strength exercises - don't burn calories ???

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This might be a set up question... when I enter my exercises for the day in the daily log, specifically 'strength exercises' they do not seem to show calorie burn. what am I doing wrong ?

I would fill all the fields: the type of exercise, the number of sets and reps + the average weight... this does not show calories burned. On the other hand if I enter the 'cardio exercise' it does show calories burned.

what am i doing wrong ?

Replies

  • sgeorge1969
    sgeorge1969 Posts: 6 Member
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    Under Cardiovascular is "Strength Training". You can plug in the time spent and it will figure your calories burned. However, I don't always trust it so I calculate my strength training from a different site and plug in those numbers.
  • SV17GT
    SV17GT Posts: 16 Member
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    I guess there are to many variables in the strenght training for them to figure it out. I had one lady tell me to just walk, because strenght training really doesn't burn calories! I just go with calestentics vigorus, or moderate , depending on the day.. I'm here to tell you they do burn calories..
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I use strength training in the cardio sections and it shows calories. But all of these calorie burning estimates are WAY OVER real so I ignore them. I eat my calories then add the exercise as a log for myself at the end of the day when I am done eating and ignore the calories it gives.

    It worked for me and I built a lot of muscle doing it. The proof is in the pudding.
  • kiwigal41
    kiwigal41 Posts: 1,059
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    i would invest in a decent heart rate monitor watch.....i got mine at walmart for $50.....it tells how many minutes and how many calories burned.....i used it whenever i do my workouts or walk quickly somewhere for a long period of time....it's working really well.....i did 50 minutes today of p90x legs and back workout which was mostly strength training and a little bit of cardio and my HR monitor said 575 calories burned.....i just plug that into here under karate, judo etc...put in the minutes and alter what MFP comes up with.....i trust the monitor more than what's on here....:)
  • Casey45
    Casey45 Posts: 160 Member
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    I track my heart rate with amonitor during strength training. Then plug the average rate, with time into a calorie burned model (from livestrong.com) to estimate calories burned. Whatever I get, I always reduce by another 10-20%. I also list the individual exrcises/weights for record keeping. It seems to work well this way.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    HRM are not accurate measures of calories burnt during strength training. They are not recommended for use.
  • geeniusatwurk
    geeniusatwurk Posts: 68 Member
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    Unfortunately the cardio entry for strength training is so ambiguous it's hard to say how it's calculated. I'm sure its more accurate for someone doing high volume compounds with low rest periods versus someone doing bicep curls with a 5 lb dumbbell.
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
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    I don't really trust the calories burned for strength training on here. I know I get my heart rate up. But I've been working out a lot for many months now and my cardio health has improved significantly.

    My heart rate drops back to normal between sets and isn't at a constant rate during strength training. It drops back to normal very quickly because I'm fitter. Unless I reduced my time between sets (which would be hard because I kinda need to recovery time to finish my sets) I couldn't keep my heart rate constant.

    It does go up though sometimes when I try really hard I can feel it pounding.
  • BazAbroad
    BazAbroad Posts: 248
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    For the strength exercises it really is your best guesst-e-mate,
    as for strength training not burning cals,
    u have an after burn with strength training - that is to say, your body uses cals to repair and grow bigger muscles,
    strength training has indeed a very important role to play in weight loss,
    and more importantly, its not all about losing cals but the body your left with later,
    do u really just want a thinner, skinner version of yourself,
    your doing the work, you might as well set your goal a bit higher and get the body u always wanted,
    go lift some weights,
    it is actually fun,,,,,
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    as always, HRM's do not work for anything but cardio. they are useless for strength training.
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    i would invest in a decent heart rate monitor watch.....i got mine at walmart for $50.....it tells how many minutes and how many calories burned.....i used it whenever i do my workouts or walk quickly somewhere for a long period of time....it's working really well.....i did 50 minutes today of p90x legs and back workout which was mostly strength training and a little bit of cardio and my HR monitor said 575 calories burned.....i just plug that into here under karate, judo etc...put in the minutes and alter what MFP comes up with.....i trust the monitor more than what's on here....:)
    Bolded, for ???? decent heartrate for under £35 I don't think so. Try getting a polar FT60, that's about $100 more, and will be $100 better value.
    What is up with people!!, willing to spend $50 a month on a protein drink, which by the way is not as good for them as a PB&J sandwich, but not willing to shell out on a decent sports watch.
  • CHN_
    CHN_ Posts: 94 Member
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    Bolded, for ???? decent heartrate for under £35 I don't think so. Try getting a polar FT60, that's about $100 more, and will be $100 better value.
    What is up with people!!, willing to spend $50 a month on a protein drink, which by the way is not as good for them as a PB&J sandwich, but not willing to shell out on a decent sports watch.

    Polar FT4 and FT7 are mentioned here a lot, and seem to go for about 60-90USD. From what people say these work fine, and have the chest strap.

    I personally have the FT40, and while I recommend spending the little extra to get that or the FT60, I can understand that not everyone has the money for it. 60-70USD most people should be able to save up for though, and is better than spending 40USD on less accurate watches.
  • zechks
    zechks Posts: 224
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    This might be a set up question... when I enter my exercises for the day in the daily log, specifically 'strength exercises' they do not seem to show calorie burn. what am I doing wrong ?

    I would fill all the fields: the type of exercise, the number of sets and reps + the average weight... this does not show calories burned. On the other hand if I enter the 'cardio exercise' it does show calories burned.

    what am i doing wrong ?

    You cant simply measure the calories burned in strength training, because different people, train differently (intensity, duration, sets, reps, etc) whereas in doing cardio, especially when doing cardio on a machine, there are specific settings there that tells you how much you burn when you do an exercise on a certain speed, time, incline etc. everything is pre determined. I mean it's like people already established acceptable estimated values of the caloric expenditure of a person given his/her height, age, weight etc. when doing a specific cardiovascular activity based on the speed, time, %incline, intensity or what not.. Something like that. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. :D
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    Bolded, for ???? decent heartrate for under £35 I don't think so. Try getting a polar FT60, that's about $100 more, and will be $100 better value.
    What is up with people!!, willing to spend $50 a month on a protein drink, which by the way is not as good for them as a PB&J sandwich, but not willing to shell out on a decent sports watch.

    Polar FT4 and FT7 are mentioned here a lot, and seem to go for about 60-90USD. From what people say these work fine, and have the chest strap.

    I personally have the FT40, and while I recommend spending the little extra to get that or the FT60, I can understand that not everyone has the money for it. 60-70USD most people should be able to save up for though, and is better than spending 40USD on less accurate watches.
    I agree that paying extra for a watch is a big ask, but as I've said before, $50 a month for protein drinks and bars, which to be honest are great if you're a super athlete and need it, but average Joe is better off with peanut butter or sardines. Same with 0 cal sports drinks and powerbars. Drink water and have a snickers, works just as well and is cheaper. And you get to save up for something that will help the average Joe
  • rafalsfit
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    THANK YOU ALL !
  • lusciousgirl8
    lusciousgirl8 Posts: 7 Member
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    I got a MIO one back in 2003. I really liked it. You could enter your calories and it would save. Then when you worked out, you would exercise and reach your target zone, and then it would subtract your total calories you burned according to the monitor and you would end up with the number of calories you ate that day. Too bad I lost it on my college campus. I think they still make them.
  • BazAbroad
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    FT60, that's about $100 more

    about $167 Australian on Ebay,
    Hate the big price difference