Tracking Calories Burned Question

[pamgatlin]

A couple of months ago I purchased a Polar Loop with the chest strap monitor to use as a HRM during my workouts. I workout in my home 6 days a week at the same time each day. Right now, I'm doing an Xtrain rotation (although I mix up the cardio with similar Cathe dvds). Some of the other cardio I use are X10, To the max, Kick Max, Afterburn, etc... (I have all of her DVDs that don't use much step aerobics due to lack coordination ). I also have a spin bike in the same room. Usually about once per week, I do a spin workouts (usually either Pedal Power, Xtrain Ride, or Cycle Max). Surprisingly, I consistently burn fewer calories according to my HRM doing the spin workouts. I say surprisingly, because I sweat BUCKETS, more than other workouts, and feel like I'm working harder. However, according to my HRM, I burn the most calories during Kick Max and Kick, Punch Crunch. Like I said, I work out at the same time each morning in the same room. Could my HRM be wrong?

 

[lisa_la_machina]

A couple of months ago I purchased a Polar Loop with the chest strap monitor to use as a HRM during my workouts. I workout in my home 6 days a week at the same time each day. Right now, I'm doing an Xtrain rotation (although I mix up the cardio with similar Cathe dvds). Some of the other cardio I use are X10, To the max, Kick Max, Afterburn, etc... (I have all of her DVDs that don't use much step aerobics due to lack coordination ). I also have a spin bike in the same room. Usually about once per week, I do a spin workouts (usually either Pedal Power, Xtrain Ride, or Cycle Max). Surprisingly, I consistently burn fewer calories according to my HRM doing the spin workouts. I say surprisingly, because I sweat BUCKETS, more than other workouts, and feel like I'm working harder. However, according to my HRM, I burn the most calories during Kick Max and Kick, Punch Crunch. Like I said, I work out at the same time each morning in the same room. Could my HRM be wrong?

Check to see if your HRM watch is losing the chest strap's signal during your workout. I have had the problem in spinning classes where my HRM watch has lost the signal because the forward leaning motion of cycling has shifted my chest strap. I just keep an eye on my watch to make sure the signal is consistent, and also secure my chest strap as high and tight as I comfortably can. (Boy, that really sounds like I'm describing a good bra. )

ETA: Forgot to mention that my experience is that the amount of sweat doesn't necessarily correlate with the amount of calories burned. I think of workouts like Turbo Barre where I'm sweaty, wobbly, shaky during the entire thing, but it is lower calorie burner for me. Makes me feel amazing, though, and isn't that the best part of working out?