The ones at my gym automatically calculate it for you when you enter your weight, age, etc, but I don’t think they’re accurate. According to the machine I’m burning over 500 cals in a half hour work out, seems too high to me. Not sure on where you could get a real number, but I don’t tend to worry about it. As long as I’m working in my target heart rate range I know I’m getting all the benefits I need from cardio exercise.
That's a good point, Shan, about not worrying about it because you are right.
The machines at my gym calculate too, I am just curious if they are in the ballpark. Mine is not as high as yours, mine is about 400 calories for 40 minutes work.
The more you weigh the more calories you will burn. A 180 lb woman will burn more than a 130 lb woman minute for minute. I don't think the read outs are 100% accurate, but on the ones that take age & weight I believe are at least close to the mark. Also, you RPMs and resistance level are a factor.
It also depends on how much you weigh, how old you are and what intensity you are working at. I work at 75-85% heart rate and burn around 300 calories in a half an hour.
I worked out for 20 minutes on the elliptical at the gym tonight. It's the kind where you put in age and weight. I was working on level 7, I think it was. Not sure out of how many. I was going about 100 strides per minute, on average. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It showed that I burned 135 calories in 20 minutes.
Oh, and I weigh 138 and am 23 (almost 24), if that helps.
The readouts really that accurate. If you can afford it buy a heart rate monitor that calculates calories. They are much more accurate and it will keep you from overdoing it as well.
Elliptical
