Calorie calculation and the gym - how...
26 June 2006, 08:21 PM
#1
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Calorie calculation and the gym - how...
accurate is it and how do they work it out?
I mentioned it to the Mrs because i've been going to the gym for a few weeks now and I said how can a machine tell you how many calories you have burnt when its not got your weight and muscle mass to take into consideration? She said thats not how it works and that if she did the same time and distance on a rowing machine etc as me she would burn the same number of calories as me. I said thats impossible because if I weigh nearly twice as much as she does I have to do a lot more work, ie use up a lot more energy, to move myself than she would and so I would burn more calories. She said it doesn't work like that but surely the laws of physics say thats exactly how it works, the bigger the mass the more energy is required to move it?
Her argument is that she has smaller muscles so has to work harder. This maybe the case but surely one person doing a certain distance in a certain time at a certain resistance will burn a different number of calories to someone else doing the same excercise?
I mentioned it to the Mrs because i've been going to the gym for a few weeks now and I said how can a machine tell you how many calories you have burnt when its not got your weight and muscle mass to take into consideration? She said thats not how it works and that if she did the same time and distance on a rowing machine etc as me she would burn the same number of calories as me. I said thats impossible because if I weigh nearly twice as much as she does I have to do a lot more work, ie use up a lot more energy, to move myself than she would and so I would burn more calories. She said it doesn't work like that but surely the laws of physics say thats exactly how it works, the bigger the mass the more energy is required to move it?
Her argument is that she has smaller muscles so has to work harder. This maybe the case but surely one person doing a certain distance in a certain time at a certain resistance will burn a different number of calories to someone else doing the same excercise?
Last edited by Bravo2zero_sps; 26 June 2006 at 08:23 PM.
27 June 2006, 08:54 AM
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you are right
calorie calculations on gym equipment is just an estimate
some of the gym machines will allow you to enter your body weight and give u a more accurate estimate, but its still an estimate
if its lower bodyfat u want, its all about the diet
calorie calculations on gym equipment is just an estimate
some of the gym machines will allow you to enter your body weight and give u a more accurate estimate, but its still an estimate
if its lower bodyfat u want, its all about the diet
27 June 2006, 09:05 AM
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Thanks Milo. Diet I have been trying to keep to as little number of calories as possible. Binned everything I had before, replaced cereal in the morning with a slim fast cereal bar (206 calories) because its actually got a shed load of minerals and vitamins in it compared to anything else similar and tastes nice to boot and is supposed to be a meal on its own. Replaced sandwiches (previously 2 rounds of thick bread) with an apple, pear and banana or two at lunch and then in the evening a normal meal but trying to keep to fish or chicken with just a couple of potaotes and some veg. Going to the gym 3 times a week at the moment (can't do too much having done no excersise for 15 years+).
Lost a stone in 3 weeks so far and now starting to struggle with the diet as i'm frigging starving lol.
Lost a stone in 3 weeks so far and now starting to struggle with the diet as i'm frigging starving lol.
27 June 2006, 02:10 PM
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you should never be hungry on a diet (of course u should never be full either)
you want to be eating small meals frequently and keeping your protein high. the fact that you're eating a 200 calorie breakfast and probably 100-200 calories from fruit at lunch means that you're starving your body... the fact that you're struggling and are hungry is a sure sign that you've slowed your metabolism down, which is never a good thing
you want to be eating small meals frequently and keeping your protein high. the fact that you're eating a 200 calorie breakfast and probably 100-200 calories from fruit at lunch means that you're starving your body... the fact that you're struggling and are hungry is a sure sign that you've slowed your metabolism down, which is never a good thing
27 June 2006, 02:23 PM
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OK so what would be good things to snack on during the day apart from fruit? When I say i'm still hungry thats through habit more than anything. I was a greedy git and would eat too much previously and thats why i'm always hungry because i'm not being the greedy bastid I was before.
I'm not too bad while i'm at work, the cereal bar and fruit plus lots of water doesn't really make me hungry, its the evening time I wan't to eat loads and again I think this is through habit more than hunger.
I'm not too bad while i'm at work, the cereal bar and fruit plus lots of water doesn't really make me hungry, its the evening time I wan't to eat loads and again I think this is through habit more than hunger.
27 June 2006, 02:43 PM
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"She said thats not how it works and that if she did the same time and distance on a rowing machine etc as me she would burn the same number of calories as me."
she sounds better off going back to school instead of the gym!
she sounds better off going back to school instead of the gym!
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27 June 2006, 07:59 PM
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Different people will burn up different numbers of calories - that's true; same time and distance on a rowing machine doesn't mean same amount of work done, you could have an efficient or inefficient style, different levels of metabolism etc, apart from the amount of "wasted" energy accelerating and decallreating your own mass. If you're much fitter, you'll tend to burn calories more efficiently and therefore use less for the same distance. Heavier / fatter people will tend to need to use more for the same time and distance - but they will tend to be slower for the same distance than a slim, fit person. About the only thing you can say very reliably is that people are all different.
If you're aiming to burn fat on a rowing machine etc, you need to be training at the right sort of heart rate (typically 60-70% of your maximum), continuously for decent periods; I'd suggest 30 mins - 1 hr continuously each session, pending getting fit enough to do so safely etc. Enough of the right training will get your body to burn fat more reliably and consistently, and improve your core fitness - meaning you'll go faster for the same calory burn. However, whilst it will make a difference to your fat content by burning fat, as Milo says the biggest factor by far is diet.
If you're aiming to burn fat on a rowing machine etc, you need to be training at the right sort of heart rate (typically 60-70% of your maximum), continuously for decent periods; I'd suggest 30 mins - 1 hr continuously each session, pending getting fit enough to do so safely etc. Enough of the right training will get your body to burn fat more reliably and consistently, and improve your core fitness - meaning you'll go faster for the same calory burn. However, whilst it will make a difference to your fat content by burning fat, as Milo says the biggest factor by far is diet.
27 June 2006, 08:21 PM
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Cheers Hades. The first 20 minutes I spend on a bike. The instructor wrote me a plan. I have to keep to between 70-80 rpm for the 20 minutes. When I started off my heart reat was going upto 150 by the end of the 20 minutes. Now its going up to about 135 for exactly the same resistance/time etc and I actually find the rpm's increasing 3/4 of the way through now as I am finding it easier than when I started so its definately working. As my heart rate comes down I wil increase the resistance over time.
I then do 1000m on the rowing machine aiming for no more than 2mins 15 seconds for 500m. The quickest I managed so far was 4 mins 6 secs for the 1000m but my heart rate must have gone very high as it felt like my chest was going to explode so have gone back to pacing and aiming to keep to 4mins 30 secs for the 1000m until I find it easier/lower heart rate. The rest of the gym work out is uper body weights (my legs don't need working out with weights). Its working on chest arms and shoulders but the beer gut isn't going so i'm going to have to start doing the sit ups/crunches I was told to do and haven't so far. The diet is the hardest thing out of all of it.
I then do 1000m on the rowing machine aiming for no more than 2mins 15 seconds for 500m. The quickest I managed so far was 4 mins 6 secs for the 1000m but my heart rate must have gone very high as it felt like my chest was going to explode so have gone back to pacing and aiming to keep to 4mins 30 secs for the 1000m until I find it easier/lower heart rate. The rest of the gym work out is uper body weights (my legs don't need working out with weights). Its working on chest arms and shoulders but the beer gut isn't going so i'm going to have to start doing the sit ups/crunches I was told to do and haven't so far. The diet is the hardest thing out of all of it.
28 June 2006, 10:35 AM
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I’ve been into Boxing since the age 14, I had a major accident at 13 which meant I was was off my feet for 6 months (wheelchair), then 6 months learning to walk again. TBH – I never thought I would be able to actually get into it, let alone compete in the ABA’s or on the Semi Pro circuit – which resulted in another injury from which I decided to give up, and just continue doing the fitness training, and training Kids
14 – 17 I was in my “prime” - at 18 I discovered drinking (don’t we all!!) needless to say I started piling the weight back on, quit and enjoyed the finer things in life. At 20 I started again, I needed to loose the belly, kept this up for about a year, then due to loosing my father I quit to support my family (NHS Negligence – which we proved, later reffered to the General Medical Council where the doctor has recently been found – LAST WEEK - to be Misconduct!)
At 23 I started back again, Quit at 24 again due to personal reasons, started again at 26, lost 3 stone in weight (In 4 months), down from 17st to 14st, then back upto 15.3st (1.3st of muscle gained) – now about 16st
I still have the belly, but that’s partly my own fault from drinking! However The point I am making here, is that different sorts of training and exercise looses weight differently (I am into weight training also!)
Boxing Is mainly cardio – Running, weights, skipping, Bag & Pad work, Sparring, Press/Sit Ups. I’ve never really gone to a mainstream Gym, never had to – I was lucky enough to have a personal trainer (someone who @ 64 years of age, still trains me & trains everyday himself! With 50 yrs boxing experience too!) So I never looked into a commercial gym, more so (partly down to the fact) that I knew what I needed to do to loose the weight on certain areas of my body
As mentioned in previous replies, eating is a major factor & diets. Most of my mates are into Power lifting, weight training etc. & they eat 6 times a day, but they burn this off by doing specific routines daily, which Is another point here, Don’t look at specifically cutting all the good stuff out, more at balancing your eating regime in line with your excercise
Just thought I’d share
14 – 17 I was in my “prime” - at 18 I discovered drinking (don’t we all!!) needless to say I started piling the weight back on, quit and enjoyed the finer things in life. At 20 I started again, I needed to loose the belly, kept this up for about a year, then due to loosing my father I quit to support my family (NHS Negligence – which we proved, later reffered to the General Medical Council where the doctor has recently been found – LAST WEEK - to be Misconduct!)
At 23 I started back again, Quit at 24 again due to personal reasons, started again at 26, lost 3 stone in weight (In 4 months), down from 17st to 14st, then back upto 15.3st (1.3st of muscle gained) – now about 16st
I still have the belly, but that’s partly my own fault from drinking! However The point I am making here, is that different sorts of training and exercise looses weight differently (I am into weight training also!)
Boxing Is mainly cardio – Running, weights, skipping, Bag & Pad work, Sparring, Press/Sit Ups. I’ve never really gone to a mainstream Gym, never had to – I was lucky enough to have a personal trainer (someone who @ 64 years of age, still trains me & trains everyday himself! With 50 yrs boxing experience too!) So I never looked into a commercial gym, more so (partly down to the fact) that I knew what I needed to do to loose the weight on certain areas of my body
As mentioned in previous replies, eating is a major factor & diets. Most of my mates are into Power lifting, weight training etc. & they eat 6 times a day, but they burn this off by doing specific routines daily, which Is another point here, Don’t look at specifically cutting all the good stuff out, more at balancing your eating regime in line with your excercise
Just thought I’d share
Last edited by RMA26; 28 June 2006 at 10:47 AM.
28 June 2006, 10:43 AM
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Good thread B20 - I've just started going to the gym a couple of weeks ago too - after 3 years of running a pub its time to shift the backlog of beer and kebabs 
- Had 2 months of healthy-ish eating and seriously decreased alcohol consumption and so far I've lost about a stone, but the difference in how positive I feel about myself has changed big style since I started going to the gym. Even after two weeks I feel noticeably fitter and am able to do a lot more cardio than I could in the first week without feeling tired/achey the next day.
Some very good advice given in this thread
- Had 2 months of healthy-ish eating and seriously decreased alcohol consumption and so far I've lost about a stone, but the difference in how positive I feel about myself has changed big style since I started going to the gym. Even after two weeks I feel noticeably fitter and am able to do a lot more cardio than I could in the first week without feeling tired/achey the next day.Some very good advice given in this thread
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