HRM and lifting..

Eve1972

I know that HRM's are generally considered inaccurate for weight training, but I have a question. The program I am doing now is basically 3 sets of 10, with 1 minute rest between each set. During those rest minutes I usually do something (high knees, jumping jacks etc), so my heart rate stays between 70% - 80% for the whole 45 minutes, Would the calorie burn then be considered more accurate?

I want to make sure I am getting a correct number to work with.

Eve1972

Bumping...

jweidner33

It sounds like it would be. I would probably take whatever calories it showed you burned and subtract 25-30% though. Just to be on the safe side. I always over calculated the calories in and under calculated the calories burned whenever I was uncertain.

Edit - At 119 lbs lost I doubt you need much advice though. :laugh:

heybales

I know that HRM's are generally considered inaccurate for weight training, but I have a question. The program I am doing now is basically 3 sets of 10, with 1 minute rest between each set. During those rest minutes I usually do something (high knees, jumping jacks etc), so my heart rate stays between 70% - 80% for the whole 45 minutes, Would the calorie burn then be considered more accurate?

Excellent idea, basically making it circuit training, like jogging the lap in between sets.

But, why are you doing the weight lifting?

What you are causing is to not get the best of either workout.

If you are limited on time and need to make this weight lifting count because you want more muscle, that extra exercise is going to interfere with the muscles getting a good recovery, allowing you to actually make a harder workout.

So right now your level of effort is hampered by your other workout in the midst of the strength training.

That recovery time actually aids in the muscles getting the most benefit from the release of the human growth hormone, and to a much lesser extent for you, testosterone.

Or, skip the sets and just do one good strong set, with recovery before moving on. The gain from multiple sets is limited.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Guidelines.html

With links for several items there.

Eve1972

First I want to thank you both for taking the time to answer my post, it is much appreciated! I am lifting because, number one, I enjoy it and hope to build muscles, get lean, boost my metabolism etc. I lift heavy, as heavy as I can to reach failure by the end of a set (or close to it). That being said, I still have 13lbs and 13% body fat I want to reduce, so I feel like I need to squeeze every calorie I can out of a workout.

I do 45 minutes 4 days a week in an upper/lower body split, plus I add on a 20 minute HITT after my lifting, and on my off day from lifting I do 60 minutes of cardio.

Is this too much? I am still eating at a deficit, so building actual muscle is not possible?? Anyways, thanks for the link! I am off to check it out.

Chairless

I once wore my HRM during my sets and it came out something like 200 cals.

I now just always log it as 200 as thats just enough to cover the protein shake i gulp down afterwards.

Cooking the books? maybe.

Eve1972

This morning I got a little over 300 in 45 minutes, with my heart rate continually between 70%-80%.

scarletfever2005

It will be more accurate doing it like this than just lifting but it is still going to overestimate your burn. A formula for lifting burn I fould was Min lifting (including rest periods) multiplied by your weight. Then take that answer and multiply it by .039. That answer is a fairly good estimate for calories burned while lifting.

Eve1972

Cool thanks, and that is your weight in lbs right, not kgs?

Eve1972

oh and according to that formula my HRM overestimated by 50 calories, not overly bad!

heybales

First I want to thank you both for taking the time to answer my post, it is much appreciated! I am lifting because, number one, I enjoy it and hope to build muscles, get lean, boost my metabolism etc. I lift heavy, as heavy as I can to reach failure by the end of a set (or close to it). That being said, I still have 13lbs and 13% body fat I want to reduce, so I feel like I need to squeeze every calorie I can out of a workout.

I do 45 minutes 4 days a week in an upper/lower body split, plus I add on a 20 minute HITT after my lifting, and on my off day from lifting I do 60 minutes of cardio.

Is this too much? I am still eating at a deficit, so building actual muscle is not possible?? Anyways, thanks for the link! I am off to check it out.

Excellent workout plan.
The level you can lift now until failure comes quicker because you do the other exercise when you should be recovering.
So you could probably be building better muscle by having a better workout, by not doing the cardio inbetween.
The better workout will have you burning more fat long after the workout, which is when the majority of weight lifting burn comes - hours up to 24 after.
That better muscle building will also allow more to grow that is going to burn fat 24 hrs a day.

So think about losing the few calories by not exercising in that minute rest time, and actually having better muscles burning fat 24 hrs day.

It's a mind set change as to what is more beneficial. That 45 min, or the 24 hrs?

A truly useful weight lifting session needs a rest day for those muscles.
A truly useful HIIT session needs a rest day for those muscles and body in general usually.

If you really can follow up either of those sessions, and work the same muscles the next day to almost the same level - your sessions really aren't at the level they could be.

In that case, yes, I'd say that is a bit much. Good weight lifting program, good idea doing the HIIT.

If you are still growing hair and fingernails at a deficit, yes you can build muscle at a deficit. Only if you are already ripped and weightlifting for a while would that be almost impossible. Just confirm your deficit is realistic good goal MFP may have recommended of 500 cal.

But to get more out of your programs, you may want to confirm your HIIT after the weight lifting is working out the same muscles you just did. Yes, the HIIT won't be as beneficial if done by itself, but if you want to do it, do it that way.
And the next day of lifting the other half of the body, truly give a rest to that half from the day before. Since that probably means upper body gets no HIIT (unless you do swimming version), just do a very light cardio to clear out muscles from day before.
And don't exercise in that recovery minute. Really recover, and then figure out how much more weight or reps you can now go up to.

Make that long cardio session come after the rest day. You can make the weight lifting before the rest day lower body (since that is the biggest muscles for burning fat), and really allow recovery.
Since the gain in strength/muscle isn't as great for the extra sets, you could also make that one set much more powerful, same rest inbetween routines, and use the extra time for some gentle cardio before and after doing the HIIT on the days you do it. On the non-HIIT days, just gentle cardio/swimming, ect.

The theory of all this - you are doing weights for the benefit, allow enough recovery to really benefit the most not only during the workout, but after.

Just suggestions.