how to tell how much energy you're burning at the gym

[Skib]

hey, i've always wondered how much energy i burn when i'm at the gym... for cardio, the machines may give you a rough idea but even then i don't think they're very accurate... i figure i burn about 300 calories in a 20 minute cardio session... i use the cross trainer for 10 minutes and the bike for 10 minutes... the cross trainer asks for your weight and age before starting... how accurate would that be? it says i burn about 160 calories in a 10 minute session and the bike about 100... plus i usually bike/walk to and from the gym and always do a 5 minute warm-up run... i lift weights for about 45 min - 60 min fairly intensely... i don't lift to failure, but i'd say i lift a good amount for what i think my body can handle... so is there any way to get a rough idea of how many calories i'm burning at the gym? i'd really like to know how much i'm burning when i lift...

 

[Robboe]

There are general guides online (dunno where) that you can search for, or calculators for slightly more accurate readings, where you include your bodyweight and all that jazz.

What makes you wonder, out of my curiosity?

 

[Skib]

because i'm trying to lose a little weight and would just like to compare how much i burn at the gym to my daily intake... i'd say i take in around 2500-3000 a day...

ideally i'd like to try to put on a little muscle at the same time, but my goal is to lose a little fat first, so i'm just trying to keep my protein intake around 200 grams per day... i weigh about 195 and am 5'11...