Strength training--does it burn calories?

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  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
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    Don't know how scientific it is, but I have been using a HRM and then knocking off about 20% of what the calculations say. But then I am extremely out of shape yet and I am panting and sweating like a wildebeast being chased down by predators in South Africa.

    And the reason I am trying to log calories burned is to make sure I am at a rather small or nonexistent deficit on strength days.

    You may end up with an approximation but it would only be by chance. As jacksonPT said, HRMs are designed to measure aerobic activities with oxygen exchange. Strength training is utilizing the anaerobic energy system and an HRM, using Heart Rate as it measurement, will usually substantially overestimate the calories burned. The amount allocated when you log strength training under cardio is about as good an estimate as your going to get. I would not use an HRM in any way for strength training.

    PS: Sweating and breathing hard are sign of exertion but don't correlate to a calories burn as much as to current fitness level.

    Forgot to post the other half of that which is that I am using a heart rate monitor in the first place because I am quite out of shape and so am trying to make sure I am not pegging out my heart rate so to speak, which I was. Gotta start somewhere though :)
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    My weight lifting instructor has said that strength training burns calories for up to 48 hours.
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
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    If your fitness instructor didn't tell you how many calories it burned over 48hours, what good did he do you?
    Would it matter to you if the number was in the 10's rather than the 100's ?
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    If your fitness instructor didn't tell you how many calories it burned over 48hours, what good did he do you?
    Would it matter to you if the number was in the 10's rather than the 100's ?

    Number doesn't matter to me.
    She was sharing the different benefits from different types of exercise.
    Cardio burns more initially.
    I do the two consecutively when I work out so in my mind I am getting the benefits of both.
    Not here to argue, just add my two cents :smile:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    If your fitness instructor didn't tell you how many calories it burned over 48hours, what good did he do you?
    Would it matter to you if the number was in the 10's rather than the 100's ?

    Number doesn't matter to me.
    She was sharing the different benefits from different types of exercise.
    Cardio burns more initially.
    I do the two consecutively when I work out so in my mind I am getting the benefits of both.
    Not here to argue, just add my two cents :smile:
    There is no clear data on this but there is some EPOC effect. 48 hours is likely stretching it though. Maybe 18 to 24 hours on a diminishing curve but not likely 48.
  • jrompola
    jrompola Posts: 153 Member
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    Lifting weights gives you an increase in burned calories after your workout which cardio does not. This happens bc your body is trying to repair your muscles. I'd say the rough % is 15-30% burned. So if you burn 300 calories lifting weights you'd additionally burn 60 or so calories. None of this is exact and it varies based upon intensity of working out which is why you want to mix weight lifting and cardio.
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    If your fitness instructor didn't tell you how many calories it burned over 48hours, what good did he do you?
    Would it matter to you if the number was in the 10's rather than the 100's ?

    Number doesn't matter to me.
    She was sharing the different benefits from different types of exercise.
    Cardio burns more initially.
    I do the two consecutively when I work out so in my mind I am getting the benefits of both.
    Not here to argue, just add my two cents :smile:
    There is no clear data on this but there is some EPOC effect. 48 hours is likely stretching it though. Maybe 18 to 24 hours on a diminishing curve but not likely 48.

    EPOC?
  • jrompola
    jrompola Posts: 153 Member
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    in layman's terms its the after burn of a workout

    basically its the body trying to re-balance itself back to its state before a workout
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    in layman's terms its the after burn of a workout

    basically its the body trying to re-balance itself back to its state before a workout

    Buring energy to re-build muscle or to re-balance or both?
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    no
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
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    I don't know, but the pointers on my "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" Xbox game (LOL) say that dieters who incorporate strength training into their workouts typically lose 40 percent more fat than those who don't.

    I have read that losing weight without strength training will result in ratio loss of about 50% body fat 50% muscle mass.

    Whereas weight loss with strength training will result in ratio loss of about 90% body fat and 10% muscle mass. This is probably where the figure of 40% more body fat comes from - still roughly same amount of loss, its the ratio of that loss.
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
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    Lifting most certainly burns calories, but it's difficult to guage how many. There are so many variable that need to be looked at when it comes to lifting that can affect caloric expenditure. Your intensity, your volume, your metabolic rate, and the list goes on and on. I'd say a more accurate way is the buy some sort of heart rate monitor that gives you an estimate on calories burned; there are many on the market right now.

    HRM's are not accurate for lifting because there isn't a significant HR increase.

    Not true at all. Get a better hrm with a higher sample rate.
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
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    no

    ?
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    I'd think it did, but when I added it to my exercise diary, MFP doesn't add those calories burned to my daily goals. Anyone know why? Does it just not burn enough?

    I burn close to 600 calories from strength training alone each time I work out (according to my HRM). If you do it at a good pace, you'll burn calories.
  • OutsideCreativ
    OutsideCreativ Posts: 143 Member
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    The idea of strength training isn't to get calorie burns from the actual lifting but to build muscle which in turn burns more in just every day life. Most strength training doesn't raise your heart rate enough to cause a lot of calorie burn like cardio does at the time of the activity.

    This. This is my understanding as well.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    The idea of strength training isn't to get calorie burns from the actual lifting but to build muscle which in turn burns more in just every day life. Most strength training doesn't raise your heart rate enough to cause a lot of calorie burn like cardio does at the time of the activity.

    Odd... every time I do strength training, my heart rate increases pretty significantly. For a long time, all I did for my workouts was strength training and that's when I lost most of my weight. I've only added cardio to enhance the burn and maintenance of my current weight.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Lifting most certainly burns calories, but it's difficult to guage how many. There are so many variable that need to be looked at when it comes to lifting that can affect caloric expenditure. Your intensity, your volume, your metabolic rate, and the list goes on and on. I'd say a more accurate way is the buy some sort of heart rate monitor that gives you an estimate on calories burned; there are many on the market right now.

    HRM's are not accurate for lifting because there isn't a significant HR increase.

    Not true at all. Get a better hrm with a higher sample rate.

    What exactly do you mean? How would this make a difference when HRMs are designed to measure aerobic activities and strength training is an anaerobic activity using different energy systems?
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
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    If you are not burning calories while lifting weights then you are NOT doing it right ! sheesh.....

    It's not about taking 3 min breaks inbetween sets.... it's about sweating and groaning and working your *kitten* off, and if that does not burn calories.....NUTHIN does !
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I'd think it did, but when I added it to my exercise diary, MFP doesn't add those calories burned to my daily goals. Anyone know why? Does it just not burn enough?

    I burn close to 600 calories from strength training alone each time I work out (according to my HRM). If you do it at a good pace, you'll burn calories.

    As has been pointed out, HRM's are not at all accurate for strength training. They are designed for moderate intensity steady state cardio.
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
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    Here's an excellent article on weightlifting and calories: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/01/what-burns-more-calories-cardio-intervals-or-weight-training/
    Basically, lifting burns calories during and after. Also worth noting is that cardio is the least efficient method for losing body fat.

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