Is there any way to measure strength training calories accur

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victoria4321
victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been using the preset value for calories burned in mfp but I have many days where I've eaten over my calories by like 700 (for weeks at times) and I still lose weight. I'm not complaining about it at all but I'd still like a decent estimation. I usually do machines at the gym and I do 3 sets of 6-8 until failure. In total it probably takes me 30 min with 30-45sec rests between sets.

My question is about how many calories could I be burning? I have my net set to 1420 and I only wanna lose half a lb a week at this point.

Replies

  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    I've been using the preset value for calories burned in mfp but I have many days where I've eaten over my calories by like 700 (for weeks at times) and I still lose weight. I'm not complaining about it at all but I'd still like a decent estimation. I usually do machines at the gym and I do 3 sets of 6-8 until failure. In total it probably takes me 30 min with 30-45sec rests between sets.

    My question is about how many calories could I be burning? I have my net set to 1420 and I only wanna lose half a lb a week at this point.

    If it's feasible for you, I'd say invest in a Heart Rate Monitor that calculates calories burned.

    I know my calories burned at rest in an hour (about 90) - so if I weight lift for an hour and burn 300 calories, I manually enter a calorie burn of 210 for that workout (300 cals indicated on the HRM - the 90 that I would've burned anyway just living).
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I have a hrm but I read its not accurate for weight training
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I know my calories burned at rest in an hour (about 90) - so if I weight lift for an hour and burn 300 calories, I manually enter a calorie burn of 210 for that workout (300 cals indicated on the HRM - the 90 that I would've burned anyway just living).

    Are you always supposed to subtract your calories at rest? I never knew that before.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,167 Member
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    I've been using the preset value for calories burned in mfp but I have many days where I've eaten over my calories by like 700 (for weeks at times) and I still lose weight. I'm not complaining about it at all but I'd still like a decent estimation. I usually do machines at the gym and I do 3 sets of 6-8 until failure. In total it probably takes me 30 min with 30-45sec rests between sets.

    My question is about how many calories could I be burning? I have my net set to 1420 and I only wanna lose half a lb a week at this point.
    get a decent hrm
    mine is suunto, and i end up burning about 500 calories in an hour. Of course I probably lift a little heavier than you ;)
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    get a decent hrm
    mine is suunto, and i end up burning about 500 calories in an hour. Of course I probably lift a little heavier than you ;)
    define "decent"?
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I use a polar ft60. I did wear it when once but it showed around 150 calories burned for the half hour. I usually just disregard it because I keep reading a heart rate monitor is pointless unless its cardio.
  • rfechter
    rfechter Posts: 109 Member
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    Do decent heart rate monitors accurately measure strength training calories? I am in a similar situation. I perform at least 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week and would like to know how many calories I am burning. The one thing I do not like about this site is that it lets you list your strength training exercises but it only takes into consideration the cardiovascular exercise in the calories burned.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    I use a polar ft60. I did wear it when once but it showed around 150 calories burned for the half hour. I usually just disregard it because I keep reading a heart rate monitor is pointless unless its cardio.
    ive read the same - i have a polar ft4... i usually get about 130-170 for a half hour, depending on the workout... but i just started using the MFP numbers instead and just use the HRM for my cardio days.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    Do decent heart rate monitors accurately measure strength training calories? I am in a similar situation. I perform at least 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week and would like to know how many calories I am burning. The one thing I do not like about this site is that it lets you list your strength training exercises but it only takes into consideration the cardiovascular exercise in the calories burned.
    you can add "strength training" under cardio, and get an estimate of calories burned
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Do decent heart rate monitors accurately measure strength training calories? I am in a similar situation. I perform at least 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week and would like to know how many calories I am burning. The one thing I do not like about this site is that it lets you list your strength training exercises but it only takes into consideration the cardiovascular exercise in the calories burned.
    you can add "strength training" under cardio, and get an estimate of calories burned

    Yeah that's what I do. The mfp estimate is close enough to what my hrm gave me so I just continue to use it.

    What I was curious to know is if there's an even better way to estimate the calorie burn.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Because there are so many variables involved, there is no way to accurately estimate strength training calories. To be honest, the direct calories burned is not very much.

    No, HRMs cannot be used. The changes in heart rate that occur during strength training are due to a different physiologic mechanism that increases in heart rate that occur during cardio. One (cardio) is associated with increases an oxygen uptake and thus increased calorie burn; the other (strength) is not. The HRM doesn't know the difference--all it does it detect a heart rate and it reflexive displays a "calorie" number. It cannot tell whether that increased heart rate is associated with an increased calorie burn or not.
  • Breedy75
    Breedy75 Posts: 54 Member
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    http://www.livestrong.com/article/76934-calories-burned-lifting-weights/
  • Jess102979
    Jess102979 Posts: 98 Member
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    You can log your calories burned in strength training under cardiovascular. Invest in a HRM. I did last week and Im glad I did. Good luck to you!!:bigsmile:
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    Because there are so many variables involved, there is no way to accurately estimate strength training calories. To be honest, the direct calories burned is not very much.

    No, HRMs cannot be used. The changes in heart rate that occur during strength training are due to a different physiologic mechanism that increases in heart rate that occur during cardio. One (cardio) is associated with increases an oxygen uptake and thus increased calorie burn; the other (strength) is not. The HRM doesn't know the difference--all it does it detect a heart rate and it reflexive displays a "calorie" number. It cannot tell whether that increased heart rate is associated with an increased calorie burn or not.

    Perfect reply. I doff my hat to you Sir.

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