Calories burned in strength training

kdragone1

Hello... I just started using this app two days ago, and noticed when I add strength exercises, the calories burned down show. Are they not supposed to? Or am I doing something wrong?

MikePTY

Add the strength training exercise in the cardio section. That will give you exercise calories for weight lifting.

tinkerbellang83

If you're logging it from the strength training database there is no calorie burn only details of weights/reps.

If you want a calorie count, choose "Strength Training" from the Cardio database.

lporter229

You will have to log it under Cardio if you want to account for the calories burned. That said, strength training does not burn very many calories (although there are many, many other benefits), so make sure you are recording an accurate number. How are you tracking it? Some fitness watches may already be accounting for your normal BMR calories in with that number, so just be careful what number you are recording if you are concerned with weight loss.

aziz_n1

Wondering if there is a ‘Rule of Thumb’ type calculation or estimate one can make to determine calories burnt when doing strength or resistance training? It’s getting frustrating not really being able to estimate this figure. Today, I was in the gym for 90mins. 10mins on the bike to warm up and then did a full set of exercises on resistance machines and also some core exercises on the floor mat. Didn’t pause too long between sets of reps or exercises. Somebody out there must have a good idea how to estimate the calorie burn on such workouts?

sgt1372

These numbers have worked for me.

Less than 1 hr: 0
1-2 hrs: 125
2-4+ hrs: 250

The time is "total workout time" including rest periods while weight lifting. The average is just 62.5 cals/hr -- a VERY low rate of burn. Almost negligible actually.

These numbers may actually OVER estimate the actual calorie "burn" but I've consistently lost weight in the past using these numbers, despite often eating the estimated cals back.

AnnPT77

aziz_n1 wrote: »

Wondering if there is a ‘Rule of Thumb’ type calculation or estimate one can make to determine calories burnt when doing strength or resistance training? It’s getting frustrating not really being able to estimate this figure. Today, I was in the gym for 90mins. 10mins on the bike to warm up and then did a full set of exercises on resistance machines and also some core exercises on the floor mat. Didn’t pause too long between sets of reps or exercises. Somebody out there must have a good idea how to estimate the calorie burn on such workouts?

The MFP database estimate (which is METS-based) is probably not too terrible as an estimate for standard sets & reps strength training with embedded rests in it. (The is the strength training entry under the cardiovascular exercise heading; you enter your total time from start to finish of the strength training session, though if I took a random long break in the middle for some reason - not just the normal inter-exercise rests - I'd subtract the long-break minutes.)

Azdak

The best study I have seen in the last couple of years measured a “traditional” weight lifting workout—ie standard exercises, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 2-3 min recovery between sets—at about 320-330 gross calories per hour. That’s as good a benchmark as I know.

middlehaitch

When I started lifting 3-4 years ago I took the then general MFP advice of it doesn’t burn many calories so don’t bother counting it.

It was a mistake. I lost weight in maintenance, and was close to burnt out.

I started using the MFP entry which gave me 210 cals for 90 min (I’m short, light, and old). As I was coming back from a slight burn out I was, for the first month, only lifting. This gave me chance to assess the cals MFP gave me against my own data.

The numbers were close enough that I just stuck with a ballpark of ~200.

As a side note, I use the AllPro programme, but will generally take a longer rest period between the big lifts than recommended.

Give the MFP entry a try and adjust as your personal data dictates.

Cheers, h.

bennettinfinity

Work = Force (weight) x distance (how far you lift it vertically) x # of reps... convert the ft/lbs or kg/m to kilocalories and you're golden.

It likely won't be as much as you think it should be, though.

BasedGawd412

I estimate that I burn 225 to 300 calories a hour weightlifting.

I do a full body routine (chest, legs, back, triceps, biceps, abdominals, shoulders) of 6 sets of 1 to 20 reps taking no more than 1 minute breaks between sets at a advanced weight.

Nanaluvs2sweat

There’s no way to accurately estimate strength training in general that’s why it doesn’t input a number. There’s way too many factors to predetermine a calorie burn

dougii

I weight train by completing 8 super sets of 5 exercises (4@5 reps; 1@10 reps) with a 1:30 to 2:00 minute rest between super sets. I record this under cardio as Circuit Training, general. The calorie count is most likely on the high side but I have consistently lost weight doing this even when I eat some of the exercise calories back.

DX2JX2

middlehaitch wrote: »

When I started lifting 3-4 years ago I took the then general MFP advice of it doesn’t burn many calories so don’t bother counting it.

It was a mistake. I lost weight in maintenance, and was close to burnt out.

I started using the MFP entry which gave me 210 cals for 90 min (I’m short, light, and old). As I was coming back from a slight burn out I was, for the first month, only lifting. This gave me chance to assess the cals MFP gave me against my own data.

The numbers were close enough that I just stuck with a ballpark of ~200.

As a side note, I use the AllPro programme, but will generally take a longer rest period between the big lifts than recommended.

Give the MFP entry a try and adjust as your personal data dictates.

Cheers, h.

Good point to note that even moderate burning activity when done in sufficient volume can make a meaningful difference and should be counted. I think we can all agree that 140 calories per hour isn't a huge burn rate, but if doing 90+ minute sessions multiple times per week then those calories will definitely add up.

kimny72

stefgreen72 wrote: »

There’s no way to accurately estimate strength training in general that’s why it doesn’t input a number. There’s way too many factors to predetermine a calorie burn

You can actually find "strength training" in the Cardio section for a reasonable estimate on calorie burn. While exercise calorie burns can be tough to pin down, you definitely do burn some calories and need to fuel that effort. The only calorie burn you know for sure isn't accurate is zero

CipherZero

Unless you’re doing circuit training weight lifting burns very little. A ninety minute session is mostly spent recovering between sets. Actual work under load is short.

kjm3579

I've actually used my Garmin 920XT set to strength mode with the HRM Run chest strap to record time and heart rate while lifting -- but the amounts allowed by MFP come up in the same general range as well so I use whichever at the time.

heybales

kjm3579 wrote: »

I've actually used my Garmin 920XT set to strength mode with the HRM Run chest strap to record time and heart rate while lifting -- but the amounts allowed by MFP come up in the same general range as well so I use whichever at the time.

Wondering if the Garmin model does what a couple of Fitbit models do - when you select Weights or whatever term they give it - it just uses the accepted METS database entry rate of burn.

When I got figures from some folks using the Fitbit, that was it almost exactly, difference probably rounding errors.
Since Fitbit uses your BMR with those MET entries, it matched right up.

Since MFP converts the METS to weight first, it's still close on comparison.