cals burned ... help?

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Nico_the_enabler
Nico_the_enabler Posts: 123 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have endomondo on my phone.. when i do a weight training workout, it says for 40 min, I burn about 450cal. MFP on the other hand says for 40min, I am burning 166cals. So. I am not sure which is accurate. mfp seems too low and endomondo seems too high. What do you all do?

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  • Autumn_in_jeans
    Autumn_in_jeans Posts: 5 Member
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    I had this happen with the yoga class I took on Sunday. MFP said I only burned 160 calories, but the yoga calculator I found on another page (that gave me more options than just "yoga") told me I burned over 400 calories. I asked one of the personal trainers at my gym what he thought I should go with. He said for an advanced class, I probably did burn at least 400 calories. I went with the higher number since I sweat my *kitten* off and am still sore three days later. Maybe beginners yoga burns only 160 calories in an hour, but there's no way that's all I burned in that particular class.
  • prukatt
    prukatt Posts: 57 Member
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    Are you sure you are wearing your heart rate monitor correctly? That seems way too low. I can easily burn over 500 calories doing a 45 min cardio workout. What Heart rate monitor do you have?
  • CarynMacD
    CarynMacD Posts: 230
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    The BEST investment I have ever made was getting a Heart Rate Monitor. Your data is personalized based on your sex, age, weight, etc. so the number of calories burned is a lot more accurate. I went the extra mile and purchased a HRM that has a waterproof transmitter and receiver so I can also use it when I swim.
  • Nico_the_enabler
    Nico_the_enabler Posts: 123 Member
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    Are you sure you are wearing your heart rate monitor correctly? That seems way too low. I can easily burn over 500 calories doing a 45 min cardio workout. What Heart rate monitor do you have?

    Firstly I don't have a hrm that calculates calories, or I wouldn't need to ask in the first place what my burn is. Secondly its for a weight training workout. Not cardio. Thirdly, My hrm is rubbish so I don't use it for weight training.
  • Ian_Stuart
    Ian_Stuart Posts: 252 Member
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    You essentially can't use a heart rate monitor for weightlifting. Really any way you track it is just an estimate. The way it works is, when you are really lifting heavy, you are exerting maximum effort for a very short time and so the calories burned for the actual lift are fairly minimal (more inline with the MFP estimate), but lifting has a long "afterburn" period where your body is using way more calories than usual for muscle repair and building. PLUS the additional muscle mass generated increases your metabolic rate, so you burn more calories when sitting, sleeping, etc... But you don't get that benefit until you have built some muscle.

    When I was lifting hard core, I was having trouble getting enough to eat.

    A really fantastic article on the subject: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • Nico_the_enabler
    Nico_the_enabler Posts: 123 Member
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    The BEST investment I have ever made was getting a Heart Rate Monitor. Your data is personalized based on your sex, age, weight, etc. so the number of calories burned is a lot more accurate. I went the extra mile and purchased a HRM that has a waterproof transmitter and receiver so I can also use it when I swim.

    Oh I am sure they are amazaballs.
    However.. what I am wanting to know is what estimate to go with if one Does NOT have a HRM.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I'd either go with the lower number - which would be accurate for me - or if you feel it is too low take an average of the 2.
  • Nico_the_enabler
    Nico_the_enabler Posts: 123 Member
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    using the lower number at the moment. But the discrepancy seems alarmingly high

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