Weight Training

shinerai
shinerai Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all! I'm fairly new to MyFitnessPal, and I've added my weight training routine to my exercise log for a couple of days, but I haven't noticed anywhere where that changes anything about my goals on here. It doesn't tell me any extra calories burned, etc.

Is there any benefit to adding it in other than keeping personal track of what all you've done that day?

Replies

  • bonitacash08
    bonitacash08 Posts: 378 Member
    I only log my cardio. Weight training doesn't burn calories the same way cardio does, and MFP doesn't track them. If you have no other way to log your weight training, I would say log them on MFP. When you are lifting progressively heavier weights, it definitely helps to keep track of the specific lift, the weights, reps, sets, if you completed or failed, etc. That way you can look at your history and see if you're improving on what you're doing. I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 and I know there's no way on earth I'd remember all the specifics of each workout. I use an app called Strong Log on Android to record my sessions though.

    Long story short, you should track your weight training somewhere. Logging it here won't give you extra calories to eat like cardio will but it will be beneficial for you nonetheless.

    :smile:
  • baneboy
    baneboy Posts: 65
    I only log my cardio. Weight training doesn't burn calories the same way cardio does, and MFP doesn't track them. If you have no other way to log your weight training, I would say log them on MFP. When you are lifting progressively heavier weights, it definitely helps to keep track of the specific lift, the weights, reps, sets, if you completed or failed, etc. That way you can look at your history and see if you're improving on what you're doing. I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 and I know there's no way on earth I'd remember all the specifics of each workout. I use an app called Strong Log on Android to record my sessions though.

    Long story short, you should track your weight training somewhere. Logging it here won't give you extra calories to eat like cardio will but it will be beneficial for you nonetheless.

    :smile:

    good 2 know thanx, as I was wondering the same!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    You can log strength training under cardio activities and it'll give you a calorie burn.

    As previously said... strength training doesn't burn cals like cardio does, but that doesn't mean it doesn't burn any cals. Some will tell you it burns half of what a "typical" cardio session burns, some will tell you lifting burns more than cardio. IMO, it has a lot to do with intensity.
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
    There is a weight training option under the cardio category. It takes into account how long the session was. I know it's not 100% accurate but it's better than nothing.
  • NamibianRose
    NamibianRose Posts: 151 Member
    Somewhat related question...if you don't add calories in MFP for weight lifting, how do you calculate your TDEE? Do I leave it out when adding activity level for TDEE calculators?
  • bonitacash08
    bonitacash08 Posts: 378 Member
    Somewhat related question...if you don't add calories in MFP for weight lifting, how do you calculate your TDEE? Do I leave it out when adding activity level for TDEE calculators?

    TDEE method and MFP method of figuring out caloric intake are different. If you're doing any type of strenuous activity it would increase the total number of calories you eat. I don't think MFP considers weight lifting an exercise that requires more calories seeing as it doesn't really have a way to track them in the Strength Training section. When you calculate your TDEE and use the -20% you don't eat back your exercise calories anyway.
  • NamibianRose
    NamibianRose Posts: 151 Member
    Somewhat related question...if you don't add calories in MFP for weight lifting, how do you calculate your TDEE? Do I leave it out when adding activity level for TDEE calculators?

    TDEE method and MFP method of figuring out caloric intake are different. If you're doing any type of strenuous activity it would increase the total number of calories you eat. I don't think MFP considers weight lifting an exercise that requires more calories seeing as it doesn't really have a way to track them in the Strength Training section. When you calculate your TDEE and use the -20% you don't eat back your exercise calories anyway.

    Thanks bonita, I understand that with TDEE you don't eat back your exercise calories, that's why I want to calculate TDEE correctly. I guess I'll continue with what I've been doing.
  • bonitacash08
    bonitacash08 Posts: 378 Member
    Somewhat related question...if you don't add calories in MFP for weight lifting, how do you calculate your TDEE? Do I leave it out when adding activity level for TDEE calculators?

    TDEE method and MFP method of figuring out caloric intake are different. If you're doing any type of strenuous activity it would increase the total number of calories you eat. I don't think MFP considers weight lifting an exercise that requires more calories seeing as it doesn't really have a way to track them in the Strength Training section. When you calculate your TDEE and use the -20% you don't eat back your exercise calories anyway.

    Thanks bonita, I understand that with TDEE you don't eat back your exercise calories, that's why I want to calculate TDEE correctly. I guess I'll continue with what I've been doing.

    Yep.. If I were doing the TDEE method I wouldn't log my cardio or strength training to see how many calories I burned, I'd just log to keep track of everything. (Generally speaking, if you're lifting heavy weights, you need a LOT more calories. Don't worry, you'll still lose fat and look awesome!)
  • ctwong1
    ctwong1 Posts: 3
    I strength train, and do conditioning workouts. I use a heart rate monitor which also tracks calories burned based off of my weight and heart rates during the workouts. At the end of my work out, I will use the calories burned, and log them under Aerobics General for the duration and amount....On average I burn around 850-1000 calories in an hour, and I am working pretty intense...
  • NamibianRose
    NamibianRose Posts: 151 Member
    Somewhat related question...if you don't add calories in MFP for weight lifting, how do you calculate your TDEE? Do I leave it out when adding activity level for TDEE calculators?

    TDEE method and MFP method of figuring out caloric intake are different. If you're doing any type of strenuous activity it would increase the total number of calories you eat. I don't think MFP considers weight lifting an exercise that requires more calories seeing as it doesn't really have a way to track them in the Strength Training section. When you calculate your TDEE and use the -20% you don't eat back your exercise calories anyway.

    Thanks bonita, I understand that with TDEE you don't eat back your exercise calories, that's why I want to calculate TDEE correctly. I guess I'll continue with what I've been doing.

    Yep.. If I were doing the TDEE method I wouldn't log my cardio or strength training to see how many calories I burned, I'd just log to keep track of everything. (Generally speaking, if you're lifting heavy weights, you need a LOT more calories. Don't worry, you'll still lose fat and look awesome!)

    Thanks, it just got confusing to me because when I used the TDEE calculator I used the moderate activity level, taking into considerationg the strength training, but I've read over and over in the forums that weight lifting doesn't burn much calories (act least in the act) and that MFP doesn't even add calories for that activity, so for the TDEE calculator to add hundreds of calories a day for it, worried me a little. If that makes sense lol. Appreciate your help. :)

    ETA: sorry for high-jacking this thread =/

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