Calories burned for weight training

jkendo

It seems like I can find cardio calorie burn but not weight training so any suggestions for a noob? Thanks. James

nutmegoreo

There is a weight training entry under the cardio section which will give you calories for total time spent lifting.

MikePTY

It would be in cardio activities under "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training". It's basically one catch all category. Obviously your burns can vary widely based on the type of workout you do, so if you have a fitness tracker, it might help give you more accurate results (although they in themselves are an estimate).

AnnPT77

MikePTY wrote: »

It would be in cardio activities under "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training". It's basically one catch all category. Obviously your burns can vary widely based on the type of workout you do, so if you have a fitness tracker, it might help give you more accurate results (although they in themselves are an estimate).

To be more specific about the estimates, heart-rate-based trackers can substantially overestimate weight training calories. Heart rate goes up with the strain, disproportionate to the actual calorie-burning work being done. It's just something to be aware of.

Krooker2

This might help. A 160-pound man will burn approximately 250 calories jogging for 30 minutes at a moderate pace. If the same man increases the pace to 6 MPH, then he will burn 365 calories over the 30 minute run. Weight training for the same amount of time burns any where between 130 and 220 calories depending on the muscle group (size matters). If this same person increased the weight training to 'complex' training, meaning you combine two exercises and do them back-to-back with little or no rest - for example, bench press then perform push-ups then repeat for three sets, the calorie burn increases by approximately 30%. Back to the cardio, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is known to burn more calories over a shorter period of time versus a moderate steady jog. In addition, HIIT will add 'exercise post oxygen consumption' which is commonly referred to as the afterburn effect where you continue to burn a higher number of calories after you workout. So, get your heart rate up during whatever training you are doing, rest to recovery, then get your heart rate back up again - repeat.

tpspiege

As the others are saying I found that I was better off not to attempt to log strength training and only half of the duration (time) of the cardio claims in MFP. I think the cardio numbers are reflecting the numbers displayed on the equipment, which are inflated to aid in sales of those products.

Case in point that - If I work my tail off (averaging 18MPH) on a 60min interval (HIIT) stationary bike program I without a doubt benefitted from a great workout, but there is simply no way I burned the 900calories claimed by the bike at my gym.

kami3006

I think it's worth logging and using MFP's numbers conservatively is a good place to start. Then evaluate over 4-6 weeks and adjust as necessary. I don't lift for calories but I sure like to use the ones I earn.

I've followed progressive power & hypertrophy programs for five years and my personal data gives me about 150 calories per hour lifting. That's not necessarily much for folks with larger calorie allotments but for a 5'3", 125 lbs female, an extra 150-200 calories makes a noticeable difference in my ability to recover and progress. Of course, a man will get a bit more than that. That little bit can make a difference and my numbers fall in line with the MET values used by MFP.

sijomial

James - just log it like this...


It's based on studies on "traditional" strength training - lifting heavy with significant rest periods between sets. Log the entire duration of your workout. It uses typical METS and your weight which of course isn't anywhere near perfect (weight lifted would be better for accuracy but also fiendishly complicated).

I wouldn't say it's insignificant, just as I wouldn't say 229 cals of food is insignificant and shouldn't be logged if you are calorie counting.

@tpspiege
Find an indoor exercise bike that measures power in watts then you can easily convert watts to calories.
Speed isn't relevant indoors on a stationary bike!
You are wise to discount 900 cals as being plausible unless you are an elite athlete.