interval training = how many calories??

missmuse06

Good morning everyone!!

I've been doing interval training and I'm not quite sure how to log the cardio. Should I just log the total number of minutes I train or am I burning more/less calories with intervals? Would a HRM monitor get an accurate count?
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missmuse06

hmm.... no one?!

TeaBea

Yes - a heart rate monitor (HRM) would give you an accurate measure

Calories burned depends upon several factors - height, weight, age, gender, and fitness/exertion level.

A HRM will ask you to input height, weight, age & gender. Then the HRM (chest strap is best) will measure your heart rate & compare it to your "resting heart rate" ...... that's your exertion level.

MFP will give you an average calorie burn .... if you go that route ... be careful how many calories you eat back. Many people eat a % back ... ... see how it goes ... then adjust as needed.

TeaBea

Good morning everyone!!

I've been doing interval training and I'm not quite sure how to log the cardio. Should I just log the total number of minutes I train or am I burning more/less calories with intervals? Would a HRM monitor get an accurate count?
.

Intervals (fast / slow) cardio - should yield some higher calorie burns.

missmuse06

Right, I understand all that.

My main question is would 30 minutes of interval training be logged as the same amount of cardio as 30 minutes steady pace on the treadmill? Or, does the interval training burn more calories, even though it's the same time? There is no "interval" catergory on the cardio section here!

meshashesha2012

this is a)why i'm glad i have an HRM and b)dont bother with eating my exercise calories back..

why not just take an average of the speed and log it like that? you should be able to get that from the total time you worked out and the distance you went. it's just math, easy peasy.

TeaBea

this is a)why i'm glad i have an HRM and b)dont bother with eating my exercise calories back..

why not just take an average of the speed and log it like that? you should be able to get that from the total time you worked out and the distance you went. it's just math, easy peasy.

Oh yeah - this sounds like a good plan - it combines your speed & your distance.

ShannonMpls

this is a)why i'm glad i have an HRM and b)dont bother with eating my exercise calories back..

Well, HRMs aren't particularly accurate for interval training either. I use mine for it, but that's mostly to track the peak and recovery HRs.

But like you, I don't eat based on what my HRM says. I subtract a deficit from my TDEE. Much simpler and no starving on non-workout days. I log what my HRM says for intervals, but I know it's not that accurate.

missmuse06

Thanks for the advice! I don't eat my workout calories back, but I like to track my deficit.

I'm going to test HRM and also using average speeds and see what happens!

TeaBea

this is a)why i'm glad i have an HRM and b)dont bother with eating my exercise calories back..

Well, HRMs aren't particularly accurate for interval training either. I use mine for it, but that's mostly to track the peak and recovery HRs.

But like you, I don't eat based on what my HRM says. I subtract a deficit from my TDEE. Much simpler and no starving on non-workout days. I log what my HRM says for intervals, but I know it's not that accurate.

Does your HRM have a chest strap or just the wrist strap thing? Chests strap models measure heart rate constantly ....and wrist strap models just periodically. I hadn't heard that HRMs aren't accurate for interval training. Well, my calorie burns aren't huge anyway (but I do eat calories back).