Heart rate monitor question.

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ambernicholewms
ambernicholewms Posts: 37
in Fitness and Exercise
I went to this website to calculate how many calories I can burn doing 30 minute session on the elliptical 4 times a day. According to the site I would burn over 2,000 calories which I believe is not right. Is heart rate monitors worth the money?


http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

This is the website I went to. ^

Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    You will find webpages such as MFP and other online sites are using general formulas to try to be accurate over a large population.. what you will find is they arent accurate.. because how do you know later in the day you are tired and dont push as hard, your heart rate doesnt get as high and you acutally burn less calories.. using generalizations (I find MFP WAAAAAY off) compared to what my HRM says.

    Its a tool that gives you a better estimation based on YOU, YOUR BODY and YOUR HR during the workout.

    It gives a better estimation far superior to any webpage.
  • CRSE1214
    CRSE1214 Posts: 196 Member
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    I just ordered a Polar FT4 off of Amazon for under $60 (should get it next week) I'm hoping that it shows that I'm burning more calories than the machines are telling me. I did 20 minutes on the eliptical yesterday at the gym and the machine told me I burned 200 calories. 2,000 calories is SO NOT correct!!!
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
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    I highly recommend it. It's so much closer to your real calories burned numbers than any estimator because it knows YOUR information and YOUR heart rate (essentially how hard you're really working). I'm 5'9", 256 and doing 30minutes of medium-high intensity on my elliptical burns about ~350 calories according to my HRM, which is ~200 less than MFP estimates.
  • bubblesburst80
    bubblesburst80 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    going off that site it underestimates what i burn compared to my HRM, they are worth it if you are that concerned with keeping balance between your calories in and out, not estimate is going to be right
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I tested it on my last workout.. the categories are really general, I picked

    Calisthenics / exercise - moderate (for the eliptical/arc trainer since it was pretty much cardio)

    Their estimation Total Calories Burned 448

    my HRM registered - 628
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I just ordered a Polar FT4 off of Amazon for under $60 (should get it next week) I'm hoping that it shows that I'm burning more calories than the machines are telling me. I did 20 minutes on the eliptical yesterday at the gym and the machine told me I burned 200 calories. 2,000 calories is SO NOT correct!!!
    She said 30 minutes 4 times a day. So 120 minutes. Depending on how much you weigh 2000 calories for 2 hours is plausible but there's really no need to work out that much unless you really, REALLY like the elliptical.
  • JVanDam77
    JVanDam77 Posts: 130
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    It has been well worth it for me! I lose more consistently since I have had my HRM (Polar FT7-F).
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I just ordered a Polar FT4 off of Amazon for under $60 (should get it next week) I'm hoping that it shows that I'm burning more calories than the machines are telling me. I did 20 minutes on the eliptical yesterday at the gym and the machine told me I burned 200 calories. 2,000 calories is SO NOT correct!!!

    Don't get your hopes up too high...10 calories per minute is actually a pretty good burn and probably not too far off (depending on how hard you're working).

    As far as the OP goes, I agree strongly with what jrich1 said. Most online calculators, MFP and even cardio machines make a lot of assumptions based on what little information is input. Even HRMs with chest straps (like my Polar FT4, that I LOVE) aren't 100% accurate but they're about as close as you can get.
  • ambernicholewms
    ambernicholewms Posts: 37
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    Thanks for the input. Normally at the gym I burn 100 calories per 10 mintues that's with me putting in my weight height and age.

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