Erg calorie estimator

What monitor calories really are

The number on a Concept2 monitor is a standard figure, not a measurement of you. It’s worked out from your power and based on a 175 lb (79.5 kg) rower, with a base rate of 300 calories an hour. Two people at the same pace see the same number, whatever their size. That makes it useful for comparing your own sessions, and less useful as a count of what you personally burned.

The formulas

• Monitor calories per hour = (4 × watts ÷ 1.1639) + 300
• Adjusted calories per hour = monitor figure − 300 + (1.714 × body weight)
• Calories for the session = calories per hour × seconds rowed ÷ 3,600

Concept2 publishes both formulas. It doesn’t state the weight unit on its calculator, but 1.714 × 175 is almost exactly 300, so we read it as pounds and convert for you.

Worked example: 30 minutes at 2:00 /500m is about 203 watts, which the monitor shows as about 996 calories an hour, or 498 for the session. For a 70 kg (154 lb) rower, the adjusted rate is 996 − 300 + 265, about 961 calories an hour, or 480 for the session.

Related tools and guides

Use the split and watts converter to see how pace changes power and calories. For how rowing fits a weight-loss goal, readrowing for weight loss, and if you’re new to the machine, start with your first month on the erg.

Frequently asked questions

Are the calories on a Concept2 monitor accurate?

They are a standard figure, not a personal measurement. The monitor works from your power and assumes a 175 lb (about 79.5 kg) rower, so everyone at the same pace sees the same number.

Does body weight change the calories I burn?

The monitor figure uses a fixed body weight, so Concept2 publishes an adjustment for your own. Add your weight here and the tool applies it.

Why does the monitor add 300 calories an hour?

The formula includes a base rate of 300 calories an hour, on top of the calories from your work at the handle. So even a very gentle pace shows a sizeable hourly figure.

Can I use this to plan what I eat?

Use it as a rough guide only. Real energy use varies from person to person, and no formula based on pace can measure it.