Do you use weight lifting as "exercise" when doing TDEE?

Hello all... Do you use weight lifting as an "exercise" when determining TDEE? I am only using my cardio days as "exercise 3 times a week." Just wondering thoughts on this...
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Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    No, I don't, it doesn't burn much. You can always make an adjustment afterwards, once you see what your actual TDEE is (assuming you track diligently).
  • norcaligirl72
    norcaligirl72 Posts: 34 Member
    How you track calories for weight lifting on here?
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I do. If I didn't I wouldn't have anything to count
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    You shouldn't. It's a very negligible amount. Each set probably takes you 10-20 seconds to complete. So 12 sets would equate to a whopping 2 minutes of work spread out among 45 min to an hour, during which you never elevate your heartrate to its max nor keep it there for a prolonged period of time.
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    deleted - double post.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    You shouldn't. It's a very negligible amount. Each set probably takes you 10-20 seconds to complete. So 12 sets would equate to a whopping 2 minutes of work spread out among 45 min to an hour, during which you never elevate your heartrate to its max nor keep it there for a prolonged period of time.

    And yet plenty of people count it and continue to lose weight at the rate as suggested by whatever TDEE calculator they use. (Me, for example) Why use a method based on exercise totals and not count all of your exercise?

    Anywho, OP, check out this post and the spreadsheet there. It has a section specifically for your lifting time (and that section has the second highest multiplier, but I digress).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker
  • Going HARD with HEAVY weight and 60 sec rests between sets i think burns about 200 cals and hour
  • glreim21
    glreim21 Posts: 206 Member
    Absolutely! When I am lifting, I am sweating, red faced, out of breath and higher heart rate than cardio. It counts for me:)
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    Absolutely! When I am lifting, I am sweating, red faced, out of breath and higher heart rate than cardio. It counts for me:)

    This....If you don't have an elevated HR or get tired, you are playing, not lifting heavy enough!
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    And yet plenty of people count it and continue to lose weight at the rate as suggested by whatever TDEE calculator they use. (Me, for example) Why use a method based on exercise totals and not count all of your exercise?
    Because weight lifting is oftentimes over-estimated, and the 100 calories doing it really doesn't make a difference in the long run. Besides, if weight loss is the goal this gives a 100-200 calorie buffer against under-estimating food intake calories.

    Mind you, when I say weight lifting I am talking about traditional strength training of 12-18 sets of 3-5, 6-8, or 8-12 reps with 2 min rest inbetween sets, not crossfit, circuit training or any other routine that uses weights to make cardio more interesting.

    I'm glad that you've had success by counting your weight lifting, but it's very easy for many people to overcompensate for that calorie burn or have less accurate calorie measurements than you. Just read all the "but I swear I eat 1200 calories/day and I'm not losing weight!" threads.
    This....If you don't have an elevated HR or get tired, you are playing, not lifting heavy enough!
    I lift as heavy as I can handle. My heartrate gets elevated, but nowhere near the point to when I do cardio (130-150 ish vs.180-190 ish when running). If you are getting a higher heartrate out of weight lifting than cardio, you're not pushing yourself when you do cardio, you have poor overall fitness, or you're doing some funky routine with weights using them for cardio rather than strength training.
    Going HARD with HEAVY weight and 60 sec rests between sets i think burns about 200 cals and hour
    Possibly, but that depends on how long it takes to do a set in that calculation. It's also easy to under-estimate their rest periods. I clock myself 60 sec rest between sets, but by the time I get into position and I'm actually pushing (or pulling) weight again it's closer to 90 sec, and that's still under what many strength training gurus recommend for optimal rest between sets (2-3 min).

    In fact, I have yet to see anyone who knows what they're doing with weights only take 60 sec rests and workout HARD for a full hour (defined as working sets at least 85% of 1RM). Frankly, you'd have to be in outstanding shape to maintain that pace for even 30 min.

    Mind you, running at my speed burns over 1300 calories/hour. So in lieu of running, weight lifting is still peanuts when it comes to calorie burn, which is why I don't count it.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    Of course I count weight training. I lift as heavy as I can & whip my own butt every time. At the end of my workout I am drenched & more tired than after any cardio workout.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    And yet plenty of people count it and continue to lose weight at the rate as suggested by whatever TDEE calculator they use. (Me, for example) Why use a method based on exercise totals and not count all of your exercise?
    Because weight lifting is oftentimes over-estimated, and the 100 calories doing it really doesn't make a difference in the long run. Besides, if weight loss is the goal this gives a 100-200 calorie buffer against under-estimating food intake calories.

    Mind you, when I say weight lifting I am talking about traditional strength training of 12-18 sets of 3-5, 6-8, or 8-12 reps with 2 min rest inbetween sets, not crossfit, circuit training or any other routine that uses weights to make cardio more interesting.

    I'm glad that you've had success by counting your weight lifting, but it's very easy for many people to overcompensate for that calorie burn or have less accurate calorie measurements than you. Just read all the "but I swear I eat 1200 calories/day and I'm not losing weight!" threads.
    This....If you don't have an elevated HR or get tired, you are playing, not lifting heavy enough!
    I lift as heavy as I can handle. My heartrate gets elevated, but nowhere near the point to when I do cardio (130-150 ish vs.180-190 ish when running). If you are getting a higher heartrate out of weight lifting than cardio, you're not pushing yourself when you do cardio, you have poor overall fitness, or you're doing some funky routine with weights using them for cardio rather than strength training.
    Going HARD with HEAVY weight and 60 sec rests between sets i think burns about 200 cals and hour
    Possibly, but that depends on how long it takes to do a set in that calculation. It's also easy to under-estimate their rest periods. I clock myself 60 sec rest between sets, but by the time I get into position and I'm actually pushing (or pulling) weight again it's closer to 90 sec, and that's still under what many strength training gurus recommend for optimal rest between sets (2-3 min).

    Mind you, running at my speed burns over 1300 calories/hour. So in lieu of running, weight lifting is still peanuts when it comes to calorie burn, which is why I don't count it.

    Using the TDEE method the OP wouldn't be eating back her calories, so it hardly matters what it may actually come out to, the question is should it be counted towards their TDEE and the answer is yes. That's about all there is to it.

    And, for the record, I am also talking about actual weight lifting, going as heavy as I can. I don't do any manner of cardio on a consistent basis (I don't think I've done any this month at all, actually) and yet I still count myself at a moderately active level and lose weight as the spreadsheet I linked above suggests. When using that method weight lifting is supposed to be counted.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Damn right I count it in my TDEE. It's exercise.
  • Vini9
    Vini9 Posts: 343 Member
    Bump for spread sheet link
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    Using the TDEE method the OP wouldn't be eating back her calories, so it hardly matters what it may actually come out to, the question is should it be counted towards their TDEE and the answer is yes. That's about all there is to it.
    Perhaps you're using a different calculator. The lowest setting above sedentary is working out 3x/week, which adds 300 cal/day for an exercise regimen that is burning 100 calories. And if I put in 6x/week (which is what I actually do), then it jumps the TDEE up to 500 cal/day above sedentary, which is even more of a mismatch. If I did that with no cardio, I would actually gain weight thinking that I was on a deficit. Then I could make another thread on MFP about how I have hypothryroidism or something.

    Like I said, I'm glad that you've had success with counting weight lifting, but I'd wager you're in the minority.

    EDIT: You're using a very detailed spreadsheet that a lot of people don't use. If you do what I was talking about -- going onto the web and inputting 'exercise Y times per week' into a calculator, you're going to get an over-estimate that weight lifting won't compensate for. Quite frankly, that's a lot of work to spit out a number 50-200 calories higher than it is now, and being a little extra under when trying to lose weight is a good thing.
  • init2fitit
    init2fitit Posts: 168 Member
    Are you taking into account EAT?
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I do. If I didn't I wouldn't have anything to count

    Agree!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    How you track calories for weight lifting on here?

    It is under cardio.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. If you count sleeping, why the hell would you NOT count heavy lifting? Who cares if it's an estimate? Even with cardio, it's an estimate. Intelligently choose a number and a deficit from that number, try it out for a while, evaluate your results, and adjust as necessary, based on your goals.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Using the TDEE method the OP wouldn't be eating back her calories, so it hardly matters what it may actually come out to, the question is should it be counted towards their TDEE and the answer is yes. That's about all there is to it.
    Perhaps you're using a different calculator. The lowest setting above sedentary is working out 3x/week, which adds 300 cal/day for an exercise regimen that is burning 100 calories. And if I put in 6x/week (which is what I actually do), then it jumps the TDEE up to 500 cal/day above sedentary, which is even more of a mismatch. If I did that with no cardio, I would actually gain weight thinking that I was on a deficit. Then I could make another thread on MFP about how I have hypothryroidism or something.

    Like I said, I'm glad that you've had success with counting weight lifting, but I'd wager you're in the minority.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Is set by time, not days for one. The spreadsheet I linked also goes by time spent working out.

    And minority, aside from the people saying they do count it, a large number of the people on my FL, people using the spreadsheet I linked from the 'Eat more to weight less" (Which again, has a section to enter the time spent strength lifting) which is far from a small group.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Using the TDEE method the OP wouldn't be eating back her calories, so it hardly matters what it may actually come out to, the question is should it be counted towards their TDEE and the answer is yes. That's about all there is to it.
    Perhaps you're using a different calculator. The lowest setting above sedentary is working out 3x/week, which adds 300 cal/day for an exercise regimen that is burning 100 calories. And if I put in 6x/week (which is what I actually do), then it jumps the TDEE up to 500 cal/day above sedentary, which is even more of a mismatch. If I did that with no cardio, I would actually gain weight thinking that I was on a deficit. Then I could make another thread on MFP about how I have hypothryroidism or something.

    Like I said, I'm glad that you've had success with counting weight lifting, but I'd wager you're in the minority.

    EDIT: You're using a very detailed spreadsheet that a lot of people don't use. If you do what I was talking about -- going onto the web and inputting 'exercise Y times per week' into a calculator, you're going to get an over-estimate that weight lifting won't compensate for. Quite frankly, that's a lot of work to spit out a number 50-200 calories higher than it is now, and being a little extra under when trying to lose weight is a good thing.


    Really? Someone tell those in the success stories forum that have counted their strength building as exercise they did it wrong!!!

    Hell, why don't you head over to the Eat Train Progress thread and tell Sara and Sidesteel that too. Oh, and Ed too who has lost 312lbs. :)
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    I absolutely count it, but I do bump it down a bit. I work out 3-5 hours a week, a combination of lifting heavy and jogging intervals for c25k right now. But I put in the lightly active mode that estimates 1-3 hours a week of exercise to give me a slight buffer since I'm only doing a 15% decrease.

    But for a beginner lifter like me, making steady progressions, it's definitely a workout and burns at least as much as yoga or Pilates or any other form of non-cardio exercise. Plus strength training ups your total calories burned when not working out moreso than cardio. If I were burning a thousand calories with every run, sure it would be negligible, but since it's probably closer to a third of my calories burned with exercise, I count it.
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. If you count sleeping, why the hell would you NOT count heavy lifting? Who cares if it's an estimate? Even with cardio, it's an estimate. Intelligently choose a number and a deficit from that number, try it out for a while, evaluate your results, and adjust as necessary, based on your goals.
    Because the estimate is so small that I won't miss it. So I ate at most 100 calories/day under what I normally should have and lost an extra quarter pound week. If my goal is weight loss, what's the problem? As long as I'm getting 1 g protein/kg of lbm, 5 g of carbs/kg lbm, and 40 g of fat (which added together comes in at way under the TDEE or MFP calorie number anyway), it's gravy. Why nitpick to try to find every little excuse to eat something back and possibly sabotage weight loss?
    Is set by time, not days for one. The spreadsheet I linked also goes by time spent working out.

    And minority, aside from the people saying they do count it, a large number of the people on my FL, people using the spreadsheet I linked from the 'Eat more to weight less" (Which again, has a section to enter the time spent strength lifting) which is far from a small group.
    Time, days, whatever. I'm happy that finding an extra 72.69456 calories to eat in a day by meticulously setting up a spreadsheet worked for you.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I track mine, but I don't eat back the exercise calories from it, either (some to half, if I'm hungry from it). I'm sure I burn as much as from yoga or pilates, and I count those.

    There's no way I could do a full set in seconds, btw! I must lift slowly. Meh, that's how I feel it the most, so I'm not bothered :)

    I do my other side or alternate a different body part instead of resting between sets. I work up a sweat!!
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. If you count sleeping, why the hell would you NOT count heavy lifting? Who cares if it's an estimate? Even with cardio, it's an estimate. Intelligently choose a number and a deficit from that number, try it out for a while, evaluate your results, and adjust as necessary, based on your goals.
    Because the estimate is so small that I won't miss it. So I ate at most 100 calories/day under what I normally should have and lost an extra quarter pound week. If my goal is weight loss, what's the problem? Why nitpick to try to find every little excuse to eat something back and possibly sabotage weight loss?
    Is set by time, not days for one. The spreadsheet I linked also goes by time spent working out.

    And minority, aside from the people saying they do count it, a large number of the people on my FL, people using the spreadsheet I linked from the 'Eat more to weight less" (Which again, has a section to enter the time spent strength lifting) which is far from a small group.
    Time, days, whatever. I'm happy that finding an extra 72.69456 calories to eat in a day by meticulously setting up a spreadsheet worked for you.

    If I set the spreadsheet for 0 I go from 1850 to 1575. So an extra 250 calories, actually. Worth the 10 minutes it took me to set up, I'll be honest.
  • AngelsFan91106
    AngelsFan91106 Posts: 111 Member
    Absolutely. If you've exercised "vigorously" or "moderately," that's what you've done--whether it's cardio or weight lifting.

    And I know the calculators don't show weight lifting as burning as many calories as cardio, but trust me, your body knows it has done the work. :- ) I, for one, barely do any cardio.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    You shouldn't. It's a very negligible amount. Each set probably takes you 10-20 seconds to complete. So 12 sets would equate to a whopping 2 minutes of work spread out among 45 min to an hour, during which you never elevate your heartrate to its max nor keep it there for a prolonged period of time.


    I'm pretty sure not everyone is following your protocol for lifting.

    And heart rate isn't always correlated with calorie burn.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    I have MFP set to 'lightly active' (activity without lifting) and I log my lifting burn on Fitbit. I use a Polar HRM (also).
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
    If I set the spreadsheet for 0 I go from 1850 to 1575. So an extra 250 calories, actually. Worth the 10 minutes it took me to set up, I'll be honest.
    I ran the spreadsheet out of curiosity, and it gives me a whopping 140 extra calories/day when I entered in my weight training vs. 0 weight training. Which again equates to losing an extra 1/4 lb a week or can buffer any error in my food intake or estimate of how much low-intensity walking I do in a week (seriously, who accurately counts that?).
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    You shouldn't. It's a very negligible amount. Each set probably takes you 10-20 seconds to complete. So 12 sets would equate to a whopping 2 minutes of work spread out among 45 min to an hour, during which you never elevate your heartrate to its max nor keep it there for a prolonged period of time.


    I'm pretty sure not everyone is following your protocol for lifting.

    And heart rate isn't always correlated with calorie burn.

    Nope, I know I'm not. I cannot even imagine what 12 deadlifts or barbell squats in 10-20 seconds looks like. I guess I could do it if I were using 20-30lbs, maybe.

    For me, 30 minutes of lifting is 20 minutes of moving heavy stuff with 10 minutes of rest. It's also never taken me the full 60 seconds of rest to set up between different sets, even if I have to set up steps or go in the aerobics room for a Swiss ball.