Sign inOpen the app
The Body Recomposition Revolution | Fat Loss and Strength for Women 35+

How Accurate is the Apple Watch Calorie Burn? - Day 47

Friday · 13 min · 9.4 MB
0:00-13:17

Streams straight from the publisher. podnod never proxies or re-hosts episode audio.

Open in podnod

Are Apple Watches, Fitbit, and Garmin calorie counts accurate? Research says they're surprisingly good at tracking heart rate—but not at estimating calories burned. In this episode, you'll learn what wearable fitness trackers actually do well, why calorie burn estimates can be off by as much as 93%, and how relying on those numbers can sabotage your fat-loss progress. You'll also discover why heart rate is the metric you should trust, how different devices calculate heart rate zones, how to use the validated talk test to find your Zone 2 intensity, and why consistency—not perfect wearable data—is what truly drives body recomposition

Today's Targets

  1. Calculate your five heart rate zones using your resting heart rate and ChatGPT, Google, or the Karvonen Method.
  2. Complete 30–45 minutes of Zone 2 cardio, using your wearable or the talk test to stay in the correct intensity.
  3. Drink 100 ounces of water today to support recovery, performance, and overall health

Ready to build muscle while losing fat? Join the RAC Recomp Collective for progressive monthly strength-training programs inside the RAC app.

Follow @RACFitness_ on Instagram for daily evidence-based body recomposition education, workouts, and nutrition tips.

Make sure you follow The Body Recomposition Revolution on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss a daily lesson in the 90-Day Summer Body Recomp Series.