WHAT IS A WATT?

I finally noticed that all the exercise equipment that I have been using was recording something called 'watts.'   I had no idea what this was and/or why it might be important.

National Academy of Sports Medicine answered:  Watts measures the rate of energy conversion. It is defined as one joule per second. In the case of cardiovascular exercise, it is the power that you are producing when training. The more power you are producing, the harder you are working. The best way to explain this power is in calories. When you are producing power, you are burning more calories. This is a very important way to design your program and progressions if you are trying to lose weight. Much like resistance training, you need to slowly overload the muscles and have a recovery period before overloading again. Over time, you will produce more power. For athletes, watts are the key to their sports. The more power you can generate, the faster you can accelerate in a play, the more weight you can push for an offensive lineman in football, or the higher you can jump in basketball. Training your cardiovascular energy system to create this power is very important in achieving your results throughout the game.

It appears to me that watts will be of limited use to me.  I do see that as I improve, on the elliptical and or treadmill I will be increasing my watts (but I will be also increasing the number of calories burned)   The watts generated is still mildly interesting.   I suppose if I had an elliptical machine in my kitchen, I could connect it to a toaster if I was generating enough wattage.

ICONIC LOGO for the power companies: REDDY KILOWATT

WEDNESDAY MENU
breakfast             Baymont Inn Breakfast: hard-boiled egg, banana                     198 CALORIES
lunch                   Applebee's Grilled Shrimp n' Spinach Salad, Tortilla Soup      480 CALORIES
dinner                  Panera Turkey Chili Bowl                                                         280 CALORIES

total calories consumed 958 CALORIES

calories burned
6AM  Baymont Inn NordicTrack Elliptical Machine 30 minutes 582 CALORIES
8PM   LaQuinta STAR TRAC Elliptical Machine 30 minutes      310 CALORIES

total calories burned 892 CALORIES

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE  66 CALORIES

The elliptical machine at my evening hotel, was the same as the one I use at home.  I entered the same vigorous workout that I enter at home, and this machine calculated that I only burned 310 calories.  Perhaps the settings that I used (and always use at home) are set too tough.   One thing is for sure, that way that I set that machine, it will be a long, long time before I can complete an hour like I did yesterday.

I did notice something else on the elliptical machine display panel: METS    What are METS?
I don't know, but I will find out.

PANERA BREAD DINNER:  TURKEY CHILI BOWL  280 CALORIES

Applebee's Lunch: Grilled Shrimp 'n Spinach Salad w/Tortilla Soup  480 CALORIES