Tracking Gym Activity with FitBit

[jakbos]

I like to use the Cybex Arc trainer at my gym as part of my workout.  Unfortunately, FitBit activity logger has no idea what the Arc trainer is and cannot track my activity accurately.  Do you run into similar situations? And if so, how do you resolve it?  Thank you!

[HarleyKB]

I use my Surge to track heartrate and calories burned using the  "Workout" activity on machines then take the Mileage off the machine since they are able to track that accurately.  I manualy enter mine as a Run or a custom activity and delete the "Workout" that I used to track the activity.  That seems to be the most accurate way for me to get the data.

Ken

[USAF-Larry]

I do multiple things when at the gym, from walking on the treadmill to doing bench presses to doing stationary bike, etc..  So, when I come out of the locker room, I press the button on the side o fthe HR until it vibrates to start the timer, and then when I head back to the locker room, I press it again to stop it. Later, on the Dashboard, I change that "Workout" to "Gym". It tracks the heart rate, calories, and HR Zone for the duration of that workout, which is what I am interested in.

[jakbos]

Thank you both for your responses.  I use the FitBit Charge and have a seprate heart rate monitor that I haven't used in a while.  I may have to either upgrade my FitBit or dust off my hr monitor to track my activity accurately.  

[emili]

I agree with you.. anything with an HR is the only way to get close to accurate for working out. Dust it off so you at least have a gauge of how much you burn so you can adjust to it when you log it. If you love the data and hate dual trackers, upgrade. You are already in the community so doing your homework on which fitbit will meet your need will be a breeze. Good luck!

[SoBeBest]

I'm interested in the same information.  I completed 30 minutes this morning and it only captured 1/4 of the work, leaving me extra perturbed.

[Libhott]

I've had the same trouble with the Arc Trainer. I manually log my workout using the data from the Arc display when I finish. But it only gives me time and calories burned, not steps.  I read somewhere that you can put your Fitbit in your sock to get steps, but of course you can't see it.  The Arc shows HR and time, so I guess that's okay. I'll give it a try next time and let you know. 

[Dominique]

If you are logging your activity for weight loss purposes, steps are mostly irrelevant: it’s calories that matter. You shouldn’t bother finding tricks to get more steps. I have no idea what an Arc Trainer is, but cardio equipments (treadmills, ellipticals, rowers etc.) that claim to calculate calories burned during a workout are most likely not going to be as accurate as your Fitbit. Your Fitbit has all your personal information (age, sex, weight, height), which the gym’s equipments usually haven’t.

[LauraJane4]

I used to have this issue when I got the fitbit flex years ago. I would do a 1 hour boxing session and my fitbit would say 0 active minutes.. which is insane because the workout was very intense!! However since I upgraded to my blaze I haven't had any issues. I just select workout mode from my watch & it tracks my heart rate/calories burned 🙂 for me the heart rate is what I look at most, to see how many minutes I was in fat burning mode and how many minutes I was at my peak 🙂 

[Libhott]

Thanks for your prompt response. Step count is important to me because I find the 10,000/day goal very motivating. I'm more interested in fitness than weight loss. I am a 57-yr old who needs to be more active for general health. I go to a gym and use the Cybex Arc Trainer for cardio, which is best described as a cross between an elliptical and a stair climber.  It's a serious workout for me when used properly and I wanted my Fitbit to give me credit for the 40 minutes I spend on the trainer 3-4 days per week.  I tried the Fitbit in a snug sock today with the sensor just above the inside of my ankle.  It registered 2,748 steps which may not be totally accurate, but is better than having nothing to show for my effort!

[Samsezcool]

I belive you can log into Elliptical workout

[Libhott]

Yes, that’s what the Fitbit sensed that it was yesterday. I didn’t manually start and stop the workout just to see. Thanks so much.

[Samsezcool]

No problem.. 🙂 

[mcmeyer]

No. I find Fitbit Charge 2 does not accurately record machines where you are not moving your arms. Elliptical machine is fine but forget Cybex Arc Trainer or Lifestyle spinning (bicycle) machine. Here is an example from my exercise at gym tonight. 

Spinning 31:28 minutes 40 steps

Stairmaster 1:00:46 hours 69 steps

Elliptical 15 minutes 1751 steps

[Mukluk4]

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@mcmeyer wrote:

No. I find Fitbit Charge 2 does not accurately record machines where you are not moving your arms. Elliptical machine is fine but forget Cybex Arc Trainer or Lifestyle spinning (bicycle) machine. Here is an example from my exercise at gym tonight. 

Spinning 31:28 minutes 40 steps

Stairmaster 1:00:46 hours 69 steps

Elliptical 15 minutes 1751 steps

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You can't use a step based activity tracker for non-step based activity tracking.  

If you are doing more than just taking long walks in nature, then you really need a HRM.  Anything else is pretty much useless.

[mcmeyer]

Ankle up! I tried using Fitibit Charge 2 on my ankle today. Much better results for exercise machines with stationary arms. Tested on Cybex Arc Trainer and LifeFitness spinning machines. Not the results I see on my elliptical machine for steps count but much higher count than if on the wrist. I used the automatic recognition for exercise to see results. Will try setting to Stairmaster and Spinning tomorrow to filter results.