everyone of them seem to be off from my HRM a little high or a little low. Walmart has a great HRM for around $50
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    Machines are not accurate - I feel for people without a HRM who follow MFP to the letter, eating how many cals it tells them to + exercise cals, because despite their dedication they are eating too many calories! I feel even more for the people that use the MFP estimates - when I see 'Someone just burned 1230 calories doing housework, cleaning, vigorous effort' it makes me shrivel a little inside and I have to resist the desire to tell them...you know you didn't REALLY, right?


    I know EXACTLY what you mean!!! I am at a point where other than the odd off day, I do not eat my exercise calories, so I do not rely on it for that, I rely on it for just knowing really. I am more concerned with how long i have been active each day honestly... I have a friend now who burns 950 cals doing 60 mins of biking and i bite my tongue because there is NO WAY she did that, when i work my *kitten* off next to her and the machine only tells me i burned 400 and that is prob not even right!
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    dont rely on them! I brought a HRM for 90 dollars off ebay, I ran with it on a treadmill, and it transmitted my HR to the treadmill and the calories on the treadmill was 150 where as my HRM read 250! The heart rate monitor is a great investment and if you cant affford it atm, you will have to go by the machines, dont add or subtract because you may be off in the wrong direction, too much not enough, I may have been burning less then the treadmill but you cant be sure unless you have a HRM!
    hope i helped a little bit?

    YES you have! like I mentioned before, i do not eat exercise calories unless i am feeling particulary hungry or having a bad day, and then it is not based on what MFP says i have left, it is based on what i choose to splurge on! I am buying one, it is just not in the budget until we get back from vacation in September! For now i just rely more on sticking to my regular daily goal (give or take a few cals of course) and knowing how long each day i exercise! That is interesting that it said you are burning more, i have always thought that the machines were too high not too low.... Thats a good point, it is so individual!!!
  • Tinks2007
    Tinks2007 Posts: 62 Member
    I have the FT7 and it always says I have burned more calories than the running machine does, HRM is suited to the individual, I also alter on here as when I do a 30-45 min run always shows less calories than my HRM which i think is more acurate, definately worth investing in as you also see when your in your fitness and when your in your fatburn
  • hostile17
    hostile17 Posts: 54 Member
    I so agree with swaymyway. The calories estimates here are ridiculous, and not ony that they train people to eat more for the sake of it if they do some exercise. Burnt 300 calories? Well I must go and eat 300 calories for the sake of it!

    Exercise machines are more realistic, but I still wonder how accurate they are.
  • princesstoadstool82
    princesstoadstool82 Posts: 371 Member
    i've never used a HRM... so it tells u the cals you've bunred hey ??? maybe i should get one.... lol..
  • duckychic
    duckychic Posts: 57 Member
    I used to love the arc trainer at the gym. I thought I was burning 700 calories in 45 mins. In turn, I would eat them back. I bought a HRM because I wanted to know exactly what I was burning. The arc trainer says about double what my HRM said. The treadmill seems to be a bit closer to my HRM.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    You have to understand though HRM's are not exactly accurate either.. because nothing can accurately tell you calories burned. Their are just ways to better estimate calories burned and HRM's are one of them.

    With that being said, I did not get my HRM until May and I lost about 15 pounds without one and just following the machines at the gym and eating better.
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    You have to understand though HRM's are not exactly accurate either.. because nothing can accurately tell you calories burned. Their are just ways to better estimate calories burned and HRM's are one of them.

    With that being said, I did not get my HRM until May and I lost about 15 pounds without one and just following the machines at the gym and eating better.

    And thats where I am at now, I am down 27 (hopefully I will hot the 30 mark tonight at my weigh in!!) and have been relying on the machines and healthy eating. I am a control freak though and WANT to have the best estimate for my mindsake... Like i said, i do not really eat my exercise calories anyway, just some extra when i feel i need or want it, and then it does not matter what my exercise was anyway, lol
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    I used to love the arc trainer at the gym. I thought I was burning 700 calories in 45 mins. In turn, I would eat them back. I bought a HRM because I wanted to know exactly what I was burning. The arc trainer says about double what my HRM said. The treadmill seems to be a bit closer to my HRM.

    I LOVE the ARCTRAINER, and even if i found out i was not burning the 400 cals in 30 mins it says i burn, i feel AMAZING after my workout on it, i sweat so much it is worth whatever calories i burn!!!
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    i've never used a HRM... so it tells u the cals you've bunred hey ??? maybe i should get one.... lol..

    Some do, the watch kind i believe... They have some at my gym you can sign out, but that does not tell you how many cals, just your heart rate... I guess you have to shop around...
  • Dean31
    Dean31 Posts: 38 Member
    There is a formula you can use to figure out your daily caloric need that you can use until you can get a monitor. You'll have to use MFP a little differently than it is really intended for while you're using this formula, but it's better than just guessing your calorie burn or using inaccurate information. You'll basically use MFP to keep up with your total calories for the day rather than your net. Here's the formula:

    First you figure your BMR: (women) 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

    Then you plug your BMR into this formula:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

    This number will be the calories you need to MAINTAIN your weight. To lose weight you should reduce this number by 15-20%

    This is the Harris Benedict Formula. You need to keep two things in mind as well when using this:

    1) This formula doesn't count for lean body mass, so while it is very accurate for most, very muscular people will under-estimate their calorie needs, and very overweight people will over-estimate their calorie needs with this formula.
    2) As you lose weight, your number will change, so you'll need to recalculate your daily need. I'd say do this once a week if you lose weight that week (we ALL fall off the wagon from time to time).
  • Princessa1982
    Princessa1982 Posts: 82
    There is a formula you can use to figure out your daily caloric need that you can use until you can get a monitor. You'll have to use MFP a little differently than it is really intended for while you're using this formula, but it's better than just guessing your calorie burn or using inaccurate information. You'll basically use MFP to keep up with your total calories for the day rather than your net. Here's the formula:

    First you figure your BMR: (women) 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

    Then you plug your BMR into this formula:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

    This number will be the calories you need to MAINTAIN your weight. To lose weight you should reduce this number by 15-20%

    This is the Harris Benedict Formula. You need to keep two things in mind as well when using this:

    1) This formula doesn't count for lean body mass, so while it is very accurate for most, very muscular people will under-estimate their calorie needs, and very overweight people will over-estimate their calorie needs with this formula.
    2) As you lose weight, your number will change, so you'll need to recalculate your daily need. I'd say do this once a week if you lose weight that week (we ALL fall off the wagon from time to time).

    Hey thanks for this! It seems very interesting and useful! I am working so I can not calculate now, but I will as soon as i am home and have some time to do it! This may just help me till I can buy a heart rate monitor!
  • Dean31
    Dean31 Posts: 38 Member
    You're very welcome!
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