Lifting and Heart Rate

jessicapetert23

Hi guys, I have a question, just a little concerned and not sure if this is normal. Yesterday, I was doing my weight lifting routine and I had just finished deadlifts and was starting squats. My HR was 124 before I started the squats. I did 10, and it shot up to 174. Is this normal? My heart rate moniter also said I burned 510 calories after just doing the deadlifts and squats. Is that possible?? Some info about me, 29 years old, 158 lbs, 5'4. I was only squating 65 lbs.

GetSoda

Yes, it's normal for heart rate to spike. Mine will tip over 180 for a single max effort deadlift.

And no, your heart rate monitor is not 'tuned' for weight lifting. You can throw that calorie number out the window.

phjorg1

heart rate for lifting is a useless metric, and has zero bearing on calories burned.

Yes heart rate will go up soon as you push yourself for a lift, but not for cardio reasons. But it shooting up like that is perfectly normal, and expected.

In regards to calorie burn, the only real rule is the the more you lift, and the more reps of that weight, the more calories you burn. As you can see, your heartrate is meaningless to this equation as it will usually stay around the same for your %max intensities. Once you start doing lifting routines in the higher intermediate strength levels, your calorie burns will be quite decent and comparable to cardio for time spent.

edit: just to see where you are for calorie burnwise and strength levels, with your 10x65lbs, that puts you at 81lbs squat, which is solidly in the untrained strength level. To reach upper intermediate, you would need to hit 190lbs squat for 1 rep, which is also 165lbs for 5 reps. so for calorie burn, I wouldn't put much down at all for your numbers at that training level. Maybe 200 an hour.

jessicapetert23

Thanks! Both of those answers... very helpful!

h9dlb

yep my heart rate goes through the roof dead lifting. Also agree the calorie burn for the actual exercise is low but the after-burn and increase in metabolism is substantial