I"ve been doing spin classes at a gym that I've recently joined. The instructors begin the class with "lets burn 1500 calories tonight!" What? Does spin really burn that many calories? So I did a little research and if you're at least 250 lbs, going 12-14 mph for 60 minutes then you would burn 1200 calories. But I'm only burning approximately 500 .

That means I need to work way harder in that class! Aww man!

heck i could'nt go 12-14 mph for 60 min. lol

I know! That's like some Lance Armstrong stuff lol!

Lance Armstrong more like the flash combined with the Iron Man's imperviousness and the hulk's strength included. lol

I've just started spinning maybe 3 weeks ago and I burn 500-600. Really depends on the workout and the instructor and of course your height/weight. Intervalls will really get my calories burned up there a lot fast then just speed work. And most of the time you do something different every class so it's hard to estimate until the class is over and ive checked my heart rate monitor. The spinning shoes have made a difference i've noticed to, just bought them and in 2 classes i've used them in the calories has jumped up to 700+burned. I think it has to do with using more of your leg muscles when your locked into the pedals?? no idea but I like that I burn more and my feet no longer hurt.

I burn between 900 - 1200 cals in my spinning class, but I take the advanced class (even as a beginner) I have really good cardio so I can really push myself ... we get 'options' to make work outs harder, and I don't miss any options ... but all the same 500 cals in an hour ain't that bad, but I can burn that in 30 minutes between treadmil intervals and elipticle keeping it at above 80 strides per minute ... it's all how HARD you work out ... make the most of what you got

I only burn about 370 in a 45 minute class, and that's going REALLY hard. I hate being small.

At 91 kg body wt, running 7.2 mph and 0.5% grade on the treadmill, I STILL am not up to 1200 Cal/hr.

Don't know your wt, but at 75 kg, you would have to average at least 9 mph running on a treadmill for 30 min to burn 500 Calories.

If you are getting your numbers from an HRM, I suspect your setup is off (HRmax is set too low and/or VO2max set too high).

I get my #'s from the treadmil.

in 5 minute intervals for 20 mins I do

1-5: 8.0 MPH run
5-10 7.5 with a 5% inclind
10-15 9.0 mph sprint 2% incline
15-20 min 6.5 mph @ 6.5 % incline

that's over 300 Cals
Cool off for 2 mins, hit the elipticle for level 10 at 80 +strides per minute session, burns over 180 + cals

again using the machines. I can't afford heart rate monitor ... I'm a distance runner, been running since 2002 ... I prefer shorter, harder runs compared to way longer ones but in the summer I run outside, this treadmil routine my PT gave me for winter

Cool numbers!

Shows how long it has been since I have been around an athlete in their 20s--or was in my 20s myself.

I am assuming you do races--and rack up some pretty good times.

Yikes... 1500 cals in a spinning class?

I'd say get those wheels outside and get some fresh air. 1500 cals is too many for most folks in a spinning class, but they would get a free ticket to walk like a cowboy. I LOVE cycling but it has to be outside.

Serenifly, that's a killer workout and you've earned every cal of those 300 burned. That last 5min doing an active recovery at 6.5% grade... that's gotta suck.

I do a two minute cool down at 4.2 then hop on the elliptical . .. some days are easier than others ... Another good 20 minute calorie blaster cardio work out is the body for life stairmaster work out ...

http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/cardiotraining.asp

I was a competitive runner for many years and know the drill. When I had to do the health club workout for whatever reason I'd rotate machine's just like you do. Working the 20min limit to the MAX.

I am soooo past health clubs now. I have a good treadmill and eliptical at home but always prefer fresh air.

I take a spinning class several times a week. This morning I asked the girl next to me who had a HRM how many cals she burned... she consulted her HRM and replied 630 cals. Not sure if 800 to 1500 cals is realistic.

I use a gps heart rate monitor that doesn't tell calories unless I'm outside. Inside I just use it for as a gauge of my heart rate. I found this website that I plug in my stats to and 1500 cals seems quite unrealistic. Even if my hr is at an average of 170, as it was this morning at spin, I only burned 578 in 45 mins and I am not a small girl.

http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm

I work my butt off in spin classes and the most I have ever burned in an hour was 625. I think it is quite unrealistic to burn much more than that in an hour!!