should I log this? strength training calories/ HR

divacat80
divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hi!!!
I wonder if I should log the calories/bpm my HRM detects when I'm strength training. I usually have it on, but we know it's hard for a basic HRM to detect the heartbeat when you're doing triceps for example, or have the hands behind the body in any way.

Do you log those calories? I've been logging them lately, but I haven't paid much attention to eating them back or not. First, because I feel stuffed while eating what I already eat (I'm trying the hardest to eat my regular cardio calories back) and secondly because I doubt about the accuracy of the measurings my HRM does while lifting the weights.

I strength train three times a week (sometimes just 2, depending on my delayed muscle aches)

Any ideas will be welcomed. thanks a lot!

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    No. HRMs are not accurate for strength training.

    Strength training often does not burn a lot of calories I just use the ones on MFP. It gives me around 150 for an hour of lifting weights, which to me is small enough that even if not accurate, it's not going to make or break the diet.

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    Thank you!
    My heart does race quite a bit while lifting hard, and for some reason mfp wasn't giving me any extra calories by entering the exercises. I might just ignore those calories and just enter the exercises to keep track of them.

    Thanks for the link, i'll go check it out
    :)
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    Because my routine does keep my heart rate consistently over 145bpm, I go ahead and log it. I don't eat back those calories, but it's good for me because it helps me stay honest about the effort that I am giving.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    You can log under "circuit trainng, general" in the cardio section if you want to record calories.
    How many calories you burn depends very much on the style of strength training. I do a fast, no rest, routine alternating opposite sets of muscles so can get a significant calorie burn.
    My rate rate rarely gets over 110 strength training (and very briefly) though so much lower burn rate than cardio.
  • Trotters8
    Trotters8 Posts: 47
    I dont actually log my exercise
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    You can log under "circuit trainng, general" in the cardio section if you want to record calories.
    How many calories you burn depends very much on the style of strength training. I do a fast, no rest, routine alternating opposite sets of muscles so can get a significant calorie burn.
    My rate rate rarely gets over 110 strength training (and very briefly) though so much lower burn rate than cardio.

    Good idea, thank you! And Trotters and Pixie, thank you as well :)

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