gym equipment reality

When I go to the gym I almost always use a cardio machine. My favorite is the elliptical. Does anyone know how realistic the statistics are? At my gym I used the elliptical for twenty minutes at a medium pace with intervals of vigorous effort. The machine said I burned 240 cals. When I went to another gym and used their elliptical the calorie count was much lower....it could have been me, but it made me curious as to how trustworthy the counters are. Anyone know?

Their counters can get off track through use, as they aren't regularly calibrated.

Get a heart monitor. That's the only accurate way to tell how many calories you're really truly burning. 

Yep heart monitor ABSOLUTELY 10000%.  You'd be surprised at how wrong the calorie counter on those machines are!

~H~

Depends on the quality of the machine and its calibration.  Your own personal monitor will be more accurate.

No matter what guage the accuracy also about your results.  Are you acheiving your goal (i.e. losing weight, maintaining, etc...).  If you are then you can probably consider whatever tools you are using as fairly accurate.  Nothing will be perfect as each of our bodies are unique and all these tools are more geared for the average.

Most machines are set to calculate the calories for a person of average fitness who is about 150lbs, and they assume that you are doing the exercise correctly (i.e. not holding yourself up using the handrails on the stairmasters, using both arms and legs on the elliptical, not holding on while walking on the treadmill, etc). So assuming you weigh 150lbs, are of average fitness, and are doing the exercise correctly, you would burn approximately what is shown on the machine (again, it's just an approximation). 

Original Post by babyd:

Most machines are set to calculate the calories for a person of average fitness who is about 150lbs, and they assume that you are doing the exercise correctly (i.e. not holding yourself up using the handrails on the stairmasters, using both arms and legs on the elliptical, not holding on while walking on the treadmill, etc). So assuming you weigh 150lbs, are of average fitness, and are doing the exercise correctly, you would burn approximately what is shown on the machine (again, it's just an approximation). 

 

There are several machines that allow you to enter your weight and age that customize the output.  I am much more that 150 and have used many different gym machines in many of the ways you have described, and have lost almost 40 pounds in 6 months.  I would have to disagree with your assessment.  It may be nominally true, but I don't think it is that different whether you use arms or not on the elyptical makes that much of a difference.  I've noticed that I am able to move my legs harder when I do so I would think it kind of evens out.

Definately invest in the heart rate monitor.  The fitness desk at your gym will tell you that thos machines are in constant use and not always calibrated correctly.  A personal HRM will allow you to input YOUR specific data and measure YOUR heart-rate. 

Good Luck

When I use the elliptical machine my thighs burn so bad.  Is this normal?  I feel like I am doing something wrong.

Original Post by newwed97:

When I use the elliptical machine my thighs burn so bad. Is this normal? I feel like I am doing something wrong.

 I would ask one of the trainers in your gym for advice on that. We honestly cannot tell you without watching you.

Ok, so y'all have very nearly convinced me to go out and get a heart rate monitor.  Where should I go to get one?

Hmmm I just go by the distance and the time and avg MPH to get my calories burned on an elip. My bike has heart rate mon in the handles and I never use them. LOL

If you have the cash body buggs are really cool though.




 

body bug is too pricey.....look into POLAR.com at their monitors.  They may have a list of distributors....I bet amazon.com has them as well.  They have some great ones under $100.

You'll LOVE it!