How do you count calories burned from cardio?

[M. Tugboat]

I think we all know that the readings on the cardio machines are inaccurate, so what I do is that I watch my heart rate and I just put the number along with how long I run.

But yesterday I was running for 90 minutes and my heart rate was anywhere from 120 to 190-200, so at the end of my session the treadmill said that my average heart rate was 180.

So what do I do? Do I put 180 for 90 minutes? Or I take everything on its own and add it up, like 120 for 30, 150 for 20, 180 for 10 etc etc?

What would give me a more accurate number?

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I would just use the number on the machine as relative measure. Today, you did x mins for y calories. Tomorrow, based on your goal, use that to do a mins for b calories.

Make sense?

If the goal is cardio endurance, then cals don’t matter and you’ll have to adjust intensity by either length or effort. Not easy to “track” unless you use a specific format like HIIT.

 

[M. Tugboat]

I would just use the number on the machine as relative measure. Today, you did x mins for y calories. Tomorrow, based on your goal, use that to do a mins for b calories.

Make sense?

If the goal is cardio endurance, then cals don’t matter and you’ll have to adjust intensity by either length or effort. Not easy to “track” unless you use a specific format like HIIT.

Weight loss is the goal.

And how is HIIT easy to track?

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Because HIIT should be very simple:
-X number of intervals
-y seconds of sprint
-z seconds of rest

to make it harder you either increase sprint time, decrease rest time, or simply do more intervals.

 

[johntt44]

I use one of those online calculators and just figure that it's relatively close. I actually go ride my bicycle.