Confused by calorie counts -- what do you think this workout

VVEXVVEX
VVEXVVEX Posts: 132 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
MFP says 203 calories for 60 minutes of weight training. But if I enter it as circuit training, it says 643 calories.

How can I get closer to a real calorie number for this workout:

5 minutes of treadmill warmup
20 minutes of abs work (ball crunches, plank, bridges, 3 sets of each)
50 kettle bell swings
15 squats w/20 pound dumbells (2 sets)
10 one-legged squats (2 sets)
12 lunges w/10 pound ball (each leg) (2 sets)
50 kettle bell swings
12 chest press w/20 pound dumbells (2 sets)
10 bosu pushups (2 sets)
12 cable press w/lunge (each leg) (2 sets)
50 kettle bell swings
12 overhead row (2 sets)
12 barbell curl (2 sets)
12 low cable row (each leg) (2 sets)

Replies

  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    Wear a heart rate monitor with a chest strap --- thats the only way to get an accurate number.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    doesn't circuit training include bouts of cardio between the weigh lifting? I remember in curves we had cardio station > weight station > cardio station as our circuit, as well as jillian michael vids have cardio > str > ab > cardio

    maybe that is the difference?
  • MarieNevada
    MarieNevada Posts: 395 Member
    that would be strength training not circuit training. circuit training incorporates segments of intense cardio work with strenght training. even a heart rate monitor has a hard time judging the calories burned with strength training. i would guess abuot 250. that's what i log.
  • austepants
    austepants Posts: 356 Member
    Wear a heart rate monitor with a chest strap --- thats the only way to get an accurate number.

    agree 100%
  • corieueber
    corieueber Posts: 72 Member
    I'm not qualified in any way shape or form to really comment but that's not going to stop me :)

    Sounds a bit more cardio that just straight weights - so possibly circuit might be better match?????

    Is there anyone that could lend you a hrm (or do the gym possibly have one you could borrow) for at least one workout so you would know?
  • chocoholicandbaby
    chocoholicandbaby Posts: 75 Member
    The only way you're going to get a more accurate reading is by using a heart rate monitor.

    In the meantime I would go with the lower calories. My motto when estimating is to overestimate food calories and underestimate exercise.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
    I'm not qualified in any way shape or form to really comment but that's not going to stop me :)

    Sounds a bit more cardio that just straight weights - so possibly circuit might be better match?????

    Is there anyone that could lend you a hrm (or do the gym possibly have one you could borrow) for at least one workout so you would know?

    I'm wondering what part of her workout you are pegging as cardio?
  • VVEXVVEX
    VVEXVVEX Posts: 132 Member
    I'm almost puking after the kettle bell swings, fwiw. I think they're kinda cardio. :wink:
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    MFP says 203 calories for 60 minutes of weight training. But if I enter it as circuit training, it says 643 calories.

    How can I get closer to a real calorie number for this workout:

    5 minutes of treadmill warmup
    20 minutes of abs work (ball crunches, plank, bridges, 3 sets of each)
    50 kettle bell swings
    15 squats w/20 pound dumbells (2 sets)
    10 one-legged squats (2 sets)
    12 lunges w/10 pound ball (each leg) (2 sets)
    50 kettle bell swings
    12 chest press w/20 pound dumbells (2 sets)
    10 bosu pushups (2 sets)
    12 cable press w/lunge (each leg) (2 sets)
    50 kettle bell swings
    12 overhead row (2 sets)
    12 barbell curl (2 sets)
    12 low cable row (each leg) (2 sets)

    Well, you are really only doing a 40 min workout, since you are spending 20 min of ab work which isn't going to give you limited benefits for the amount of time spent.

    The rest depends on how you are doing the exercises. If the weights are relatively low and the pace high, you will burn more calories directly, but get much less strength improvement. If these are heavier weights, then you will increase strength, but not burn as many calories directly.

    It doesn't have to be exact. If you insist on counting exercise calories, at your weight, I would say about 400 is what I would use.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Wear a heart rate monitor with a chest strap --- thats the only way to get an accurate number.

    agree 100%

    An HRM number will NOT be accurate for this type of workout. It could result in an overestimation by 50%-100%.
  • dkvote
    dkvote Posts: 58
    I am interested in how this progresses.
  • dkvote
    dkvote Posts: 58
    Why isn't a HRM accurate with this workout?
  • VVEXVVEX
    VVEXVVEX Posts: 132 Member
    bump
This discussion has been closed.