Tracking strength training

waylandcool

I too add it under cardio, under strength training.

I do that and use my HRM to fill in the calories burned.

DJStewie

I count strength training as buring extra calories. I will scale the calories up or down based on how hard I worked though, for example every leg day my heart rate is way up and stays up just because squats do that to me. You'll get the hang of it after you do it a few times.

Good Luck :bigsmile:

sunraew

Yep, track those calories burned. You earned them!

vorgas

The mfp method of tracking weight calories burned is flawed. Its just an estimate. That doesnt mean you shouldnt track them, if thats what you want.

I have a post that goes into the math if you really want to know it (my tablet wont let me paste a url, so search for joules).

As to using a HRM to track calories, that is every bit as flawed. HRMs are calibrated for aerobic (oxygen burning exercises). Anaerobic exercises (such as weight lifting) dont use oxygen. Your heart rate is responding to entirely different things. Its just not accurate at all.

morkiemama

HRMs do not accurately track cals burned from lifting
The additional cals burned from the amount of muscle a newb eating a deficit will gain is negligible

To all those using HRMs to track their lifting burns, I just wanted to point this out again: HRMs do NOT accurately track lifting heavy weights and are not designed nor meant to do so.

I have a Polar HRM I use for cardio. I do wear my HRM during weight training so I can be aware of what my HR is, but I do not use it to determine calories burned.

A lot of lifters just eat at a set flat rate (e.g. TDEE +/- some %) for calories and do not add back exercise calories. Some eat at a set level on non-workout days and a set level for workout days. This solves the problem of trying to figure out what you burned.

alyssamiller77

Here's the best link I was able to find:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/

And here is what that article specifies: (according with this formula I am burning more calories that what MFP tells me)

Weight lifting is a great exercise to not only build strength and tone muscles but to increase your metabolic rate and burn even more calories. For every 3 lbs. of muscle you build, your metabolic rate increases by 7 percent, according to West Valley College. This in turn increases the number of calories you need to maintain your weight by 15 percent. As an added bonus, after a weight training session you continue to burn calories at a higher rate for up to 24 hours. The number of calories you burn during the weight lifting session itself depends on your body weight and the type and intensity of the weight training. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Step 1
Weigh yourself before each weight lifting session. The number of calories you burn partially depends on your weight.


Step 2
Time the number of minutes you lifted weights. This includes the time spent resting between repetitions.

Step 3
Determine the intensity value of your weight training. A bodybuilding level of effort is vigorous and burns 0.055 calories per pound per minute. Circuit training with weights burns 0.042 calories per pound per minute. Strength training with free weights burns 0.039 calories per pound per minute. Lighter weight lifting with moderate effort burns 0.028 calories per pound per minute.

Step 4
Calculate the number of calories burned. First, multiply your weight by the number of minutes you exercised. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs. and lifted weights for 35 minutes, the formula would be 140 x 35 = 4900. Then multiply this number by the intensity value to get the number of calories burned. If you were circuit training, the formula would be 4900 x 0.042 = 206 calories burned.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/#ixzz2I4nqp1ii

For the record, I've been using this method for over a year now and as best I can tell (from pretty controlled and predictable results) it seems pretty accurate as long as you're honest with yourself about intensity. I mean seriously, anyone who thinks any of the calories burned estimates for any cardio activity are accurate is nuts. Even with the most accurate HRM's and all that jazz it's still just an approximation that we should be using as a guide. For strength training the above equation seems to yield a pretty reliable estimate.

sjohnny

I usually just give myself 100 extra calories for weight lifting.

Also, I have a BMF which syncs with this site to give me a more accurate (but not perfect) estimate of my daily TDEE (which includes all exercise calories including lifting).

I lift weights so I can be my own BMF. It has nothing to do with syncing to anything or accuracy though.

Do you mean BAMF?

I'm just working to be a BMF now. I'll work on BAMF status once I've reached that first stepping stone.

jofjltncb6

I pick a number between 2 and 6, inclusively, depending on my own perception of how much work I accomplished...(okay, fine, mostly randomly)...and multiply it times the number of minutes. Sure, it isn't the correct amount, but it isn't as if anyone else knows the correct amount either.

jofjltncb6

I usually just give myself 100 extra calories for weight lifting.

Also, I have a BMF which syncs with this site to give me a more accurate (but not perfect) estimate of my daily TDEE (which includes all exercise calories including lifting).

I lift weights so I can be my own BMF. It has nothing to do with syncing to anything or accuracy though.

Do you mean BAMF?

I'm just working to be a BMF now. I'll work on BAMF status once I've reached that first stepping stone.

Baby steps.

In fact, that's what the B is in BMF: baby.

CorvusCorax77

OP- as you have read, MFP has two ways to log strength training. To get the calories burned, you have to search for "strength training" under cardio. It gives you something like 180 cals for an hour. I actually think that is an under estimate. But if you are eating 1200 cals plus exercise cals, it's a good route to take.

A lot of more serious lifters don't calculate calories the way MFP does. I just made this switch myself as I'm focused more on lifting than cardio. This technique involves figuring out your TDEE (the calories you burn on average every day based on your lifestyle, including exercise routine). To lose weight you eat your TDEE -20% (or so). On this, I get about 1700 cals a day. On days I lift, I allow myself up to 1800 cals. On days I do nothing, I try to be around 1600. Under this method, however, your exercise schedule is something you have to be committed to- you don't "earn" food for it- you do it for the gains

Hope this helps make sense of it all.

username_misso

Here's the best link I was able to find:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/

And here is what that article specifies: (according with this formula I am burning more calories that what MFP tells me)

Weight lifting is a great exercise to not only build strength and tone muscles but to increase your metabolic rate and burn even more calories. For every 3 lbs. of muscle you build, your metabolic rate increases by 7 percent, according to West Valley College. This in turn increases the number of calories you need to maintain your weight by 15 percent. As an added bonus, after a weight training session you continue to burn calories at a higher rate for up to 24 hours. The number of calories you burn during the weight lifting session itself depends on your body weight and the type and intensity of the weight training. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Step 1
Weigh yourself before each weight lifting session. The number of calories you burn partially depends on your weight.


Step 2
Time the number of minutes you lifted weights. This includes the time spent resting between repetitions.

Step 3
Determine the intensity value of your weight training. A bodybuilding level of effort is vigorous and burns 0.055 calories per pound per minute. Circuit training with weights burns 0.042 calories per pound per minute. Strength training with free weights burns 0.039 calories per pound per minute. Lighter weight lifting with moderate effort burns 0.028 calories per pound per minute.

Step 4
Calculate the number of calories burned. First, multiply your weight by the number of minutes you exercised. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs. and lifted weights for 35 minutes, the formula would be 140 x 35 = 4900. Then multiply this number by the intensity value to get the number of calories burned. If you were circuit training, the formula would be 4900 x 0.042 = 206 calories burned.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/#ixzz2I4nqp1ii

For the record, I've been using this method for over a year now and as best I can tell (from pretty controlled and predictable results) it seems pretty accurate as long as you're honest with yourself about intensity. I mean seriously, anyone who thinks any of the calories burned estimates for any cardio activity are accurate is nuts. Even with the most accurate HRM's and all that jazz it's still just an approximation that we should be using as a guide. For strength training the above equation seems to yield a pretty reliable estimate.

thank you guys so much for the link and the feedback!

i am trying to use MFP sensibly and account fairly for all food... and would like to do the same for exercise but am really struggling. i know that i will never find out an exact number of calories burned, but i desperately needed a starting place.

jenniferrusso7393

I noticed that too that it doesnt count any calories during strength training-- yes, you are burning calories when you are doing strength training-- you are using muscles and moving... that burns calories... so I just added them under the cardio part...

MontanaDiva

Every expenditure of work merits the good feeling that comes from calories burned, since of course it helps with the calories you are given for eating especially here on MFP.

I just time my activity and use this calculator. http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

it is not totally accurate since we all lift differently but it is something anyway.