Why no caloric measurement for strength training?

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smoon1979
smoon1979 Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've read that when you log strength training here they don't "award" you calories burned because it's too hard to tell how much you are really burning because of your weight, how heavy the weights, etc. But I think that's annoying cause I sweat my brains out and work really hard when I do strength - for as long as I do cardio.....so I've been thinking about just adding extra cardio to my log to try to substitute...thoughts or tips?

Replies

  • kacollins1970
    kacollins1970 Posts: 45 Member
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    If you go under the cardio tap and enter strengh training/weightlifting, it comes up and you can put how many minutues in and it will estimate for you. I always input my strength training under the cardio section. Hope that helps.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    Strength training area is for recording sets, cardio put in strength training for the time/calories.
  • lreyenga
    lreyenga Posts: 37
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    They do have calorie measurements for strength training under cardio, but I don't find them that helpful as I don't want to record how long I spent doing each exercise and then entering them all individually. I have a heart rate monitor so I just use it while doing strength training and log it just like cardio.

    I have seen things like "circuit training" which you could use if you don't have long resting periods between your sets.
  • nicolemarie1978
    nicolemarie1978 Posts: 53 Member
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    I use my HRM during strength training as well and log it under cardio. still burning calories that should be recorded! :)
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    They do have calorie measurements for strength training under cardio, but I don't find them that helpful as I don't want to record how long I spent doing each exercise and then entering them all individually. I have a heart rate monitor so I just use it while doing strength training and log it just like cardio.

    I have seen things like "circuit training" which you could use if you don't have long resting periods between your sets.

    ??? Why not just put in how many minutes you did your lifting?? :huh:
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
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    If you go under the cardio tap and enter strengh training/weightlifting, it comes up and you can put how many minutues in and it will estimate for you. I always input my strength training under the cardio section. Hope that helps.

    I do this...it seems relatively accurate for me.
  • kjeldredge
    kjeldredge Posts: 5
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    I do the same as this. It's tricky because it logs it as cardio, but in the long run it's still categorized as strength if it really matters to you when you go back in and look at your log for strength vs. cardio minutes.
  • kjeldredge
    kjeldredge Posts: 5
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    If you go under the cardio tap and enter strengh training/weightlifting, it comes up and you can put how many minutues in and it will estimate for you. I always input my strength training under the cardio section. Hope that helps.

    I do the same as this. It's tricky because it logs it as cardio, but in the long run it's still categorized as strength if it really matters to you when you go back in and look at your log for strength vs. cardio minutes.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Just think of the strength training calories as a little bonus towards faster weight loss instead of eating them back?
  • SJCon
    SJCon Posts: 224
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    I think if you look in the strength training database you will find an estimate for general lifting etc. This will be a lot lower than if you enter in "Circuit Training" under cardio. Circuit training assumes no rest and rapid sets, more along the lines of a cycle of resistance set than aerobic than resistance set etc. This allows your HRM to better reflect Multi-muscle burn as opposed to select muscle burn in specific weight training.
    I have been told that there is a HRM class that is better at calculating strength training using a "Firstbeat" algorithm. This is in Suunto, Garmin and a few other higher end HRMs. I take the min from the database and enter it in cardio but I would rather be conservative.
    I am sure there are others more knowledgeable about this than I , so looking forward to reading the adds.
  • Sammyjo4486
    Sammyjo4486 Posts: 18
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    Just think of the strength training calories as a little bonus towards faster weight loss instead of eating them back?


    ^^^^
    That is what I have been doing but I do not strength train as long as I do cardio anyway.
  • loveachallenge
    loveachallenge Posts: 62 Member
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    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.

    Why not? I use mine for both cardio & strength. The trick is to constantly check your HR because it goes up and down. Mine is consistent always with all my workouts!
  • sgarrard01
    sgarrard01 Posts: 213 Member
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    I use my HRM during strength training as well and log it under cardio. still burning calories that should be recorded! :)

    This is what i do!
  • SJCon
    SJCon Posts: 224
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    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.

    Why not? I use mine for both cardio & strength. The trick is to constantly check your HR because it goes up and down. Mine is consistent always with all my workouts!

    It is my understanding that even though your heart rate may be the same the calculations should be different. The heart rate is indicating how much you are circulating oxygen and fuel around your body and normally it is assumed that this is what is needed to run your effort (multiple muscles) like in running. That is not the case in strength training where your heart is working to only meet the demand of the few muscles you are using so your calorie burn would be lower. Just my understanding so far from my research. May be wrong so enlighten me.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I don't do strength training to burn calories. For that, I will walk or jog. I do strength training to build my muscles, to signal my body to burn fat, and to become strong and fit. Also, when you do strength training regularly, it causes you to burn a higher amount of fat than sugar when you *are* burning calories, even in your sleep.

    Anaerobic exercise has different health rewards than aerobic exercise, so it's good to do both for the synergistic effect that it has, when combined with a healthy diet.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.

    Why not? I use mine for both cardio & strength. The trick is to constantly check your HR because it goes up and down. Mine is consistent always with all my workouts!

    It is my understanding that even though your heart rate may be the same the calculations should be different. The heart rate is indicating how much you are circulating oxygen and fuel around your body and normally it is assumed that this is what is needed to run your effort (multiple muscles) like in running. That is not the case in strength training where your heart is working to only meet the demand of the few muscles you are using so your calorie burn would be lower. Just my understanding so far from my research. May be wrong so enlighten me.

    That is my understanding as well. It is better for fat burning overall, but the calories burned are not as significant. However, if you are getting enough protein and in a calorie deficit in your diet, then burning extra calories isn't necessarily the end-all goal to have, but rather burning fat. But also, when you are bumping up your protein in your diet, as well as in a deficit, then your body will be taking from your stored fat in order to repair the muscles/tissue that were torn during your strength training. So in this way, you are burning extra calories in a rest day, even if an HRM is unable to detect it.
  • loveachallenge
    loveachallenge Posts: 62 Member
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    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.

    Why not? I use mine for both cardio & strength. The trick is to constantly check your HR because it goes up and down. Mine is consistent always with all my workouts!

    It is my understanding that even though your heart rate may be the same the calculations should be different. The heart rate is indicating how much you are circulating oxygen and fuel around your body and normally it is assumed that this is what is needed to run your effort (multiple muscles) like in running. That is not the case in strength training where your heart is working to only meet the demand of the few muscles you are using so your calorie burn would be lower. Just my understanding so far from my research. May be wrong so enlighten me.

    Yes your right, my calorie burn for strength training is nowhere near my cardio burns.
  • SJCon
    SJCon Posts: 224
    Options
    HRM do not accurately estimate calories burnt during strength training.

    Why not? I use mine for both cardio & strength. The trick is to constantly check your HR because it goes up and down. Mine is consistent always with all my workouts!

    It is my understanding that even though your heart rate may be the same the calculations should be different. The heart rate is indicating how much you are circulating oxygen and fuel around your body and normally it is assumed that this is what is needed to run your effort (multiple muscles) like in running. That is not the case in strength training where your heart is working to only meet the demand of the few muscles you are using so your calorie burn would be lower. Just my understanding so far from my research. May be wrong so enlighten me.

    Yes your right, my calorie burn for strength training is nowhere near my cardio burns.

    Actually I was saying that if you watch your HRM to keep your HR up then you would still be over estimating your calories during strength training, if the heart rate is the same on the HRM than the calories it shows will be the same and would reflect more calories burned than were actually burned by the effort. HRMs do not accurately reflect calories burned for strength training without a special set of algorithms.
    Now as another poster pointed out the "after burn" effect will continue after strength training and will not show on your HRM. Does this balance out, don't know but think too many get tied up in thinking it is all exact numbers in an accounting project and it isn't. It is all estimates.

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