Way to log intervals on treadmill?

NostalgicDruid
NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been logging my walking/jogging intervals at a set speed and then just modifying the calories burned by what the treadmill told me. (For example: 60 minutes at 5.0 (jogging) when really it is like 3.0 walk for 1/4 mile and then 6.0 run for 3/4). I have been setting it at just a constant speed because I didn't see any way to log intervals? Is there a way and I missed it, or is there any other trick to maybe use? I don't want to have to log the jogging and walking separately. If I have to stay with what I am doing, fine, but just figured I'd ask in case I just missed it.

I am training for endurance running, and if anyone else is doing the same I'd love to be friends with you so we can help motivate one another. I also love friends for the weight loss journey in general, definitely is a help to know you have people watching your calories, etc.

Replies

  • elijackson
    elijackson Posts: 48
    I enter how many minutes I spent at each speed. When I do intervals, I do 2 min of 3mph, then 30 seconds of 8pmh. If I do that 6 times, I log 12 min at 3pm and 3 min at 8mph. I find that the treadmill grossly overestimates my calories burned.
  • cowboydan43
    cowboydan43 Posts: 306 Member
    Yup I do the same as the previous poster. I think most of the calorie counts on exercises on here are very high estimates.
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
    I don't do it by time so much as distance, though a lap walked at 3.0 is 5 mins, so I guess I could just calculate out 5 mins for every walk I lapped. What I don't like though is that I'd have to divvy up the calories burned when really it's shared. Damn that OCD.
  • leilani♥
    leilani♥ Posts: 579
    I created a new exercise and used a Heart rate calories burned calculator to figure out how many calories I burnt from doing intervals on the treadmill for (x) amount of minutes. MFP & the treadmill machines are very generous when it comes to the amount it says you "burned". But -- that is just my opinion.
  • suzymyers
    suzymyers Posts: 20
    Hi - I do the same thing. My treadmill workout is a variety of walking using the incline and jogging. It'salways 50/50 in minutes (like 15 minutes for each). I was able to figure out how many calories I burn on each one, so I created my own exercise in the database. Since it is always 50/50, I can adjust the minutes/calories if I do more or less than 30 minutes.

    Go to "Exercise" tab then "My Exercise"... you can then add your own exercise.

    I also started using a heart monitor and find that it is almost identical to what my treadmill calculates for calories burned.
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
    Yeah, I've noticed they sort of embellished the numbers. I go with whatever one is lower (it's usually the treadmill as opposed to MFP) and I go with that one because I don't want to make myself think it's ok to eat extra calories if they weren't actually earned.
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
    Suzy, creating a custom exercise sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the tip!
  • 16mixingbowls
    16mixingbowls Posts: 205 Member
    What is your goal for logging them? Do you want to see an increase in minutes spent at certain speeds? Or more intervals overall? Or more high intensity/less breaks? I'm not sure that MFP can help you much for many of these, and if you're doing it for calorie logging, then the best thing would be a HRM.

    My understanding is that HIIT training burns calories after you quit the workout, too, so calories burned won't really be that accurate anyway.

    Good work!!! I love HIIT!
  • NostalgicDruid
    NostalgicDruid Posts: 41
    Mixingbowls, I do it because I want to know distance (which I put up myself) and a rough calorie count (for knowing how much more to eat). I take everything here with a grain of salt and use it more as a guideline than as a rule.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories