Calories burned with arm weights…?

delilah47
delilah47 Posts: 1,658
in Fitness and Exercise
I am new to using weights. I have a set of 2-pound weights and have a routine with six arm exercises. I do 20 reps each, twice. This usually takes 15-20 minutes. I do this in addition to my daily cardio workout (stationary recumbent bike). I was attempting to do low-impact aerobics, but this always ends up worsening my old back injury. I am desperate to get some kind of regular routine going to assist me in losing weight.

If anyone, who is knowledgeable in this area, knows about how many calories the weights burn, I would appreciate the info. The database is usually based on “all out” and I only found one category for weights which was non-specific. I realize it probably doesn’t burn many calories, but I would really like to account for any calories burned, if not just to feel like I am making progress.

Replies

  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/

    Very accurate method. For what you describe I'd use the .028 per pound per minute, so 140lb doing it for 20 minutes would burn 78 calories.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    2lb weights for 15 minutes? Maybe 1-1.5 calories per minute above rmr.
  • alw141
    alw141 Posts: 59 Member
    Invest in a heart rate monitor. You can then take that and calculate your calories burned. It's been one of the best things I've invested in since I started working out!
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/

    Very accurate method. For what you describe I'd use the .028 per pound per minute, so 140lb doing it for 20 minutes would burn 78 calories.
    Is the .028 per pound for the weights or for my weight? Sorry, I'm completely new at this. So if I weigh 225....
    Thanks for your response :smile:
  • aften_g
    aften_g Posts: 63 Member
    Thanks for linking the article!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I am new to using weights. I have a set of 2-pound weights and have a routine with six arm exercises. I do 20 reps each, twice. This usually takes 15-20 minutes. I do this in addition to my daily cardio workout (stationary recumbent bike). I was attempting to do low-impact aerobics, but this always ends up worsening my old back injury. I am desperate to get some kind of regular routine going to assist me in losing weight.

    If anyone, who is knowledgeable in this area, knows about how many calories the weights burn, I would appreciate the info. The database is usually based on “all out” and I only found one category for weights which was non-specific. I realize it probably doesn’t burn many calories, but I would really like to account for any calories burned, if not just to feel like I am making progress.

    negligible amount
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Invest in a heart rate monitor. You can then take that and calculate your calories burned. It's been one of the best things I've invested in since I started working out!

    I have a mio hrm watch, but have a hard time figuring out how to do anything except see my hr. I'm not able to afford a chest monitor. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and read the instructions again. Thanks.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    I dunno, like 5?
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Thanks to those of you taking time to respond.

    It sounds like the weights don't burn a significant amount of calories .. for anything. I certainly wouldn't count them as "eat-back" calories! I suppose the benefit is mostly in muscle results rather than accounting for anything. I'll just keep on with it and see what happens.

    Thanks again
  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    It would be your weight, so for 225lbs you would be burning about 126 calories in 20 minutes :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I am new to using weights. I have a set of 2-pound weights and have a routine with six arm exercises. I do 20 reps each, twice. This usually takes 15-20 minutes. I do this in addition to my daily cardio workout (stationary recumbent bike). I was attempting to do low-impact aerobics, but this always ends up worsening my old back injury. I am desperate to get some kind of regular routine going to assist me in losing weight.

    If anyone, who is knowledgeable in this area, knows about how many calories the weights burn, I would appreciate the info. The database is usually based on “all out” and I only found one category for weights which was non-specific. I realize it probably doesn’t burn many calories, but I would really like to account for any calories burned, if not just to feel like I am making progress.

    To account for your progress .... get a measuring tape. Sometimes the scale won't budge ..... but your measurements will. Weights might not burn many calories ... the payoff is in inches.

    Here's a low impact (cardio) workout I love:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjduJjO1pLg&feature=related
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Invest in a heart rate monitor. You can then take that and calculate your calories burned. It's been one of the best things I've invested in since I started working out!

    I have a mio hrm watch, but have a hard time figuring out how to do anything except see my hr. I'm not able to afford a chest monitor. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and read the instructions again. Thanks.

    HRM's are not accurate for calories burned for anything other than stead state cardio. I would guess you would burn an extra 1-2 cals/minute more than if you didn't workout. So most likely anywhere from 2-4 cals/minute, but MFP's caloric intake would already include the first 1-2 cals, so for adding it to your exercise log, I would not add more than 2 cals/minute.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    It would be your weight, so for 225lbs you would be burning about 126 calories in 20 minutes :)

    maybe if she was lifting 225lbs she would.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Okay, my conclusion is; you only do weights for additional health benefits and not to lose weight. Fair enough.

    Thanks again to you guys for responding.

    End :happy:
  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    It would be your weight, so for 225lbs you would be burning about 126 calories in 20 minutes :)

    maybe if she was lifting 225lbs she would.

    See the link I posted, I just plugged in the numbers. I've double checked them against my bodybugg and they have always been accurate.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    2lb weights for 15 minutes? Maybe 1-1.5 calories per minute above rmr.


    ^^^^Yes this. It would be very minimal. 2 pieces of advice here -

    **invest in a HRM to determine your exercise calorie burn

    **i know you're just starting out - but 2 pound weights are not challenging enough. I don't want to say you are wasting your time with your arm routine because moving is better than sitting. But honestly you're wasting your time. I highly recommend the book 'new rules of lifting for women'. It will educate you on the benefits of a challenging strength training program.
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    Okay, my conclusion is; you only do weights for additional health benefits and not to lose weight. Fair enough.

    Thanks again to you guys for responding.

    End :happy:

    Actually, weight training is far more effective than cardio for losing fat. It's just difficult to log the calories because most of them are used during the "afterburn" phase when your body is repairing the damaged muscles. However, 2lb weights won't give you any of the benefits of resistance training. You need progressive overload (i.e. adding more weight every workout) in order to get the benefits. Any movement that you can do more than 20 times in a row is cardio, not weight training.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    Okay, my conclusion is; you only do weights for additional health benefits and not to lose weight. Fair enough.

    Thanks again to you guys for responding.

    End :happy:

    Actually, weight training is far more effective than cardio for losing fat. It's just difficult to log the calories because most of them are used during the "afterburn" phase when your body is repairing the damaged muscles. However, 2lb weights won't give you any of the benefits of resistance training. You need progressive overload (i.e. adding more weight every workout) in order to get the benefits. Any movement that you can do more than 20 times in a row is cardio, not weight training.

    "Weight training" may be the best way to go for a healthy person. I am old enough to be your granny, have a serious back injury, and am very limited in what I can do right now. At this point, I am just trying to improve my carido and tone what muscles I can without totally disabling myself. If I were able, I would go the the gym and go balls to the wall .. but wait.. if it wasn't for my back injury, I would be just like I was before injuring it; in shape and working out (step aerobics) 5 days a week.

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