Kettlebells Class - calories burned

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PrincessMissDee
PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've just tried a Kettlebells class for the first time and am a little shocked at how much of a workout it was! I've tried to look up the calories burned for it but am getting answers anywhere between 300 - 1200 per hour.

Does anybody have an accurate idea of the calories burned? Maybe with a HRM?

I've used nicolemarie04's figures from this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/384076-kettlebells-how-many-calories

.... but I'm about 20 lbs heavier than her so it's not that accurate for me.

Thanks!

Replies

  • WickedStitch
    WickedStitch Posts: 19 Member
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    I use an app Calories Burned Calculator on my phone, it lists all kinds of different workouts. I like it because it's the first one that lists kettlebell! You enter your weight, time exercised and type of exercise and it calculates how many calories you burned.
  • evilmonkee
    evilmonkee Posts: 55 Member
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    I know this is not going to be super helpful, but I have an HRM, and it really depends on the weight that you used and the instructor/ type of workout. When I first started, I tried 2 different classes with 2 different instructors to see which one I liked better.
    The first instructor used light kettlebells (10 lbs) and we did light swings/ rows/ shoulder presses. The burn was similar to the burn I get from an aerobics class, an elliptical on light resistance, or a zumba class with a boring instructor (400 in an hour)
    The second instructor had us do heavy swings and heavy goblet squats. When she found out that I have lifting experience, she had me do cleans and presses and ladders (clean/ press/ lunge without rest, then swings). I burned nearly 1000 calories in 50 minutes. At the time I was about 140lbs and in decent shape.

    I stuck with the second instructor, but even with the same approach, the burns vary a lot. When I do a lot of Turkish get ups and deadlifts, the burn is similar to the burn of weight lifting.
    When I do heavy swings and alternate with back-to-back squats and deadlifts, the burn is similar to fast running.
    When I do light swings and rows/ shoulder presses and if it's more of a cardio-type session, it's comparable to burns from biking or the elliptical.

    If you don't have a HRM, your best bet is to approximate based on intensity.
  • PrincessMissDee
    PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
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    I know this is not going to be super helpful, but I have an HRM, and it really depends on the weight that you used and the instructor/ type of workout. When I first started, I tried 2 different classes with 2 different instructors to see which one I liked better.
    The first instructor used light kettlebells (10 lbs) and we did light swings/ rows/ shoulder presses. The burn was similar to the burn I get from an aerobics class, an elliptical on light resistance, or a zumba class with a boring instructor (400 in an hour)
    The second instructor had us do heavy swings and heavy goblet squats. When she found out that I have lifting experience, she had me do cleans and presses and ladders (clean/ press/ lunge without rest, then swings). I burned nearly 1000 calories in 50 minutes. At the time I was about 140lbs and in decent shape.

    I stuck with the second instructor, but even with the same approach, the burns vary a lot. When I do a lot of Turkish get ups and deadlifts, the burn is similar to the burn of weight lifting.
    When I do heavy swings and alternate with back-to-back squats and deadlifts, the burn is similar to fast running.
    When I do light swings and rows/ shoulder presses and if it's more of a cardio-type session, it's comparable to burns from biking or the elliptical.

    If you don't have a HRM, your best bet is to approximate based on intensity.

    Thank you! Sorry I have only just seen this. I don't know why MFP doesn't just let me know when people reply!!
  • shannonwex
    shannonwex Posts: 5 Member
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    I just tried a kettlebell workout and loved it! I am going to put this into my routine! I'm starting off with an 8 pound weight, and I'm logging it in as 200 cal. per 30 min.
  • Depictureboy
    Depictureboy Posts: 38 Member
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    I just tried a kettlebell workout and loved it! I am going to put this into my routine! I'm starting off with an 8 pound weight, and I'm logging it in as 200 cal. per 30 min.

    You might want to start heavier...even as a beginner. The recommended weight for an average woman starting kettlebells is 15-18 lbs...my 12 year old daughter started swinging with me but I only have her on 10 lbs for now...
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I wear my HRM during class and I average between 400 to 450. Like others have said it varies on instructor and what we are working on that day.
  • warnott
    warnott Posts: 20
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    this answer might be sort of an outlier but when i do swings for an hour or so if i'm really pushing it (~1000 swings) my hrm estimates it at about 1000 calories. so for me, doing swings with a 24kg kettlebell comes out to about 1 calorie/swing. i'm not sure how accurate the hrm really is tho.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    If I log it at all I put around 250-275 but my workout is 40ish minutes and while it's intense there are a lot of rests. If I just did all the swings I could in an hour, that'd be around 600 calories for me.
  • PrincessMissDee
    PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
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    Cool, I think I guesstimated it to be around 400-450 per hour for me, which seems to tie in with the rest of you. I guess I may have to invest in a HRM at some point :)
  • marcjcrowley
    marcjcrowley Posts: 1
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    Its exactly as stated, depends on the weight of the Kettlebell, move used, intensity and your starting bodyweight. Take the Snatch for example its the king of Kettlebell exercises burning calories a minute. Have a look at kenneth jays book called Viking warrior conditioning. or the best place for Kettlebell workouts type Skogg into google his stuff is amazing and you will burn around 800-1200 calories per hour.

    Should start with a 8-12kg kb for women, men should start with a 12-16kg

    hope that helps a little
  • fatty210878
    fatty210878 Posts: 1
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    I weigh 154 lbs medium fitness, I burn 325 calories in a 40 minute workout, it does say on online calculators that someone of my weight could burn up to 800 calories, but that's obviously at a lower fitness level, best thing to get is a hrm, it's the only way you will know exactly what your body is burning. It's the best thing I've bought. Plus it will keep prompting you to work harder if your not in the correct zones for fat burning.

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