Strength Training

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emilydickinsonisrad
emilydickinsonisrad Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
When I add strength training to exercise log, it doesn't count any calories burned. Anyone else have this issue?

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    It doesn't burn much. Not worth eating back. You can get some calories if you search it under cardiovascular activities though.
  • CincyTim
    CincyTim Posts: 26 Member
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    I hear ya nfwriter. Lifting can generate a huge metabolic lift really firing up your metabolism for the rest of the day. It's a shame MFP does not capture that .
  • loveshak22
    loveshak22 Posts: 4 Member
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    I just joined MFP and noticed that as well. I was using Sparkpeople and it wouldn't add a lot for strength training (10 calories for 3 sets sometimes) but it was something at least LOL!
  • loveshak22
    loveshak22 Posts: 4 Member
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    And since it doesn't add a ton of a calorie deficit I consider it my "buffer" in case I underestimated something in my food diary...
  • fitinstl_mfp
    fitinstl_mfp Posts: 5
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    I wish it added strength training, too. You get a lot out of strength training and building muscle that can in some ways be more beneficial than cardio.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    fitinstl_mfp wrote: »
    I wish it added strength training, too. You get a lot out of strength training and building muscle that can in some ways be more beneficial than cardio.

    You don't build muscle in a deficit, and though it is extremely beneficial in helping you retain muscle, it does not burn a lot of calories and it is very hard to tell how many. Therefore, many people do not log or eat back the calories burned in strength training.
  • fitinstl_mfp
    fitinstl_mfp Posts: 5
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    I get that. What I'm saying is that people shouldn't ignore strength training in favor of the immediate calorie burn of cardio. Both are important.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    fitinstl_mfp wrote: »
    I get that. What I'm saying is that people shouldn't ignore strength training in favor of the immediate calorie burn of cardio. Both are important.

    Yeah, no one said that so that's why I didn't know where it came from. You can log you strength training on the app if you want to keep track of it.
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited November 2014
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    But log it under the "Cardiovascular" option. I know it's kind of weird but that's how it gives you the calorie burn amount. Log under "cardio" search for "weight training" and THEN when you put in the amount of time you worked out it will give you calories burned. That threw me off at first too.
  • fitinstl_mfp
    fitinstl_mfp Posts: 5
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    Meh, I just realized that sounded unnecessarily harsh. Sorry. TBH I don't log my strength training either. If you did log all the strength training I think it would take forever because you don't do just bicep curls for an hour. I really enjoy working out with the kettle bell.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    fitinstl_mfp wrote: »
    Meh, I just realized that sounded unnecessarily harsh. Sorry. TBH I don't log my strength training either. If you did log all the strength training I think it would take forever because you don't do just bicep curls for an hour. I really enjoy working out with the kettle bell.

    Yeah, you can log it as general "strength training" with the amount of minutes though. I would never sit and put in all my reps and sets either, plus I already write them down once in my notebook.

    I like what someone up there said about using the strength training as a buffer. I always thought of it that way. Doesn't work like that anymore now that I'm close to goal and notice every little morsel of food and exercise count more.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    It's probably too different for everyone... for instance 15lb curls might be hard for me but the guy next to me is doing 30 and it's easy for him.. I'd imagine we have different calorie burns, even if he was lifting the same amount, because it would be even easier for him them... In the same instance, my friend does her sets 2x faster than me.. who knows how that affects her since she rests longer and we start together, therefore have the same length of training.

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