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Elliptical Machine Calories Burned Confusion.

cassanova

cassanova

Sep 4, 2000
8,419
748
Florida
#1
I bought myself a fairly inexpensive elliptical machine a couple of days ago. I don't really trust the calories burned and heart rate monitor too much on it, so what I'm looking to find out is approximately how many calories this thing burns off with light to moderate exercise on it.

I'm 228.5 lbs, and have been doing two, stints of light to moderate exercise on the thing for a duration of 20 minutes each. According to myfitnesspal.com, it says 311 calories are burned off in that amount of time. Other sites have said 411, some as low as 172 for my weight. I'm clueless on which is the most accurate, and am hoping that others more experienced with the finer details like this, can chime in and give me their best approximation. The thing also serves as an exercise bike, so if you can input on that as well, I'd be very appreciative.
 
#2
No advice on the calories thing, but my dad got an elliptical and has lost a ton of weight the last year of exercising on it.

I hopped on it once and decided that I enjoy running outside more, but the elliptical machines are better for those with knee/ankle problems because they're lower impact. I'm young, so my body can handle the strain:P

Rambling over.

I wouldn't focus so much on the calories burned thing, you're gonna get different measurements anywhere you look. Just exercise and feel better as the weight leaves and more muscle builds:)
 
#4
I don't know about the calories thing, either. But I run on one 5 mornings a week, and love it (count me among the folks with the bad knees who can't run outside any more). When I started, I was about 195, and after about 7 years have maintained a weight of 175 for the past couple. I'm sure a lot of that is due to the machine.
 
#7
If you keep your heart rate in the weight loss zone (220 - [your age] * .8 * .8), then you should be burning about 900 calories/hour. So, that's approximately 300 calories in 20 minutes.
 
#9
cassanova said:
I bought myself a fairly inexpensive elliptical machine a couple of days ago. I don't really trust the calories burned and heart rate monitor too much on it, so what I'm looking to find out is approximately how many calories this thing burns off with light to moderate exercise on it.

I'm 228.5 lbs, and have been doing two, stints of light to moderate exercise on the thing for a duration of 20 minutes each. According to myfitnesspal.com, it says 311 calories are burned off in that amount of time. Other sites have said 411, some as low as 172 for my weight. I'm clueless on which is the most accurate, and am hoping that others more experienced with the finer details like this, can chime in and give me their best approximation. The thing also serves as an exercise bike, so if you can input on that as well, I'd be very appreciative.
Click to expand...

Light exercise does very little for cardio or fat loss. If your legs feel no different after the session, you haven't done anything to build muscle and keep burning fat. If they're pumped up and tired, it will make a difference. If you want to lose fat/weight, you should be tired after working out. Remember- fat is less dense than muscle, so you can lose fat and still gain weight because you have gained muscle.

Don't worry about the numbers- if you feel like you were rode hard and put away wet, you'll lose fat.

You posted that you're 228.5 lb- how tall are you, and have you been involved in sports in the past?
 
#10
1958Bassman said:
What age are you assuming and what time window is this using? 32 years and 10 minutes?
Click to expand...

Age is in the equation. So, for 32 years, it's 220-32*.8*.8=155. You need to keep your heart rate at 155 to burn fat. The max heart rate is 220-[your age] * .8, or in your case, 194. This is too fast to maintain, and is also too fast to actually do any good.
 
#11
tekdiver500ft said:
If you keep your heart rate in the weight loss zone (220 - [your age] * .8 * .8), then you should be burning about 900 calories/hour. So, that's approximately 300 calories in 20 minutes.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a HUGE amount of calories!

I do a lot of rowing and know rowing at 30 strokes a minute burns around 900 calories an hour!

I dont know if you have ever tried to maintain that pace for long but it is pretty much impossible!
Since rowing is so much more demanding than running i dont see how they can burn the same amount of calories!
 
#12
I'm not really sure if there's any accurate way to measure the calories you've lost. Seems like they are a lot of variables that can't really be factored in. Feel free to correct me, I'm just speculating.
 
#13
Calories burned also depends on the resistance of the machine. However, the actual result depends on how hard your body is working, not on what kind of machine you're using. Use the heart rate calculations and don't depend so much on what you're doing with the machine. More sophisticated machines will be closer on their calculations, but let's face it - 50 calories one way or another isn't worth worrying about. 500 calories is.
 
#14
duff beer said:
Elliptical machines are not as effective as claimed:

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

This may be true for people in their 20s and 30s who are bodybuilding for whatever reason. I'm a bass player and not a doctor, so I can't really say. But for older folks like me (pushing 50 in my case), the elliptical machine is a great way to get up and get moving every day without tearing your knees up further in the process. Beyond that, if you burn more calories than you take in, you'll lose weight, and a good percentage of that will be fat. For people looking to get healthier than they are without necessarily attempting to get in "walk around looking ripped with no shirt on" kind of condition, that's a win-win scenario.
 
#15
carlos840 said:
That sounds like a HUGE amount of calories!

I do a lot of rowing and know rowing at 30 strokes a minute burns around 900 calories an hour!

I dont know if you have ever tried to maintain that pace for long but it is pretty much impossible!
Since rowing is so much more demanding than running i dont see how they can burn the same amount of calories!
Click to expand...

I burn 900 calories an hour running, quite often. I weigh 200, and run 5-10 miles every day, and 20 miles once a week.
 
#16
The elliptical machine tries to evaluate calories burned based on the amount of work you've done, you HRM tries to evaluate it based on your heart rate. It's very difficult to say exactly, but I'd trust the heart rate monitor better, as they are more likely to have better programming.

I doubt the claim the elliptical machines would be useless for fat loss. If you're working out for 45 minutes, your average heart rate will tell pretty well how hard the exercise has been, regardless what kind of equipment is used. The body will not keep your heart rate up for no reason.

I think it's a benefit if you can make working out easy for yourself. Exercise needs to be done often - a single hard core session does little, if it takes you ten days to recover and get the mindset to hit the gym again. If the elliptical machine feels easier or makes it easier to control your heart rate, good. Not only it makes it nicer to exercise, but also that way you can fine-tune your workout closer to the top edge of your performance zone.
 
#17
I use an elliptical stepper. I don't know if this will help, but at 52 years old, 195 pounds, I burn 830 calories in 45 minutes at approximately 70 RPM. I'm pretty sure my machine gives an accurate calorie burn and heartrate.

Can't say my personal experience agrees that ellipticals are useless for fat/calorie burning or weight loss. I was around 240 pounds with an expanding waistline and using the elliptical I dropped 45 pounds in under one year. My t-shirt is pretty much soaked by the time my workout ends. I went from a 38" back to my normal 34" waist.

EDIT: Also, it's important to factor in machines that have hand holds for working upper body during the session. The closer to your heart you do cardio exersize (i.e. arms versus legs), the more efficiently and strenuously you work your cardiovascular system. Machines that have the hand holds and poles where you contribute with your arms are giving you a more efficient and challenging cardio workout.
 
#18
carlos840 said:
That sounds like a HUGE amount of calories!

I do a lot of rowing and know rowing at 30 strokes a minute burns around 900 calories an hour!

I dont know if you have ever tried to maintain that pace for long but it is pretty much impossible!
Since rowing is so much more demanding than running i dont see how they can burn the same amount of calories!
Click to expand...


I row for 45-minutes to an hour at 31 strokes per minute at least twice a week. Not impossible at all.


On heart rate monitoring vs. calories burned: if whatever monitoring your heartrate doesn't ask your rate, it's not going to be accurate.
 
#19
duff beer said:
Elliptical machines are not as effective as claimed:

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

This article is full of so many errors its not even funny. I don't care what his "credentials" are, or who he writes for - he's not only way off base, but contradicts himself several times in that article.
 

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