Strength Training vs Circuit Training (Cardio)

stevwil41

First of all, I don't own a HRM nor do I plan on buying one. As long as I'm in the ballpark with calories burned or calories eaten then I've made a lifestyle change that I can sustain. I won't be wearining a HRM every time I exercise for the rest of my life, nor will I be weighing everything I eat for the rest of my life. It simply won't happen.

Okay, that being said 30 minutes of strength training per MFP gets me roughly 150 calories. 30 minutes of circuit training gets me something like 380. I generally work out in the circuit training area of the gym using a mix of machines, dumbells, and bodyweight exercises and I always work up a pretty good sweat by the time I'm done. The 150 estimate seems a little low but the 380 seems a little high to me. Thoughts or opinions (other than buy a HRM) anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Enforcer25

I just do strength training 3x a week. My thoughts on the calories burned is that I'd rather be under than over, so I'll take the lower estimate. I thought about an HRM, but on cardio days, the machines seem pretty accurate to my burns. I've had people using a HRM vs the machine readout and they were pretty close, so I decided to not get one. Bottom line is I'd rather under estimate my calories. You could take a calories burn in the middle of the two numbers. The numbers for strength and circuit training are such guestimates because you have no other variables except time. No idea how hard you are lifting, rest periods, etc.

poustotah

I do use an HRM and my experience strength training is that depending on what muscle group I'm working, I burn more or less calories but in any case, the calories that MFP calculates are significantly lower than what I actually burn. This is also true for my circuit training so I can just use whatever is in the MFP database and know that I'm figuring under what my actual burn was.

TrainingWithTonya

It depends on how you are using the machines as to what you would call it. With Strength Training, you do a set number of sets and reps with slow, controlled movements and rest in between sets. Because of that, your heart rate doesn't stay up the entire time you are training but will spike while you are lifting and decrease almost to normal while you are resting between sets. That is why it shows a lower number of calories burned, because a lot of the time is spent at rest. Circuit training is generally not a set amount of sets and reps but rather a set time spent on each machine (like 30 seconds or a minute) and you do a faster movement with lower weights to be able to do as many reps as possible (with correct form) in that time. You move from station to station with no rest in between so that you keep your heart rate up in a cardio zone. Because of the cardio aspect of it and the higher heart rates and the no rest in between machines, you get a higher calorie burn. So, pick the one that is closest to your workout style.

BenderFitness

Circuit training legitimately does burn a lot more calories. As long as you are moving from one exercise to the next as quickly as you can you are doing a VO2 max workout. It's like sprinting. This is my prefered method of working out because I don't have much time.

Try not to rest more than 10-15 seconds between exercises.

stevwil41

Thanks! I do generally do a 15 reps or so at a time but move quickly from exercise to exercise and repeat them 3 times or so. I appreciate the explanations:)