Strength training--does it burn calories?

mmapags

I am increasing weight between sets, I pyramid all of the time. and I take short rests.... I am doing this on purpose... I don't lift colored weights if that is what you are getting at ? I squat, deadlift, bench and more....

Honesty, what I'm getting at is traditional strength training requires rest of 2 to 5 minutes between sets and increasing fitness with weight training is not about short rest periods between sets. I already mentioned the ATP-PC system recovery. To imply that someone is doing it wrong if that is what they are doing is incorrect.

I have no idea what weights you are lifting. There was no implied shot about pink weights. If you are happy with your routine, great. You are burning calories whether you take short or longer rest periods and sweating and groaning are not indicative of fitness increasing. In strength training the measure of improved fitness is weight on the bar. You will likely sweat and groan along the way!

keith0373

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?

I have hundreds of samples of heart rate data which directly contradict this. You can clearly see my elevated heart rate with each set of lifts. All energy is the same and claories are in essence a unit of energy burned. Power = Mass X Velocity ^2. The very act of movement requires energy be expended somewhere. Anaerobic excercise, would be pushing against a wall, pretty much everything else is aerobic in some way.

And, I am just arguing to argue for the most part. I do circuit training for the most part and it is of course aerobic.

mmapags

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?

I have hundreds of samples of heart rate data which directly contradict this. You can clearly see my elevated heart rate with each set of lifts. All energy is the same and claories are in essence a unit of energy burned. Power = Mass X Velocity ^2. The very act of movement requires energy be expended somewhere. Anaerobic excercise, would be pushing against a wall, pretty much everything else is aerobic in some way.

And, I am just arguing to argue for the most part. I do circuit training for the most part and it is of course aerobic.

Below is a good explanation of why your understanding is not accurate. Also, I appreciate the arguing for the sake if arguing as it helps get accurate info out:

The increased heart rate that occurs with aerobic exercise is the result of the need for increased cardiac output--the heart must pump more blood to meet the energy demand of the activity. Heart rate increases because of a VOLUME load.

The increased heart rate that occurs with strength training is the result of changes in intrathoracic pressure and an increase in afterload stress. There is no corresponding increase in cardiac output, and thus only a modest increase in oxygen uptake. Heart rate increases because of a PRESSURE load.

So, unlike aerobic exercise, the increased heart rate during strength training DOES NOT reflect either an increase in oxygen uptake or a significant increase in caloric expenditure. Moving quickly from machine to machine to keep the heart rate elevated does not change this fact. It is still a pressure load, not a volume load.

Does this mean that strength training is a less useful activity for weight loss, or that it does not contribute to maintaining a calorie deficit? Of course not. Strength training is a critical part of a weight loss program. Strength training may only have a modest observable calorie burn--actually it's more like a simmer--but it can contribute to an overall calorie deficit in other ways--a modest "afterburn", conservation of lean muscle mass, the metabolic effects of more rapid protein turnover, for example. But the effects of strength training are not general in nature--they are very specific to the individual, and they are affected by so many different variables, it is impossible to formulate an equation or prediction table that is applicable to the general population. Since the focus of this article is strength training and heart rate monitors, I will not go into detail about the many benefits of strength training and weight loss.
Full blog entry:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

The blog is by Azdak, one of our members. His background includes:
MS degree in Exercise Physiology, ACSM Exercise Specialist Certification, 29+ years experience working in health and fitness, mostly in hospital based clinical and fitness settings.

Riemersma4

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.

We must lift weight differently! ;-)

During heavy weight training, my heartrate hovers around 155 - 160 BPM and spikes to 165. My max at my age (48) is 172 BPM. 30 seconds between sets. 90 seconds between exercises.

Thoughts?

Good luck!

Riemersma4

ok... taking a step back... the things to take away from this thread are:

1) lifting does burn cals, but it's almost impossible to accurately estimate how many. If you feel the need to log a burn, pick a number between 4 and 8 cals per minute and log it. That's about as good an estimate as you're going to get.

2) HRMs use mathematical calculations to ESTIMATE cals burned based on things like HR, weight, etc. They are estimates. When setup correctly, they can be reasonably accurate for most steady state cardio activities. When the activiy is no longer steady state, or when it's not cardio, the estimates are likely to be wildly inaccurate.

3) regardless of calorie burns, rest times, estimates, etc, keep kicking *kitten* in the gym.

.

bump

keith0373

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.

We must lift weight differently! ;-)

During heavy weight training, my heartrate hovers around 155 - 160 BPM and spikes to 165. My max at my age (48) is 172 BPM. 30 seconds between sets. 90 seconds between exercises.

Thoughts?

Good luck!

This is what I see as well, though I start in the 120's and peak in the 150's. The changes are this drastic when i do a good cardio warm up before lifting. If i don't do the warm up, the numbers are much lower. 80's with peaks in the low 100's. Everyone is different and I take very little rest between exercises as it is just muscle endurance work for me.

keith0373

And just for reference here is heart rate data for todays workout and I understand what mmapags is saying but disagree to a point for the simple fact, that if you didn't need more oxygen, you wouldn't breathe harder while lifting, which is certainly not the case. Again, if movement is involved, the activity is aerobic. I also have an extended peiod of checking these numbers vs. weight loss and actually came out ahead. Calculated weight loss in a 12 week period was 3.3 lbs per week. I assume the difference was due to afterburn. Actual weight loss was 3.5 lbs per week. The HRM I used at the time was the same, but the weights used for lifting were probably half that of those listed below.

I am 5'8 189 and calories burned was 637 for the entire workout shown.

Here is the link for the entire graph. Stupid sizing.

http://s833.beta.photobucket.com/user/keith0373/media/heartrate001.jpg.html

evanick528

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.

I guess it depends on the person. When I'm done lifting, my heart rate is really up and I have sweating and breathing heavily

CassieReannan

I don't log it, as I am following -20% TDEE and eat the same goal everyday regardless of exercise.

lilcupcake213

I wore a HRM today when I did strength training and burned 124 calories in 30 minutes..and I ate them back. Should I not have done that? This thread completely confused the *kitten* out of me now!

julie781

I'm doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W as its referred to). Its all about lifting heavy. On days I lift I'm allotted 300 extra calories to fuel myself. There a lot of "after burn" to lifting. Meaning you still burn calories way after you're done.

heybales

And just for reference here is heart rate data for todays workout and I understand what mmapags is saying but disagree to a point for the simple fact, that if you didn't need more oxygen, you wouldn't breathe harder while lifting, which is certainly not the case. Again, if movement is involved, the activity is aerobic.

If movement is involved, it's aerobic? Where did you ever read that at?

Did you know your HR can elevate for the sheer fact of trying to keep you cool, be increasing blood flow?
Are you burning more because the HR went up? No, actually the body to compensate for increased heat slows down as best it can to stop producing additional heat.

Did you know your HR can elevate from drugs and coffee and stress and other stimulus?
Did you all of a sudden start burning more calories because the HR went up? No.

Did you know you can do the exact same pace and effort on a treadmill, expending the exact same amount of energy as the pace and your weight never changes, and over about 60 min your HR will slowly drift upwards?
Are you expending more energy? No, just cardiac drift.

Your HR spikes for anything anaerobic not because your muscles needs for oxygen just went up that instantly, but as mentioned in above post. In fact, that's the whole point of anaerobic, you couldn't get enough oxygen even if you could breathe enough.

It's not the same anaerobic you reach by running faster, and faster, and faster, until your lactic acid builds up so bad your legs cramp. Ya, that reached anaerobic eventually - but guess what - the HRM calorie estimate for anything above the lactate threshold or anaerobic threshold - is not correct. Wrong delivery system.

You might want to learn how calories is actually measured (hint VO2), and where HR actually comes into play, and in what regard, and how it is losely correlated.

Know your tools.

Edit - wow, looked at your chart. Your HRM should be telling you that you are wasting your energy on the elliptical first, preventing yourself from pushing hard enough on the lifting to see real benefit.
You went to failure not because of the load, but because the muscles were tired. Wasted lifting effort. Your muscles should have been strong enough to push a load to cause your HR to rocket above your LT line, well above where you did the elliptical at.

Do the lifting on fresh muscles, really push it, and then see how high the HR gets. That's the proper use of a HRM while lifting.

rm7161

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?

Use Endomondo and log your minutes that way. It will put the calories in!

Majikk27

just had to add my two cents here.....when i joined the gym last time i focused mainly on cardio...zumba, yoga, etc to lose weight. 6 months 5 dyas a week and had minimal success.

this time around i see a personal trainer 2 times a week and we do all strength training...then i do cardio for three days a week..in 30 days i lost 10.5 inches overall and 4.5 inches off my lower belly.....

so yes strength training works HANDS DOWN!

kdeaux1959

Yes. Any activity burns calories. It is not the primary function of the exercise, however. I always count my cardio (heart rate up 20 minutes or more) and use weight training calories as ... bonus.

1stplace4health

Yes, if it's a Jillian Michael's workout. She will try to kill you.

gwhizeh

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.

That's an interesting article. Not to get off topic, but I have been debating myself on which would be the best path. Been doing cardio only to start but I think I know now. I prefer weights anyway lol. Thanks.

Confuzzled4ever

My heart rate goes up, I sweat.. therefore calories are being burned..

it's logged under cardio... if you don't have in increase in heart rate and you don't sweat.. then you're not doing it right. LOL


My boyfriend is trying ot get me to alternate, cardio one day weights the next, rest day is Sunday and sometimes Saturday too ... but I just don't feel good if I didn't get a good cardio burn in. idk.. I do abs most days too.. log them as calisthenics, because with abs I do squats and push-ups and leg lifts and jumping jacks (which are actually listed separately). I feel much better after that than I do after weights. But I love the weight training too.

How bad is that 30 day shred? I rarely ever like the home video ones but it seems like it's a good one. Do you need to have weights at home to do it?

jaymek92

And just for reference here is heart rate data for todays workout and I understand what mmapags is saying but disagree to a point for the simple fact, that if you didn't need more oxygen, you wouldn't breathe harder while lifting, which is certainly not the case. Again, if movement is involved, the activity is aerobic. I also have an extended peiod of checking these numbers vs. weight loss and actually came out ahead. Calculated weight loss in a 12 week period was 3.3 lbs per week. I assume the difference was due to afterburn. Actual weight loss was 3.5 lbs per week. The HRM I used at the time was the same, but the weights used for lifting were probably half that of those listed below.

I am 5'8 189 and calories burned was 637 for the entire workout shown.

Here is the link for the entire graph. Stupid sizing.

http://s833.beta.photobucket.com/user/keith0373/media/heartrate001.jpg.html

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/keith0373/heartrate001.jpg

hi there! just to let you know, your warm up should be 5-10 minutes of cardio followed by 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching, not 25 minutes on the elliptical with a sprint at the end. going into the phosphagen system will build up pyruvate which converts into lactic acid and makes you fatigue. you don't want to already be fatigued when you're doing your main workout, which i'm assuming is your lifting.
also, what makes an activity anaerobic is if your cells are working so hard that they aren't able to wait around for oxygen so they can produce energy. your body goes through creatine kinase and adenylate kinase reactions first to make atp. when they run out of phosphocreatine or adp, then you go into glycolysis, which will either produce lactate to make you slow down so your cells don't die and will kick you into oxidation, or you'll go straight into oxidation. it is only when you're moving slowly enough that your cells can get oxygen that an exercise becomes aerobic. most lifts are supposed to be anaerobic, as is sprinting. just because your body is moving and you're breathing doesn't mean it's an aerobic exercise.

keith0373

And just for reference here is heart rate data for todays workout and I understand what mmapags is saying but disagree to a point for the simple fact, that if you didn't need more oxygen, you wouldn't breathe harder while lifting, which is certainly not the case. Again, if movement is involved, the activity is aerobic. I also have an extended peiod of checking these numbers vs. weight loss and actually came out ahead. Calculated weight loss in a 12 week period was 3.3 lbs per week. I assume the difference was due to afterburn. Actual weight loss was 3.5 lbs per week. The HRM I used at the time was the same, but the weights used for lifting were probably half that of those listed below.

I am 5'8 189 and calories burned was 637 for the entire workout shown.

Here is the link for the entire graph. Stupid sizing.

http://s833.beta.photobucket.com/user/keith0373/media/heartrate001.jpg.html

http://i833.photobucket.com/albums/zz258/keith0373/heartrate001.jpg

hi there! just to let you know, your warm up should be 5-10 minutes of cardio followed by 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching, not 25 minutes on the elliptical with a sprint at the end. going into the phosphagen system will build up pyruvate which converts into lactic acid and makes you fatigue. you don't want to already be fatigued when you're doing your main workout, which i'm assuming is your lifting.
also, what makes an activity anaerobic is if your cells are working so hard that they aren't able to wait around for oxygen so they can produce energy. your body goes through creatine kinase and adenylate kinase reactions first to make atp. when they run out of phosphocreatine or adp, then you go into glycolysis, which will either produce lactate to make you slow down so your cells don't die and will kick you into oxidation, or you'll go straight into oxidation. it is only when you're moving slowly enough that your cells can get oxygen that an exercise becomes aerobic. most lifts are supposed to be anaerobic, as is sprinting. just because your body is moving and you're breathing doesn't mean it's an aerobic exercise.

My main workout is the cardio. The lifting is just another means of getting some work in and has some nice side effects. I would rather not put on any more muscle mass than I have because it slows you down in races I have enjoyed the strength gains.