Are Calorie Counters Accurate?

Do you input your age and weight into the machine? The treadmill at the YMCA I go to assumes you're 150 lbs unless you do. If you let it adjust for your weight, it should be fairly, but not totally, accurate.

 

Ever since I have seen machines that possess these counters I have always wondered if they were correct in measuring the amount of calories burns while doing whatever exercise you are doing. So, do you burn more if you weigh more or how does that work?

 

3 mph? thats like walking speed, turn it up to 4.5 at least for jogging, or try to pump it up a bit to see your limits, when you get to like 5 mph in 2 miles you should burn over 275 cals

 

If you do the same workout (2 miles @ 3 MPH) then you'd burn more calories if you weigh more simply because you have to do more work to move the additional weight around. But it doesn't really take into account your height, build type, whether the weight is muscle or fat, or your metabolism. So while weight is probably the most important factor, there are a bunch the machine doesn't take into account. It's probably generally accurate to a degree but it can't be 100% dead on.

 

I think I started somewhere around 4.8 and have worked it up to 6 and do about 3.5 miles burning over 400 calories.

 

I'm not sure if they are accurate or not, but to burn more calories you might want to do high intensity training (HIIT) instead. Basically run as fast as you can for 30 seconds and then run at a slower moderate pace for 30 seconds. Do this for 12 minutes. I guarantee you will see quicker, better results. Its also more fun.

I've never done the HIIT on a treadmill, its a bit easier on a track I think though.

 

A little over a year ago I sprained my ankle running, and I couldn't put any weight on it. I had never used any of the machines at the gym, but I knew I had to, so I got on the elliptical machine. That thing is pretty incredible. Bring your ipod, stay on it for two hours or so, and your set.

I think the calorie things are right on those, but I don't know really use them. You should just pace your workout by your intensity and the time you are doing it. After my ankle got better I went back to running because you can be on there for so long, and not know when to quit. Plus, I would try and (stupidly) compete with strangers (unbeknown to them) to see which of us would "last" longer...I totally whooped their ass, and they had no idea. The machines are fun too, because they have like "mountains" you can climb, and other things on the screen in front of you.

I don't know...it felt a little weird at first, but it is a lot better than the treadmill.

 

Lol, we got a little Walter Mitty on our hands. jk. I do watch sometimes how fast other people are going or how long they have been running just to see if my cardio last as long as theirs. Reason is I never know how fast it appears I am going, so thus I look at other people's speed to see how fast I am going in relation to them. (this probably makes no sense to anyone).

That ellipses machine in the picture is really good.

By the way, does anyone know why people put towels over the electronic counter/clock of the treadmills and bikes,etc..? I like to constantly see how much I've run and at what speed, so it always seems a bit odd to me. Plus watching the counter clock gives me motivation knowing it is about to counting down time. If I wasnt able to see the clock, it would seem like a never ending run.

 

Most people think the opposite... It's like sitting in a boring class and constantly checking your watch. If you keep looking at it, it seems to go slower.

 

I would do it, though. Whenever someone got on, I couldn't get off mine until they left. I would get into the mindset that they probably thought that I had only been on for like thirty minutes or something, so I had to stay longer (as if they cared at all). I'm pretty stupid...

 

yeah you can have a lot thoughts going on in your head when your working out.

when really you should just be focusing on yourself instead of worrying about what other people are doing.

pretty funny though.

 

Yep, which is why I am now relegated to running in the morning, while mostly old people walk. Too much potential for passive aggression at the gym.

 

I haven't seen the actual answer to the OP's question in this thread (unless I missed it, which is very possible), but here it is:

The calorie counts on machines are notoriously INACCURATE.

 

I think they're ok guestimates. If I was really studious, I would buy a personal calorie counter and compare the 2 results, but I leave the gym drenched in sweat everyday so I think I'm working hard.

But cardio is possibly the most boring activity possible, does anyone know of a Bally's that has an ellptical machine with a tv on it? I've used those before and you can control what you watch, it kicks ass.

 

Don't mean to be an A-hole but at 2 miles in 30 min your not jogging your taking a stroll. If your setting it a 3.0 that most likely means your walking at a pace of 3 miles an hr. I'm no math major but 30 min @ this speed means you've only completed 1.5 miles.

But the answer on the calories counters is no. They are not completely accurate.

 

I'm curious about this, also.

As far as I'm coincerned, I'm in the twilight of having a body I'm proud of.

 

damn man, two hours? i hate wasting 30 mins running much less 2 hours on a machine.

 

The difference between running and the elliptical is that no weight is put on your legs. If you don't pay attention to the time, it usually goes by fast. When I get older, and know I can't really run that well anymore, I'm definitely buying one of those.

 

probably to keep the Walter Mittys of the world from competing with them

I prefer Music on my walking/jogging/etc
I basically say the Average song is like 3 minutes
10 songs for 30 minutes
20 songs for an hour

I still have a counter but . . . i try to get lost in the music

Rocket River