MFP doesnt take off calories for STRENGTH TRAINING

kristinareed50

Ive always wondered and been feeling kindve cheated out of extra calories i might need to be consuming because MFP doesnt give you extra calories for any strength exercises you may do. Some days I do an hour plus of cardio and then another 30-45 min doing weights...i thought we are supposed to consume more calories, protein, etc when weight training, so why not calculate extra calories in for that as well'?

dad106

Need to log it under cardio as strength training.

Pebble321

From the MFP HELP section:

Doesn't strength training burn calories? Why don't you show any calories burned for strength training?

Estimating the calories burned from strength training is very difficult because it depends on a variety of factors: how much weight you lifted per repetition, how vigorously you performed that exercise, how much rest you took between sets, etc. Because of this, we do not automatically calculate how many calories you burned from strength training exercises.

However, if you'd like, you can add "Strength training" as a cardio exercise to get a rough estimate of how many calories you burned. Please be aware though that this is definitely a rough estimate and can be fairly inaccurate.

sadraanne

I've noticed that if you enter all of the strength stuff separately, it doesn't burn calories on MFP...but if you enter it as "strength training", it does. I'm new to all this but it's something I noticed recently. Hope it helps.

glenette1

I usually enter it as calesthenics but I didn't realize there was a strength training option under cardio.

ElizabethRoad

I've noticed that if you enter all of the strength stuff separately, it doesn't burn calories on MFP...but if you enter it as "strength training", it does. I'm new to all this but it's something I noticed recently. Hope it helps.

You're kind of misunderstanding. There are two different sections: Cardiovascular, and Strength Training. You have to enter it in Cardiovascular for it to show any calories burned.

lilmisfit

You could always use a HRM or a Fitbit to track your calories burned during your strength training. That's what I do. I start an activity record on my Fitbit when I start my workout, be it cardio or lifting or both, and stop it when I'm done. That way I know exactly how many calories I've burned. I then log it as cardio on MFP.

HMVOL7409

Way too many variables to consider. Rep count, set count, how heavy etc. Invest in a HRM of you want an accurate reading.

wellbert

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

lilmisfit

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

I think it's probably more accurate than the generic values that MFP gives.

mustgetmuscles1

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

Exactly. Try just holding your breath with an HRM on. Your heart rate will go up but you wont actually burn calories. That is kind of what happens with lifting weights. It is not the same as cardio so an HRM wont be as useful. You do burn calories but it is hard to calculate.

That being said I do use MFP's calculation under "Strength training" in the cardio section and have found it to be pretty close as far as counting calories for weight loss.

wellbert

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

I think it's probably more accurate than the generic values that MFP gives.

My Polar FT7 says I burned 600+ calories doing 26 minutes of weight lifting.
About the same as 45 minutes of cycling w/moderate hills.

MFP puts 26 minutes at around 156.

The truth is somewhere probably closer to MFP's estimate.

In any case, people are left to guess.

lilmisfit

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

I think it's probably more accurate than the generic values that MFP gives.

My Polar FT7 says I burned 600+ calories doing 26 minutes of weight lifting.
About the same as 45 minutes of cycling w/moderate hills.

MFP puts 26 minutes at around 156.

The truth is somewhere probably closer to MFP's estimate.

In any case, people are left to guess.

I use a Fitbit. It's not a HRM. It seems pretty accurate for me.

wellbert

HRM and fitbit aren't going to give you accurate results. It's a crapshoot.

Here's what happens:

You lift 200lbs off the ground. Heart rate shoots to 170. It takes 10 seconds to do the lift. You rest for 50 seconds for your next rep.

What your HRM sees: 1 solid minute of incredibly intense cardiovascular exercise

I think it's probably more accurate than the generic values that MFP gives.

My Polar FT7 says I burned 600+ calories doing 26 minutes of weight lifting.
About the same as 45 minutes of cycling w/moderate hills.

MFP puts 26 minutes at around 156.

The truth is somewhere probably closer to MFP's estimate.

In any case, people are left to guess.

I use a Fitbit. It's not a HRM. It seems pretty accurate for me.

Does a fitbit know the difference between touching your toes and doing a 450lb deadlift?

lilmisfit

My Fitbit tells me the number of calories I've burned for the time period I've programmed it for. It doesn't matter what I'm doing. If I'm more active, I burn more calories. I can see the graphical representation indicating when I was very active, lightly active, etc...so it does take into account for rest periods. To me, that seems more accurate than relying on the generic number MFP provides. To each his own, though. What I'm doing is working for me, so I don't plan to change it.

LDLou

I just started strength training and am confused about how to specify the time when I log it under cardio because although I spend almost an hour at the gym, I'm resting between sets and moving from one piece of equipment to another. How do others handle this?

Starqueg

That right there is why I don't track strength training under cardio.

kristinareed50

ive been doing that as well

EvanKeel

I just use the strength training option under the cardio section...

It's not a lot of calories, but then again the lifts themselves don't really burn all that much. But hey, if tracking my strength training means I get a bonus truffle, I'm going to track it.

BigDaddyBRC

Wear your HRM the whole time. Log it in Kicking the gym in the Kettle Balls under cardio. #WIN