How off are the treadmills at the gym?

TequillaLover89
TequillaLover89 Posts: 260 Member
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone know approximately how off the gym treadmills are? The ones where you enter weight & age can't be too far off right? What about the ones that do not ask? For the ones that ask I normally round down, so if it says 208 I record 200. For the ones that don't ask I take off 50 calories when recording... How accurate do you think this is?

Replies

  • AHealthyMe1lbAtATime
    AHealthyMe1lbAtATime Posts: 188 Member
    I have a very generic crappy old treadmill and if I burn 450 with my hrm, it will say on the treadmill approx 275. So mine is at least 100 off if not more like 125-150 off....
  • Zoe678
    Zoe678 Posts: 134 Member
    My treadmill at home does not ask, but my HRM always says I've burned more than the treadmill does.
  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
    I realize the treadmill is most likely off when it tells me how many calories I burn, but I log it anyways. I don't log my strength training calories burned.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    The treadmills at my Planet Fitness are pretty much dead on with the estimates from MFP and Runkeeper for the same distance and pace. I've never used a HRM so I don't know exactly how accurate they are, but accurate enough for me to lose the weight I wanted to lose. :smile:
  • Tori1981
    Tori1981 Posts: 4 Member
    I have a hrm its my best friend to be honest as the treadmill will say i've burnt 250-300 cals but the hrm shows a 80-120 more. hth
  • TequillaLover89
    TequillaLover89 Posts: 260 Member
    I have a hrm its my best friend to be honest as the treadmill will say i've burnt 250-300 cals but the hrm shows a 80-120 more. hth
    Do you enter weight/age on the treadmill that your talking about? If so I have been way over adding calories burned :/
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    If you have a quality commercial treadmill and don't hold on to the handrails, and enter your weight at the beginning of the workout, the calories displayed for walking will be pretty accurate and the running ones probably off (overestimated) by about 15%.

    The equations used to predict energy expenditure for treadmill walking and running are relatively simple and easy to program--they are also reasonably accurate. MFP and other sites use the same information--if you can input exact speed and incline, the numbers should roughly agree. If you change speed or incline frequently, then you'll have to rely on the treadmill.

    Often the treadmill numbers will be more accurate than an HRM, because the treadmills are measuring actual work performed. It's a good way to check the accuracy/setup of your HRM. Try walking for an extended time (30 min minimum) on a treadmill w/out holding on the handrails at a speed under 4.0 mph and with some incline. If your HRM is off by more than 10% compared to the number on the treadmill, I would check my HRM setup because it is probably not correct.
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
    my gym treadmills are very good they ask age gender hight and weight but I use my HRM and my burn is almost double what the treadmill says it should be. LOVE my HRM so worth the money

    my treadmill at home isn`t as fancy it just asks age and weight and actualy is alittle closer to what my HRM says but still under my actual burn

    ----
    though the eliptical at the gym and my HRM are pretty much dead on to each other as are the rowing machines
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