frustration with heart rate monitor

[jen buck]

Hi Cathe,

I just want to quickly say "thank you" and "YOU ROCK!!!"

Now for my question. I recently purchased a heart rate monitor to figure out my calorie burn. I have Imax 2 and KPC. When I do these workouts I am with you the entire time, I don't stop or modify any of it. (Needless to say I am drenched with sweat when I am done)

My heart rate monitor say I burn 250 calories. That is not many calories for those workouts. I've read other posts that say people are burning 400-500 calories. I am 5'7 and 132 lbs. My body is not quite Cathe's awsome shape, but I'm no slouch.

In put would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Jen

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Jen! I know you are burning way more than 250 calories in KPC and most definitely in IMAX 2 if you are giving it your all. I have never relied on heart rate monitors for ultimate accuracy. Keep on jumping, kicking, punching, and stepping! You are burning about 6 calories a minute in the warm up phase, 10 calories a minute in general activity phases, and 20 or more calories in the explosive phases. Keep up the great work!

 

[pooh8]

Cathe,

Are the numbers that you gave really true ??? That would be fantastic then ! However, alas, I know it doesn't hold true for me. I am only 95 pounds, and my heart rate monitor tells me that I burned about 200 calories for KPC and 292 calories for IMAX2. I do give my all, but somehow, the calorie burned number is much lower for someone at a lower weight. I only burn 420 calories during a 6-mile run

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Pooh8! Unfortunately there is no way to know what exactly you are burning unless you are hooked up to monitors in a lab setting. I am offering generalizations. A persons age, fitness level, genetic make up, etc. will also influence the calories burned. For instance, the more fit a person becomes the harder it is for them to continue burning the same amount of calories as they did when they first started doing that exact same activity.

Hope this helps!