How many calories does weightlifting burn?

phjorg1

There is zero way to calculate calories burned while strength training directly. Only indirectly through consistent meal tracking and consistent exercise sced and measuring weight gain.loss over time. The only real rule is the more volume and intensity, the more you burn, even with equal time. Someone who is untrained lifting their 5 rep max will burn a pale shadow compared to someone who is advanced strength level lifting their 5 rep max. this is somewhat correlated by anyone who is strong and actively trying to gain weight even with no other activity. It's a monster pain in the *kitten* trying to eat enough food.

tkbuc

I guess then I'll track only the 30min cardio I do (~400cal) and not be concerned with tracking the 30min of weights that I am doing.

socioseguro

The only way to know is to get a HRM.

I suspect the calories burned as MFP shoes for weight lifting are a little low

I concur with this answer.

calories burned while weighlifting has too many variables. If you use an HRM you will have a more accurate reading.
I use Polar FT60

Good luck in your journey

Escape_Artist

See my early and later post. It has to do with why HR is elevated and oxygen uptake that doesn't occur during lifting, but is built into the HRM's calculation.

Makes perfect sense, I was wondering because someone at work mentionned today that it is actually dangerous to wear a HRM because they could get a shock from the battery. :laugh:

I was just really hoping that wasn't the reason that was said here rofl

Unknown

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DopeItUp

The only way to know is to get a HRM.

I suspect the calories burned as MFP shoes for weight lifting are a little low

I concur with this answer.

calories burned while weighlifting has too many variables. If you use an HRM you will have a more accurate reading.
I use Polar FT60

Good luck in your journey

Wrong, I use a FT60 too and it overestimates my caloric burn during weight lifting by at least a factor of 300%. It typically shows 1200-1400 when I am really burning 400-500.

DopeItUp

When I do a segment of weight lifting I noticed you can log what you did (ie barbell lifts/# of reps, etc) but it doesn't tell you cals burned (this is in the strength section of your diary)... so I time my whole entire workout and put it under circuit training (in the cardio section) to 'somewhat' measure my cals burned...
Honestly I don't know how truly accurate it is - but at least it gives me an idea...

Anyone know of a better way?

Enter in "strength training" under cardio. Circuit training is going to give you an exaggerated number unless that's actually what you're doing (continuous light weights with little/no rest).

erickirb

The only way to know is to get a HRM.

I suspect the calories burned as MFP shoes for weight lifting are a little low

I concur with this answer.

calories burned while weighlifting has too many variables. If you use an HRM you will have a more accurate reading.
I use Polar FT60

Good luck in your journey

No the Polar FT60 will not be accurate for non-steady state cardio, probably overestimate by a wide margin.

socioseguro

The only way to know is to get a HRM.

I suspect the calories burned as MFP shoes for weight lifting are a little low

I concur with this answer.

calories burned while weighlifting has too many variables. If you use an HRM you will have a more accurate reading.
I use Polar FT60

Good luck in your journey

Wrong, I use a FT60 too and it overestimates my caloric burn during weight lifting by at least a factor of 300%. It typically shows 1200-1400 when I am really burning 400-500.

I respect that your FT60 is giving you incorrect data.
I have configured mine for my "maximum heart rate" and I have chosen 3 zones for workout. I also update my body weight every month.

I usually burn 150-200 per 45 minute session. I am happy with that.

Good luck in your journey

Unknown

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GetSoda

A good starting point:
10 calories per minute while actually lifting at 80% of maximal.
0 while resting between sets.

Set of heavy squats for example:

Time to do 3 sets of 5: 30-45 seconds
rest time: 3 minutes x 5 = 9 minutes
total burn: 5-10 calories.

cwolfman13

It is listed under "cardio", in your exercise journal.

It is, but doesn't tell you how many calories are burned.

How do I convert data from my HRM to calories burned?

Your HRM doesn't give you cals burned? What brand and model is it?

That said HRM's will be wildly inaccurate for cals burned from strength training as your HR is elevated for a different reason than the calculation in the HRM assumes it is. In other words, don't use cals burned from a HRM during strength training.

That blog post that gets quoted over and over here is a prime example of useless bro-science and is mostly a steaming pile of conjecture and speculative drivel.

Just out of curiosity, why does your HR go up then when lifting weights?

You HR has nothing to do with how many calories you burn. Your HRM simply uses a formula that utilizes your HR as a reasonable measure of VO2 max to determine calories burned. The formula assumes an aerobic event as an aerobic event is a good measure of VO2 max...an anaerobic event like weight lifting is a really ****ty measure of VO2 max. Therefore the further away from an aerobic event you are, the less accurate a HRM is for estimating calories burned.

When I was first getting started with all of this and very ignorant, I wore my HRM all day to see how many calories I burn...I had a very high RHR at the time...around 110...my HRM told me I burned almost 6000 calories in about 8 hours which is utter and complete bull****. Moral of the story...a HRM is only RELATIVELY accurate for an aerobic event...even then, it can be off by as much as 20-30%.

mnapier3

Was this recently? I have been wondering how many cals I'm burning and was advised to wear my HRM. I own a polar ft4, so pretty basic, and 60 minutes of leg exercises with about a minute rest between came out to 503 calories. I was skeptical so I went with what MFP says (193).