How do you log crunches, planks etc?

Hi,

I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

How am I supposed to log it?

I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

I will appreciate any advise.

Replies

  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    calisthenics
  • saintshoc
    saintshoc Posts: 29 Member
    It definately goes under cardiovascular on the exercise section.
  • I don't log bodyweight or resistance or weight work.
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    kiniak89 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

    How am I supposed to log it?

    I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

    I will appreciate any advise.

    I have an Apple Watch so I'm able to measure the calories I burn from resistance / strength workout sessions under "Other". Then MFP downloads it with my Apple Healthkit App... but otherwise, you can't really guess it.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    I sometimes use the strength training or or circuit training entries under cardio.
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
    Your early high losses will be water, so don't worry about trying to eat back just yet in order to correct the rate. What you burn for 30 mins will be a couple of hundred calories or so, and given your schedule that would be maybe an extra pound a month of loss if you didn't eat back.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    I never log these types of exercises because they don't really burn that many calories compared to sustained cardio and it is really hard to get an accurate number for them anyways. If some generic MFP entry tells you that you burned an extra 200 cal and you eat that back everyday it can really throw you off over time if you actually burned 50.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kiniak89 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

    How am I supposed to log it?

    I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

    I will appreciate any advise.

    I have an Apple Watch so I'm able to measure the calories I burn from resistance / strength workout sessions under "Other". Then MFP downloads it with my Apple Healthkit App... but otherwise, you can't really guess it.

    Just keep in mind even this is going to be an estimate with a really big margin of error.
  • Eleanor_82
    Eleanor_82 Posts: 57 Member
    I don't log this type of exercise, yoga or pilates because the calories are so few. Only cardio.
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kiniak89 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

    How am I supposed to log it?

    I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

    I will appreciate any advise.

    I have an Apple Watch so I'm able to measure the calories I burn from resistance / strength workout sessions under "Other". Then MFP downloads it with my Apple Healthkit App... but otherwise, you can't really guess it.

    Just keep in mind even this is going to be an estimate with a really big margin of error.

    How so?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited August 2016
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kiniak89 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

    How am I supposed to log it?

    I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

    I will appreciate any advise.

    I have an Apple Watch so I'm able to measure the calories I burn from resistance / strength workout sessions under "Other". Then MFP downloads it with my Apple Healthkit App... but otherwise, you can't really guess it.

    Just keep in mind even this is going to be an estimate with a really big margin of error.

    How so?

    Way too many variables.........https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-

    Heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio.....very limited use
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    kiniak89 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have recently joined a gym and apart doing some work on a stationary bike and a summit trainer, 3 days a week I also do a session where I do crunches, planks, squats etc. for about 30 -35 mins, then some stretching for around 5 mins.

    How am I supposed to log it?

    I just started a 3rd week and in the first week i have lost 2,7 kg and the last week 1.3 kg instead of 0.5 kg a week.

    I will appreciate any advise.

    I have an Apple Watch so I'm able to measure the calories I burn from resistance / strength workout sessions under "Other". Then MFP downloads it with my Apple Healthkit App... but otherwise, you can't really guess it.

    Just keep in mind even this is going to be an estimate with a really big margin of error.

    How so?

    Way too many variables.........https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-

    Heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio.....very limited use

    Well, if you had read your own link:

    "If you know how many calories you have burned via a heart rate monitor or other tracking device, you can add a custom exercise to your personal database."

    Counting calories burnt while exercising is a rather inaccurate job anyway but even more so for strength training. However, using a heart rate monitor reduces the inaccuracy. This doesn't change the fact that you should always underestimate the calories you burn and overestimate your calorie intake. ;)
  • kiniak89
    kiniak89 Posts: 39 Member
    Thanks everyone. I have decided not to log those calories. :)
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    I don't. I eat at TDEE - 20% and eat the same number of calories no matter what exercise I do. I was getting in the habit of doing exercise just to eat chocolate or ice cream. Which I know would work, and I would still lose weight....it just didn't feel particularly good for me personally.
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    I don't. I eat at TDEE - 20% and eat the same number of calories no matter what exercise I do. I was getting in the habit of doing exercise just to eat chocolate or ice cream. Which I know would work, and I would still lose weight....it just didn't feel particularly good for me personally.

    I think this is a sound piece of advice. I would never recommend to anyone eating back even partially the calories you burn during workout (unless you feel you need some energy on a particular day).
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    I log as free weights. I generally eat back about half my exercise calories (sometimes more) and ignoring these days led me to hunger, irritability and a general avoidance of resistance/strength work.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    I usually log those under strength training, then add it under cardiovascular under strength training. It doesn't matter how accurate it is to me, as I don't usually eat back what I burn through exercise anyways.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    I don't. I eat at TDEE - 20% and eat the same number of calories no matter what exercise I do. I was getting in the habit of doing exercise just to eat chocolate or ice cream. Which I know would work, and I would still lose weight....it just didn't feel particularly good for me personally.

    I think this is a sound piece of advice. I would never recommend to anyone eating back even partially the calories you burn during workout (unless you feel you need some energy on a particular day).

    Okay, wait..........

    My Fitness Pal uses NEAT. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis. That means MFP users are given a deficit BEFORE exercise. This is why MFP gives you exercise calories back, it's how it is designed. Eating exercise calories back should (in theory) bring you back to the deficit you signed up for.

    TDEE - includes exercise up front. So TDEE (less a percent) users ARE eating their exercise calories back. This is a good method when your exercise is a consisitent thing.

    People using trackers are using TDEE, many MFP users don't have these devices. So we can't use the same advice for everyone.
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    xvolution wrote: »
    I usually log those under strength training, then add it under cardiovascular under strength training. It doesn't matter how accurate it is to me, as I don't usually eat back what I burn through exercise anyways.

    Same here. ;)
  • kitkatlp
    kitkatlp Posts: 93 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    kitkatlp wrote: »
    I don't. I eat at TDEE - 20% and eat the same number of calories no matter what exercise I do. I was getting in the habit of doing exercise just to eat chocolate or ice cream. Which I know would work, and I would still lose weight....it just didn't feel particularly good for me personally.

    I think this is a sound piece of advice. I would never recommend to anyone eating back even partially the calories you burn during workout (unless you feel you need some energy on a particular day).

    Okay, wait..........

    My Fitness Pal uses NEAT. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis. That means MFP users are given a deficit BEFORE exercise. This is why MFP gives you exercise calories back, it's how it is designed. Eating exercise calories back should (in theory) bring you back to the deficit you signed up for.

    TDEE - includes exercise up front. So TDEE (less a percent) users ARE eating their exercise calories back. This is a good method when your exercise is a consisitent thing.

    People using trackers are using TDEE, many MFP users don't have these devices. So we can't use the same advice for everyone.

    I know that MFP does use NEAT and you're right. But I try to stick to my TDEE excluding additional exercise calories. I do eat back some of these calories from time to time but usually I consider exercising a separate matter i.e. I use it to tone up, avoid the skinny fat syndrome, be fit but not to lose weight. If I ever stop exercising (which I hope I won't) for any reason, then I wouldn't have to adjust my food habits and eat less that what I'm used to.

    I've noticed that a number of people think they're going to lose weight with exercising. They adjust their calorie intake accordingly...the problem is that they do lose weight at first but do struggle to adjust when they reduce the amount of exercising or stop working out, potentially jeopardizing the maintenance phase.

    But otherwise, scientifically, there is nothing wrong with eating back some of your exercise calories.