Cardio Machines & Calculating Calories

[sare^baw's]

Some gyms i used in the past take your weight, age and height into consideration when calculating the calories you burned. I know these are not accurate but i would always use this as a guide to either burn the same or more at my next sessions.

I just joined Puregym and all of the machines dont take anything into consideration and just give you the calories burned. Is there a way of calculating with a bit more accuracy what i burned. Is there any devices or apps or websites that can assist? Im 46, 203lb, 5' 11" high. The reading on the machines just seems a lot lower than what i used to burn, because of my age etc usually what i burn is more than the standard readings.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

I know this sounds kind of pedantic so i apologies but does it matter? Just aim for a good time over the distance..

edit.. i don't think i've ever looked at calories. I look for targets and goals.

 

[Clipsey]

if you're looking to improve yourself each time you attend, why not monitor what you accomplished and then better yourself?
Time - go for longer
Speed - go faster
incline - go harder/higher
Distance - go further
etc choose one (or as many as you like) and focus on improving that aspect of the workout.
As you mentioned the calories burned are wildly inaccurate (even from one machine to the next) so I'd rely more on other attributes which are easier to measure. Make sense?

 

[tom_e]

I know this sounds kind of pedantic so i apologies but does it matter? Just aim for a good time over the distance..

edit.. i don't think i've ever looked at calories. I look for targets and goals.

if you're looking to improve yourself each time you attend, why not monitor what you accomplished and then better yourself?
Time - go for longer
Speed - go faster
incline - go harder/higher
Distance - go further
etc choose one (or as many as you like) and focus on improving that aspect of the workout.
As you mentioned the calories burned are wildly inaccurate (even from one machine to the next) so I'd rely more on other attributes which are easier to measure. Make sense?

Both of these.

Ignore the kcals burnt and aim for something that can actually be measured properly and consistently.

 

[sare^baw's]

thanks for the advice guys, its gonna be tough but ill try and ignore the calories burned, it will be strange not having a measurement of how i performed but as already said its pretty meaningless anyway.

I do try and go faster or harder etc, always try and improve on a weekly basis, i always push myself.

So when it comes to the treadmill, is running faster a better goal than using an incline, assuming i dont want to run for too long ie 2 mile is fine in a session.

 

[Ayahuasca]

I've always used incline as it gets my heart rate higher than running unless I'm sprinting obviously but that's unsustainable for as long as walking at a strenuous pace at max incline is. Do what you enjoy though and don't get too hung up on how much you're burning.

 

[Gixer]

You can look at training by heart rate but you'd need a heart rate monitor to do this and a program / routine to follow. Otherwise simply pick another metric available on the machine as mentioned by others and aim to better it the next time you go to the gym.

On cycle machines I like to use average power output, on ergos I like to use the 500metre split time, on running machines I usually have a set distance, say 5k, and each time I'll aim to be quicker.

 

[Dave M]

the kcals on the machines is just a combination of difficulty, speed and time - it's as valid a target to measure against as any other, but is no more indicative of calories than the angle of incline is.

I use targets that are easily remembered and where the units are convenient (i.e. not odd fractions) - sometimes that is distance, sometimes time, and sometimes calories.

 

[D.P.]

The problem with using calories burned is it will go down as you loose weight for the same effort.
If you really want a reasonable measure of calories you need to use a heart rate monitor and something like a Garmin running watch while on a treadmill. But it won't work well on say an elliptical.

I would be hesitant to use speed as a goal for running it will only lead to injury. In general have goals that you can test at longer intervals, e.g once a month test yourself.

 

[sare^baw's]

thanks for the advice guys, i have made a mental note of what levels, speed and times im achieving, ill concentrate on improving on these.