Question about Weight training cals.

simon_pickard

Hiya,

So this has been on my mind for a while, just wondering if someone could offer some advice.

Everything I read points to lifting heavy weights as a better way to get in shape, lose fat, etc, than cardio. I understand the pros and con's of both and tend to agree.

However what I don't understand is how to count cal's regarding this.

For example...

Two days ago I did a 6km Run. The runner said I'd burnt 600cals. Easy to log right?
Today I did 45mins of Heavy weight lifting. So deadlifts, Squats and Pullups. Now I've looked into this and on avarage I'm looking at 400cals burnt.

Ok.. Run=600cals. Weights=400cals.

But I hear you say... lifting weights carries on burning cals well after the fact. Or... By adding lean muscle you're burning more cals everyday. Yep, but how do I log this? I want to try and keep things as close as I can but I'm having a hard time understanding how to log weights.

Any help would be most welcomed. What do you guys and gals do out there?

Regards,
Simon

rockerbabyy

i would just log the 400 and call it good. any "afterburn" cant really be measured, and i look at it as just a bonus

careyharv

This is frustrating. I use a heart monitor because my weight lifting workouts vary. Some days I only get around 400 for upper body or 600 for lower body. However again - it varies since I change up my routines all the time. I think 400 is a good general number.

simon_pickard

i would just log the 400 and call it good. any "afterburn" cant really be measured, and i look at it as just a bonus

Why can't it be messured? Surly if you have the right equipment it should be fairly easy no?
That's what I don't get. Why there's no sites listing Cal's burnt from exercise in the following way..

Cal's burnt During exersise + Cal's burnt after.

From the very few things I could find on the net the numbers could be quite high in the cal's burnt after.

I guess the only real way of logging any of this is to buy a fancy heartrate sensor and track it what way?

rockerbabyy

i would just log the 400 and call it good. any "afterburn" cant really be measured, and i look at it as just a bonus

Why can't it be messured? Surly if you have the right equipment it should be fairly easy no?
That's what I don't get. Why there's no sites listing Cal's burnt from exercise in the following way..

Cal's burnt During exersise + Cal's burnt after.

From the very few things I could find on the net the numbers could be quite high in the cal's burnt after.

I guess the only real way of logging any of this is to buy a fancy heartrate sensor and track it what way?

i have to admit im not the smartest around - but even heart rate monitors arent great for weight lifting calories burned.. even though i use one, i know thats not what its for. you cant really measure the afterburn of exercise because most people dont have the equipment to do so. id imagine if you were in a scientific study type setting and they had you hooked up to a million different monitors they could. but once your heart rate goes down to normal, how would you suggest you measure calorie burn at home?
even heart rate monitors arent 100% accurate for calories burned because thats not their main purpose. thats why they arent called calorie burn monitors. they arent meant to be worn 24/7 (though there are bodybugg and body mediafit for that) - theyre just meant for use during aerobic exercise.

washingtonirving81

Good luck. I haven't found an easy way to measure calories burned in weight training. I just give it a lowered educated guess too. I'm doing weight training and cardio both. I do cardio 3 times a week and weight training 2 times a week because it's so hard to calculate.