how many calories do 'YOU' aim to burn for work outs?

13

Replies

  • missfitmt
    missfitmt Posts: 67 Member
    I try to hit 500 calories a workout, but usually end up burning 450-480. Close enough I guess lol.

    I do the TurboFire workouts.
  • simplyblessed5
    simplyblessed5 Posts: 130 Member
    I will not burn less than 850 at every workout, but my newest goal is to hit 1000 every time :)
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I like to burn at least 500. It is time consuming since I have foot problems and have to walk (no incline) and not run. Today I walked 216 minutes and burned approx. 600 calories. Make those fat cells cryyyyyy!
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    When I went for metabolic testing, I was told between 300-500. But, I can never stay in that range. I always do around 600 per workout so I look at that as my goal; anything over 500 but under 650.
  • bonogul
    bonogul Posts: 96 Member
    i try to go around ~600, which is about 60 mins of spin class. than i usually add a weight training to it. I think a work out should burn at least as much as a decent meal.
  • waylandcool
    waylandcool Posts: 175 Member
    I usually hit 600+ when I do cardio, I did 620 on the treadmill yesterday and 616 on the ellipitical today. That's a 32 minute workout with a 5 minute cool down. My HRM tells me that I stay in the 140's on the ellipitical and get up to 160-165 on the treadmill.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    500 give or take ... I do it so I can enjoy it. On a good day if I'm playing racquetball, do a short run, and swim for a bit I burn a lot more ... but usually I just try to get 30-60 mins in ... I think it's awesome how productive and excited some are for working out, but I'm just in it to keep active.

    My focus is to eat better (more whole, healthy foods) and stay active (30-60mins 3/4 times a week) ... this site is a great tool to track (as I'm quite analytically inspired ;) ... nice way to say I'm anal)

    Push yourself, but make sure you're still having fun ... that's my philosophy anyway! :)
  • maritenour
    maritenour Posts: 107 Member
    I try to break 800 with cardio machines.
  • TTHdred
    TTHdred Posts: 380 Member
    I don’t really aim for a number because of cals burned, but because I have been “attempting” this for so long, I know how “hard” I am working based on the cals burned. That said, I aim for 300 during the week with my 30min workouts and 500 on the weekends when I have more time, like a full hour or more.
  • I'm naughty and know it's bad but I will not leave the gym until I've done 1,000 calories. Each and every week day, and weekends too if I'm not working. And I rarely eat it back. The staff at the gym are always making fun of me for being there more than them, but it's social for me more than anything plus I won an Adidas Challenge for exercising the most in 6 weeks, which gave me an Adidas shopping spree and training session with Michelle Bridges from the Biggest Loser. My husband is always away for work, more than he is home, so it gives me something to do at night cause lord knows that if I just go home and sit on the lounge I could easily EAT those 1,000 calories without even noticing...

    So yes, 1,000+ each day.
  • slim422
    slim422 Posts: 104 Member
    Honestly, given I know I must eat them back 250-300 is fine, reasonable work out without taking over my life, I eat the calories back and feel good about moving so it works for me and I lost 20lbs in 49 days so I'm sticking with it!
  • It's a game for me, if I am feeling hungry and want to pig out I do aim for as many calories burned possible but I am usually just happy that I could find the time at all to exercise. My average cardio workout is around 550 I think.
  • love2cycle
    love2cycle Posts: 448 Member
    walking about 300, biking about 700
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I used to try to get a certain number, now I don't care. I have a strength training program that I do to maintain my muscle while I lose weight. I do cardio to improve my fitness level and eventually begin training for a marathon. I use my diet to meet my nutritional needs and to maintain my average 500 calorie per day deficit. I think shooting for a certain number on your HRM might cause you to focus on cardio and HIIT and neglect strength training, because those burn more calories while you are doing it. But, strength training preserves your metabolism, burns more calories AFTER you do it (which wouldn't be recorded on the HRM), and makes your body look great after you've lost the weight as opposed to "skinny fat".

    This!
  • Totally agree I started using my hrm and since you put age ....weight ...sex...and resting heart rate ...it's totally diff then one would think...and agree bt 400 and 500 .....calories a intense 60 min burn....is what ya get.....
  • bogle34
    bogle34 Posts: 107 Member
    For an hour workout - I try to burn at least 400 calories, I vary on my workouts, I get bored easy, since I am a junk food addict I also try to make it a goal to burn at least 400 which equals to a meal ---
  • I try for 1000-1300 Monday - Friday. Saturdays maybe 500. Sundays off:)
  • LauraHasABabyJack
    LauraHasABabyJack Posts: 629 Member
    I aim for at least 500 and up to 800. I eat my exercise calories back; I like food and I enjoy the exercise!
  • Macrocarpa
    Macrocarpa Posts: 121 Member
    I get pretty antsy if I don't burn off 350-500 in a day, 600-999 is good, 999+ is great, 1200+ is excellent.

    As other posters have added, I'll drop below the above threshold (happily) if doing weights or strength. 90 seconds of plank feels like 10 minutes on the elliptical....
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    In general I think its better to look for quality rather than quantity and think about what you are trying to acheive long term.

    Last year I started running and that means that I'd usually burn 300 - 500 on an average day and 7-800 or more on a long run weekend day.

    But, this year I'm focusing on strength as well as speed so I'm doing a lot more stretching and lifting which doesn't burn anywhere that number of cals, but I'm feeling great for it and noticing that my pants are getting loser even though the scale isn't going down.

    I also think its really important to have at least one rest day a week, so that means that means no extra cals over my usual
    "lightly active" setting daily cals. I usually schedule that during the week, not on a weekend day when i want to have a beer or we are eating out.
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    500-700
  • _Kitten_Kate
    _Kitten_Kate Posts: 520 Member
    Depends on what I am doing... but try to stay realistic.

    I know a general 30 min Jillian Video I will burn about 200ish. But I long hike I hope to burn 900... but dont alway hit that mark.

    but I don't feel bad about it either. Any burn is better than none.

    What people burn while exercising varies from person to person. Pointless to compare yourself to anyone else.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    at my weight and considering the workouts i do, i aim for about 1000 calories burned. some days that's a reach for me and go at my routine with less vigor so that can drop to as much as 600.
  • I try to burn between 200 & 300 with cardio (takes about 30-40 minutes,depending on the level of difficulty) and another 200 with weight lifting & resistance machines, usually takes about another 30-40 min..but I hear ya, I feel like sometimes its not enough to get the job done
  • I aim for around 500cals according to the machines at my gym.

    But I know that as this is the machine read out it isn't the actual calories I've burnt so I use it as a measure of my effort and a way to make sure I get a similar burn even if I use different machines.

    If I work hard for for my 45-50 minutes of cardio, then I burn around 500cals.

    I try and do this 3-4 times a week and then one Zumba class where I burn 450cals according to my HRM. But I also work part time as a dog walker so walk 3-6miles atleast on a daily basis so burn calories this way.

    I wish I could use my HRM at the gym to find out how many calories I actually burn but as the machines are so close together it interferes with everyone elses.
  • Colbyandsage
    Colbyandsage Posts: 751 Member
    I aim for at least 400 calories 5-6 days a week. I use a HRM to get a fairly accurate count. Before using it, I thought I was burning a lot more calories than I actually was. But it takes me 60 minutes on average to reach that 400 cal mark on the elliptical or doing zumba so it is pretty difficult to get much more in a day.

    ^^^^^ this. I love my HRM but it gave me a reality check!
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    I also do not AIM to burn a number of calories. I give it my ALL and can't wait to see what I did. If the number is low I try to do better the next day, and if it is what I thought it should be I still try to do better :drinker:
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    I usually do anything up to 200, sometimes as little as 30, depending how much time I have and how motivated I'm feeling. Plus, usually I walk to and from work which burns 500 calories four days a week. Haven't done that in almost a month due to me being ill and then my fiance being ill.

    I'd far rather burn 40 calories in 10-15 minutes on a day when I'm not feeling motivated and running low on time than force myself to fit in a larger burn and end up hating exercise - I've been trying to commit to certain exercises and certain burns for about 16 months now and never enjoyed it, but got a HRM a few weeks ago and I'm learning to like my exercise now that I can add more variety and I'm not trying to do loads.
  • I burn around 200-250 in about 20 minutes with the Jillian DVD's. That's fine for me. I'm not a huge fan of exercise but I do it 5 times a week. I've lost 32 pounds and I'm not going to bed hungry so it's all good.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    I try to aim for 800-1000 3 days a week- and 400-600 on the other 2
This discussion has been closed.