DOES THE ELLIPTICAL TRAINER REALLY BURN THA MANY CALORIES?

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vbanuelos88
vbanuelos88 Posts: 22
in Fitness and Exercise
Does it really burn that many calories and does it stop burning as much calories once my body gets used to it?

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  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Yes...and yes. As you lose weight and get better at performing work outs that were harder when you first started, you don't burn as many calories. Try speeding up to get the same calorie burn as before or going longer. I like to just amp up the intensity because I'm short on time. :happy:
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    It may be different for different people, but according to the calorie-counter I use (like a BodyBugg), I actually burn more walking quickly (on the treadmill or outside) than I do using the elliptical at a similar pace. I prefer the elliptical because it's easier on my knees/ankles, but I try to mix it up and include both walking and the elliptical.
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    How are you tracking your calorie burn? Are you going by the elliptical or do you have an HRM? Some machines can be accurate but you need to be able to enter your own info such as weight. My elliptical at home runs about 25% higher than what my HRM says.
  • esaxmcd
    esaxmcd Posts: 7
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    It really does especially if you have an ideal Heart Rate that you're trying to achieve, distance, and the amount of time it takes you achieve a certain burn. There are various settings that you can choose once you accomplish one that should be able to switch it up for you and not make it so boring. At the gym I workout at there are various elliptical machines as well that will change up the intensity to give you a whole body workout.

    So keep at it, best of luck to you.
  • Anna4676
    Anna4676 Posts: 1 Member
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    yeah I put on incline that works my thighs and butt and weight part I put on 10 I burn more calories on the Elliptical than on the treadmill
  • tandroes
    tandroes Posts: 163 Member
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    I hope it works because I use it everyday and it's easy on my knees. It stops burning for me after about 3 minutes... it used to take way longer when i first started doing it. MFP says it burns about 180 calories for 20 minutes but the machine says 205 so i'm not sure which is more accurate, I don't have a HRM
  • LoveMy4Kids
    LoveMy4Kids Posts: 231
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    All I know is that I can walk for 30 minutes on the treadmil versus 10 minutes on the elliptical and burn the same amount of calories! I feel MUCH better after the elliptical, feel like I have actual done something unlike the treadmill! I was having really bad shin splints so the doctor told me to stay off of the treadmill, that is when I decided to try out the elliptical and have enjoyed it ever since! I don't go by the calories on here that they say I have b urnt, I go by teh machine, everything on here seems to be M UCH more than the actual machine itself says!
  • vbanuelos88
    vbanuelos88 Posts: 22
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    well im tracking with MFP .....I just enter my weight and the amount of time and i use that. The amount of calories burned it say on the machine is usually a little more. I dont have a HRM.
  • ohhellokitty
    ohhellokitty Posts: 11
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    well im tracking with MFP .....I just enter my weight and the amount of time and i use that. The amount of calories burned it say on the machine is usually a little more. I dont have a HRM.

    U know I was thinking the same thing. The one at the gym says something totally different then if you were it input it.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I have a HRM and my calories burned on the machine are all over the map compared to what I really burn
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    How are you tracking your calorie burn? Are you going by the elliptical or do you have an HRM? Some machines can be accurate but you need to be able to enter your own info such as weight. My elliptical at home runs about 25% higher than what my HRM says.
    Could have said this myself, except its the ellipticals at the gym (Precor brand).
    Running on the treadmill is the only thing thats accurate and actually is about 10% under. Have not run indoors in months though.
    If you are consuming your exercise calories, which you should, do NOT consume all, I say 75% max because the machines are REALLY inaccurate no matter who tells you what. Your calories burned depend on your body and how hard you are exerting yourself. 2 people weighing the same amount, all same stats, etc could potentially do the same workout at same resistance speed, etc and burn different calories because its harder for one than the other, body pumps harder, etc.
  • abricklin
    abricklin Posts: 156 Member
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    well im tracking with MFP .....I just enter my weight and the amount of time and i use that. The amount of calories burned it say on the machine is usually a little more. I dont have a HRM.

    I think MFP estimates are even higher than the machine readings in my experience, but again, no 2 people are the same.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    Does it really burn that many calories and does it stop burning as much calories once my body gets used to it?

    When I've used the elliptical, I've burned 600 calories in an hour and in my opinion no, it doesn't stop burning as many. The heavier you are the more calories you burn is how I understood it, so maybe that's what you meant? However, if you stayed at the same weight for a year and in that time you used the elliptical regularly, I would hazard a guess that you will use roughly the same amount of calories each time.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    There is no standard movement for elliptical trainers, so there are no standard equations for calculating calories burned. Each manufacturer (and each fitness site) has their own method for estimating calories. Some take it very seriously, some don't. For the most part, elliptical machines tend to overestimate calories--some by a little, some by quite a bit.

    The only elliptical cross trainer brand I know that has an accurate calorie count is a Life Fitness 95X cross trainer with the software version of 1.8 or higher OR the Life Fitness Elevation series 95X cross trainer. Life Fitness does extensive research in their own labs to generate the most reliable algorithms for estimating calories on their newer machines. The models I mention are likely more accurate than an HRM.

    None of the others are.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Does it really burn that many calories and does it stop burning as much calories once my body gets used to it?

    When I've used the elliptical, I've burned 600 calories in an hour and in my opinion no, it doesn't stop burning as many. The heavier you are the more calories you burn is how I understood it, so maybe that's what you meant? However, if you stayed at the same weight for a year and in that time you used the elliptical regularly, I would hazard a guess that you will use roughly the same amount of calories each time.

    Correct. Doesn't change the fact that (see above), most elliptical/CTs are inherently inaccurate, but, regardless of the exercise, if you work out at the same intensity, and weight remains the same, calorie burn remains mostly constant as well.
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
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    Does it really burn that many calories and does it stop burning as much calories once my body gets used to it?

    Wear a weight vest or a backpack with added weight in it...you'll be challenging your body all over again, and what has become a routine and something that your body has grown accustomed to has now suddenly changed..it works give it a try.
  • vbanuelos88
    vbanuelos88 Posts: 22
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    thank you.
  • stevewardfilm
    stevewardfilm Posts: 3
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    Glad to hear that the LifeFitness model I'm using is one of the more accurate readouts. For me, MFP puts my calorie burn much, much higher than the machine, but I'm inclined to believe the machine since I enter my weight and it monitors my heart rate, and everything I read online seems to concur with its average of 100cal per 10 minutes (varying slightly depending on my heart rate).

    I also just chose to believe the lower calorie count, because the last thing I'd want to do is trust the much higher MFP estimate, which doesn't factor in my heart rate, then eat more than I should and undo the work.

    Either way, I'm sticking with the elliptical because it's worked so far and isn't a chore to do, simple as that.

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