Elliptical Machine Calories Burned Confusion.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I wouldn't bother about the specific numbers.

On machines, use them as a relative guide to know how much "work done" you've gotten in, either for keeping it stable or to try and better it.

If you want to work on weight loss, keep a track of the weight you are loosing, if you want to loose a bit more, eat a bit less and do a bit more.

If you want fitness, simply try to keep bettering your calorific "score" or the time you can maintain that rate for.

 

[carlos840]

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.

Man, you're a beast!

No way i can last more than 20, 25 min at that pace!

I usually do 10 min at 30/32 then 5 min at 25 then back to 30ish and cycle like that till im done!

 

[cassanova]

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.

Thank you. The heart rate calculation is going to be very useful to me. I also just punched in 60 min of working out on an elliptical on myfitnesspal.com and the cals burned was very close to the figure you just gave me. Just a difference of 33 calories.

My t-shirt is pretty much soaked by the time my workout ends.

Thats how my t-shirt and shorts are when I'm done with a 20 minute stint on this thing. I can ring the shirt out like a sponge I'm sweating so profusely.

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.

What you said here leads me to another question. Are you supposed to pull/pull the hand holds or just loosely hold them and let them guide you? I've been doing a light grip on them, because I was told by one person that holding them tightly would make the workout easier and less efficient.

 

[cassanova]

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.

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

Always feel like that when I get off that thing or get finished with my runs. I'm not feeling it so much after my walks anymore, so I needed something that would step it up a bit.

You posted that you're 228.5 lb- how tall are you, and have you been involved in sports in the past?

5'10". Yes on the sports, but that was high school, had to also do PT regularly while in the Marines.

 

[electracoyote]

Thats how my t-shirt and shorts are when I'm done with a 20 minute stint on this thing. I can ring the shirt out like a sponge I'm sweating so profusely.

Well, depending on how out of shape you are, it almost sounds like you are working in anaerobic mode, with high resistance on the machine. You may be getting the equivalent of a leg strength training workout instead of an all-around cardio workout. Strength training will burn substantial calories, but not as quickly and efficiently as cardio training.

What you said here leads me to another question. Are you supposed to pull/pull the hand holds or just loosely hold them and let them guide you? I've been doing a light grip on them, because I was told by one person that holding them tightly would make the workout easier and less efficient.

I get my arms in on the workout, equal amounts upper and lower body. I keep my RPM's relatively high and resistance about medium to ensure I'm in cardio mode. Keeping your heart rate in the 75% zone is a good way to monitor what mode you're in. Working appendages closer to your heart is definitely a good thing if cardio is your goal.

Exerting your upper body will take some of the pressure off your legs, but it shouldn't make the workout necessarily any "easier." If it feels that way, you can just put more resistance on the machine.

Exerting your upper body will have the same kind of toning properties and effects that your legs would get. I think upper body resistance is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of elliptical machines.

 

[daff]

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.

He's also attempting to sell his own workout in the same breath.

 

[f.c.geil]

Yes, use your arms. This is the only way to use an elliptical, really. Using just your legs doesn't do you much good, especially as it can screw up your form, and become detrimental.

 

[cassanova]

Well, depending on how out of shape you are, it almost sounds like you are working in anaerobic mode, with high resistance on the machine. You may be getting the equivalent of a leg strength training workout instead of an all-around cardio workout. Strength training will burn substantial calories, but not as quickly and efficiently as cardio training.

I'm still trying to find a good resistance level on the thing. Last night I jacked the resistance up pretty high and would lower it if need be. The first couple of times I used it, the resistance was quite low, and my legs were on fire really quickly, but I know that was an aerobic workout.

I get my arms in on the workout, equal amounts upper and lower body. I keep my RPM's relatively high and resistance about medium to ensure I'm in cardio mode. Keeping your heart rate in the 75% zone is a good way to monitor what mode you're in. Working appendages closer to your heart is definitely a good thing if cardio is your goal.

Exerting your upper body will take some of the pressure off your legs, but it shouldn't make the workout necessarily any "easier." If it feels that way, you can just put more resistance on the machine.

Exerting your upper body will have the same kind of toning properties and effects that your legs would get. I think upper body resistance is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of elliptical machines.

I tried getting the arms in today, I still think I'm doing something wrong with the upper body aspects of the machine. I was trying to give it good tugs and shoves, but it didnt feel natural to me like doing free weights does. I think its something with the limited range of motion, that made it feel like I couldn't effectively work out the upper body as good as I could. I didn't feel a burn or anything that I normally do with free weights. So I think I'm doing something wrong there. Hell if I know for sure though.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

With the arms, lately I lean into the armbars and crouch a little while running, This gives me good resistance on all 4 limbs. I don't know know if this is "accepted" practice or not, but it seems to keep me a little sore.

 

[f.c.geil]

If I'm understanding you, Chris, that's an excellent practice. The idea is to mimic climbing the stairs, so your form sounds about right.

 

[electracoyote]

I tried getting the arms in today, I still think I'm doing something wrong with the upper body aspects of the machine. I was trying to give it good tugs and shoves, but it didnt feel natural to me like doing free weights does. I think its something with the limited range of motion, that made it feel like I couldn't effectively work out the upper body as good as I could. I didn't feel a burn or anything that I normally do with free weights. So I think I'm doing something wrong there. Hell if I know for sure though.

FWIW, I never have gotten much of a burn in my upper body from an elliptical stepper. I'm probably not using enough resistance for that. And now my body has aclimated to the machine, so I need to mix things up and go out running to keep fooling my body into working a little harder. I know it can be used in many ways, but for me the elliptical has always been a way to reach my target heart rate, keep it there for an extended time period, and have a low-impact calorie-burning aerobic workout.

If you're sweating through a t-shirt, that's a pretty good sign.

 

[cassanova]

FWIW, I never have gotten much of a burn in my upper body from an elliptical stepper. I'm probably not using enough resistance for that. And now my body has aclimated to the machine, so I need to mix things up and go out running to keep fooling my body into working a little harder. I know it can be used in many ways, but for me the elliptical has always been a way to reach my target heart rate, keep it there for an extended time period, and have a low-impact calorie-burning aerobic workout.

If you're sweating through a t-shirt, that's a pretty good sign.

That's what I'm trying to do. Mix things up a bit. Some days I'll walk a few miles for about an hour, others I'll run the same course, now I'm incorporating the machine into the mix.

Truth be told, I never really paid attention to my actual heart rate. I knew you have to elevate it to burn calories, but I would just set out for a walk and make sure I could "feel it," then when I got home, I'd do the math and calculate how many mph my pace was, and input it on the site I use. It's been working pretty well for me like that so far, so I never really questioned it until now.

 

[aborgman]

Since rowing is so much more demanding than running i dont see how they can burn the same amount of calories!

If you're comparing running at a rate which burns 900 calories per hour and rowing at a rate which burns 900 calories per hour - rowing ISN'T "so much more demanding"... it's exactly the same demand (in terms of energy output).