Gym exercise bikes: Watts / calories readouts

KnightOfTheLongTights

Now I've always paid little attention to these, on the basis that they probably aren't too accurate, but they are sometimes useful to compare efforts from one session to another.

I like a couple of hard hours on the cross-trainer a week, and according to the meters I put out 300-310 watts (on average, range from 250 to 370) and use up 1,250-1,350 calories in the hour.

Now in comparison - if the measurements are comparable - on the bike I'm bloody useless. Putting out about 180 watts and burning about 700 cals an hour.

Now I'm assuming this is partly because on the cross-trainer you're using all four limbs and partly cos I have yet to build up my cycling legs? Or are these things just bollocks and I should ignore it altogether?

springtide9

Not sure why... but I've always found the x trainer to give calories burnt much higher than any other gym equipment.

I find 'efforts' pretty comparable between the rower and the bike.... so it makes me believe the x trainer is 'telling porkies'.

Find the watt output not much use - because the power output jumps around a lot (200-300-180-350 etc)... the cals/hour output for some reason seems more stable.

As for whether 700 cals/hr is good or bad.. well, it depends on your weight as well as the duration of the exercise.

As for accuracy of real cals, watts etc... I would take it as a pinch of salt... but as long as you call the figure carrots/hour or peanuts/hour etc ... then IMO it is useful to compare sessions.

KnightOfTheLongTights

agreed.

Anecdotally, 1,300 cals is A LOT to use up in an hour, which makes me too suspicious of the cross-trainer's claims. Although I do bury myself and am in bits afterwards.

On the contray, reading the amount of watts road cyclists are pumping out on the Road Training section, the gym bike is making me feel a bit puny ...