Confused on calories burned during circuit/resistance training??

jax_006

I do about 35 minutes of circuit training (includes body weight exercises along with cardio exercises like mountain climbers, burpees etc.) I'm breaking a sweat while doing these 3 times a week. My question to you is can I count my calories burned during this circuit training and plug it into mfp? Today for example, I burned approx 253 calories for a 35 minute exercise. (I understand this isn't completely accurate)

I guess where I'm confused is normally people don't track or count their calories during weight lifting? So that's what I've heard. Though I'm not weightlifting I'm using my body weight to do these circuits. I hope this makes sense...

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Use "cardio->circuit training" or "cardio->calisthenics." I never enter anything on the weight lifting side.

middlehaitch

I always log and eat back my lifting, and all other exercise, calories.
Enter them, as above, and watch your trends to make sure you are not eating too much, or little back.

Cheers, h.

heybales

Where did you hear people don't track their calories during weight lifting?

Be aware that many using MFP use a weekly average TDEE method, different than MFP's method - and since they already include the lifting - they log no exercise.
And I've found many of them have forgotten or don't know how MFP actually works - so they say they don't log lifting which is their only workout - but in reality they have. And they advise the same to other without asking how they are using the program.

And circuit training (reps 15-20 still heavy enough to be difficult, rests 1 min) burns much more than lifting.
Calisthenics burns even more since usually more reps and less rests - much closer to cardio which burns more.

Hey, 300 cal for an hour is still extra 300 for me, and if cardio was done too, and already a deficit - the last thing I need to aid a good recovery is an extra 300 cal deficit - that would just be stupid.

sijomial

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

Azdak

sijomial wrote: »

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

I don’t think it’s misleading per se—more that people are emphasizing that they don’t count the exercise calories as a separate entity.

I think the same is true when people say they don’t count strength training calories. They are emphasizing a point, not writing a comprehensive review of how to estimate exercise calories with each comment.

Strength training calories to me are more subjective since they are somewhat lower and harder to estimate than SS cardio, but not entirely insubstantial.

For someone like myself who can generate a pretty high calorie burn (and does not do huge amounts of resistance training), I looked at it as basically a “cushion” to even out underestimating in other areas.

For someone doing little or no cardio who does an hour of lifting 3-5 days per week, it becomes a more substantial total that needs to be accounted for.

So for shorter replies, my answer will change based on context.

sijomial

Azdak wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

I don’t think it’s misleading per se—more that people are emphasizing that they don’t count the exercise calories as a separate entity.

I think the same is true when people say they don’t count strength training calories. They are emphasizing a point, not writing a comprehensive review of how to estimate exercise calories with each comment.

Strength training calories to me are more subjective since they are somewhat lower and harder to estimate than SS cardio, but not entirely insubstantial.

For someone like myself who can generate a pretty high calorie burn (and does not do huge amounts of resistance training), I looked at it as basically a “cushion” to even out underestimating in other areas.

For someone doing little or no cardio who does an hour of lifting 3-5 days per week, it becomes a more substantial total that needs to be accounted for.

So for shorter replies, my answer will change based on context.

The context is why it's a pet peeve of mine as it's most frequently seen in response to the all to frequent posts by newbies as to whether they should eat back exercise calories.
The too common response "I don't, I do the TDEE method" is misleading.

A longer response explaining what the TDEE method is or explaining their method of using it as a buffer for inaccuracies in the whole raft of estimates involved in CICO obviously wouldn't rub my pet peeve up the wrong way.

MichelleLaree13

I don’t have a heart rate monitor or anything fancy. I count cardio as 600 calories an hour and strength training at 300 calories an hour. I am sweating while doing my strength training. If I did back to back super sets I might count my strength training at 450 calories an hour. That is just a guesstimate for me so I don’t starve to death on my workout days

lemurcat12

sijomial wrote: »

Azdak wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

I don’t think it’s misleading per se—more that people are emphasizing that they don’t count the exercise calories as a separate entity.

I think the same is true when people say they don’t count strength training calories. They are emphasizing a point, not writing a comprehensive review of how to estimate exercise calories with each comment.

Strength training calories to me are more subjective since they are somewhat lower and harder to estimate than SS cardio, but not entirely insubstantial.

For someone like myself who can generate a pretty high calorie burn (and does not do huge amounts of resistance training), I looked at it as basically a “cushion” to even out underestimating in other areas.

For someone doing little or no cardio who does an hour of lifting 3-5 days per week, it becomes a more substantial total that needs to be accounted for.

So for shorter replies, my answer will change based on context.

The context is why it's a pet peeve of mine as it's most frequently seen in response to the all to frequent posts by newbies as to whether they should eat back exercise calories.
The too common response "I don't, I do the TDEE method" is misleading.

A longer response explaining what the TDEE method is or explaining their method of using it as a buffer for inaccuracies in the whole raft of estimates involved in CICO obviously wouldn't rub my pet peeve up the wrong way.

I totally agree. I've seen a lot of threads where someone asks if they should eat back exercise (often using MFP, 1200 cal) and people jump in without thinking and say "I don't" who are using TDEE and don't explain the differences. (I will note it's not usually a regular or even someone who understands the difference between TDEE and MFP method.)

I try to explain that TDEE (which I also use) includes exercise and that the reason MFP does not is that unlike most other methods it does not include exercise up front.

Azdak

sijomial wrote: »

Azdak wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

I don’t think it’s misleading per se—more that people are emphasizing that they don’t count the exercise calories as a separate entity.

I think the same is true when people say they don’t count strength training calories. They are emphasizing a point, not writing a comprehensive review of how to estimate exercise calories with each comment.

Strength training calories to me are more subjective since they are somewhat lower and harder to estimate than SS cardio, but not entirely insubstantial.

For someone like myself who can generate a pretty high calorie burn (and does not do huge amounts of resistance training), I looked at it as basically a “cushion” to even out underestimating in other areas.

For someone doing little or no cardio who does an hour of lifting 3-5 days per week, it becomes a more substantial total that needs to be accounted for.

So for shorter replies, my answer will change based on context.

The context is why it's a pet peeve of mine as it's most frequently seen in response to the all to frequent posts by newbies as to whether they should eat back exercise calories.
The too common response "I don't, I do the TDEE method" is misleading.

A longer response explaining what the TDEE method is or explaining their method of using it as a buffer for inaccuracies in the whole raft of estimates involved in CICO obviously wouldn't rub my pet peeve up the wrong way.

I see the same thing in numerous other threads, including CICO (“it doesn’t matter what you eat”), and especially the ones about exercise and weight loss (“all you need is a calorie deficit”).

sijomial

Azdak wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

Azdak wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

I've seen people say they don't count the estimated calorie burn from strength training as it's a small amount and impossible to be accurate. I think that's a bit peculiar!

I only get an estimated 233 cals for an hour of strength training but if you are calorie counting then surely a person would log a 233 food item? Even if that food item was impossible to be accurate wouldn't you make an educated guess? Estimating 233 has a chance of being accurate or at least reasonable, estimating zero calories has no chance of being accurate.
Three sessions a week that's starting to become significant. Over a year that could be 10lbs of fat loss/gain.

(As mentioned by heybales about people using the TDEE method instead of the myfitnesspal method.
It's one of my pet peeves when people doing TDEE say they don't eat exercise calories, they are and it's misleading to people when it's not made clear that exercise is already part of the TDEE calculation.)

I don’t think it’s misleading per se—more that people are emphasizing that they don’t count the exercise calories as a separate entity.

I think the same is true when people say they don’t count strength training calories. They are emphasizing a point, not writing a comprehensive review of how to estimate exercise calories with each comment.

Strength training calories to me are more subjective since they are somewhat lower and harder to estimate than SS cardio, but not entirely insubstantial.

For someone like myself who can generate a pretty high calorie burn (and does not do huge amounts of resistance training), I looked at it as basically a “cushion” to even out underestimating in other areas.

For someone doing little or no cardio who does an hour of lifting 3-5 days per week, it becomes a more substantial total that needs to be accounted for.

So for shorter replies, my answer will change based on context.

The context is why it's a pet peeve of mine as it's most frequently seen in response to the all to frequent posts by newbies as to whether they should eat back exercise calories.
The too common response "I don't, I do the TDEE method" is misleading.

A longer response explaining what the TDEE method is or explaining their method of using it as a buffer for inaccuracies in the whole raft of estimates involved in CICO obviously wouldn't rub my pet peeve up the wrong way.

I see the same thing in numerous other threads, including CICO (“it doesn’t matter what you eat”), and especially the ones about exercise and weight loss (“all you need is a calorie deficit”).

I blame the Twitter generation attempting to convey complex subjects in too few characters.....
Grumble, grumble - young people today - grumble grumble....