Weight training while trying to lose fat a waste?

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Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,322 Member
    jdlobb wrote: »
    the thing I've never understood about the cardio vs weights for fat loss is this.

    When I lift I will achieve a HR profile similar to a HIIT workout, incredible similar actually.

    But I'm supposed to be convinced that despite that, I would have burned more calories jogging at 130 BPM for an hour? Seems flimsy to me. I'm not an expert though, maybe there's good reason.

    Heart rate is not a measure of calorie burn; it's a proxy for calorie burn, and an imperfect one at that.

    Heart rate goes up for lots of reasons: Excitement, heat, work performed, physical strain and many more. Only some of those correlate with calorie burn.

    In my understanding, much of the heart rate increase seen during weight training is related to strain, and doesn't correlate well with calorie burn. I don't bother with my HRM when lifting; that's one case where I think the MFP database entry is likely to be a better estimate.

    While HRM calorie estimates are better validated for steady state but not for HIIT, much of what's called HIIT these days is not HIIT, but more like regular interval training with the "easy" segments still aerobic. In that context, HRM might be as good a proxy for calorie burn as anything else is (i.e., sub-ideal but repeatable, so potentially useful in the weight loss context).

  • jdlobb
    jdlobb Posts: 1,232 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    jdlobb wrote: »
    the thing I've never understood about the cardio vs weights for fat loss is this.

    When I lift I will achieve a HR profile similar to a HIIT workout, incredible similar actually.

    But I'm supposed to be convinced that despite that, I would have burned more calories jogging at 130 BPM for an hour? Seems flimsy to me. I'm not an expert though, maybe there's good reason.

    Heart rate is not a measure of calorie burn; it's a proxy for calorie burn, and an imperfect one at that.

    Heart rate goes up for lots of reasons: Excitement, heat, work performed, physical strain and many more. Only some of those correlate with calorie burn.

    In my understanding, much of the heart rate increase seen during weight training is related to strain, and doesn't correlate well with calorie burn. I don't bother with my HRM when lifting; that's one case where I think the MFP database entry is likely to be a better estimate.

    While HRM calorie estimates are better validated for steady state but not for HIIT, much of what's called HIIT these days is not HIIT, but more like regular interval training with the "easy" segments still aerobic. In that context, HRM might be as good a proxy for calorie burn as anything else is (i.e., sub-ideal but repeatable, so potentially useful in the weight loss context).

    that's a good explanation. I go by the calorie estimates from UA Record, but I don't eat my activity calories back anyways, so it doesn't particularly matter.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Heather4448 wrote: »
    Lift.
    It's awesome. You'll love it.

    I started lifting about a month ago. I disagree with the above.

    I've put it off as long as I can (longer than I should), but I really don't enjoy it. I'd rather go for a run.

    Just wait till that first muscle pops up, the one you never saw before. That's when it becomes fun and addictive.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
    VeronicaA76 wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Heather4448 wrote: »
    Lift.
    It's awesome. You'll love it.

    I started lifting about a month ago. I disagree with the above.

    I've put it off as long as I can (longer than I should), but I really don't enjoy it. I'd rather go for a run.

    Just wait till that first muscle pops up, the one you never saw before. That's when it becomes fun and addictive.

    Once you pop, you can't stop!
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Yeah... it seems I have deltoids. Who knew?
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Yeah... it seems I have deltoids. Who knew?

    They must have been hiding! Have you found your lats yet? That's always a nice find.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Not yet. Triceps, though.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Not yet. Triceps, though.

    Awesome! I recently discovered I have pecs. Also discovered the other reason gym mirrors exist (other than checking your form).
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