Lifting weights and Calories

kcotey54

Is there anyway to track calories burned when lifting weights? Any rule of thumb, general guidelines, etc....? I am tracking calories for the first time in awhile and I lift alot as well as cardio but I only can track my cardio calories burned.

CyberTone

You can log the amount of time for "strength training" under the Cardiovascular section to get an estimate for Calories burned. You can use the Strength Training section to log sets, reps, and weights, but that section does not account for the amount of time or Calories burned.

Add "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" to Cardiovascular to get estimated Calories burned added to your Diary. Please note that the Calories burned for Cardiovascular exercises provided by MFP are based on published metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs), which are estimates for a general population and may differ for you as an individual. If desired, add individual strength training exercises, such as "Biceps Curl," to Strength Training to have a log of sets, reps, and weights as individual exercises.

Please see these articles, and search for other helpful articles on the MFP Help pages...

myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-

myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/topics/455842-exercise-diary-and-exercise-database/articles

French_Peasant

In addition to the background provided above, you can also track it with a HR monitor (my Charge HR 2 shows I am generally burning over 200 calories per half hour, but it really depends on the lifts I am doing and how many metabolic activities are thrown in; my rest periods are not long, 15-30 seconds between exercises and a minute or two between sets, and I generally walk between sets while resting, so have a higher burn) or just log it under circuit training in cardio, if that is the kind of lifting you are doing. Lifting is notoriously difficult to pinpoint for calorie burn, and the longer your rest periods, the less you burn, in theory. Bottom line is, you'll just have to make a somewhat educated guess. Just make sure to get your protein in.

ETA: I am 5'6" and 140, for the burn noted above; presumably yours will be much higher.

kcotey54

Thanks!

French_Peasant

kcotey54 wrote: »

Thanks!

I love your hat, by the way. I've made it to White Fish Point but next time need to push on farther!