Strength training + Calories

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tknight1984
tknight1984 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I have been using this site now for 2 weeks, i have been accurately logging all food i eat and the excercise i am doing. I am doing cardio 3 nights a week (which i am logging) and full body strength training 3 nights a week. But adding strength training into the exercise tracker doesnt seem to alter the calories to be consumed in the day.

The day after both my workouts this week i have felt exhausted, is this normal for someone who is just starting out? Or do i need to adjust my calorie consumption?
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Replies

  • KawaiiJennie
    KawaiiJennie Posts: 14
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    Strength training isn't really going to burn calories. What it will do is create muscle, boosting your metabolism, making you fitter, stronger, and making it a lot easier for you to shed the fat. Being exhausted is normal, but if you are really sore and so tired you can't do anything at all after then maybe tone it back a bit, it's a lot better to start out light and work your way up.
  • Hulk0511
    Hulk0511 Posts: 407 Member
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    Under cardio you will find a catagory for strength training it will then add the calories you burned to your diary
  • Hulk0511
    Hulk0511 Posts: 407 Member
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    Strength training does burn calories. by the time I am done i am sweating and beat I wear a HRM when lifting to get an idea of how much I have burned
  • tknight1984
    tknight1984 Posts: 19
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    Thank you all, i didnt think to look for strength training under cardio
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    I sweat and breathe hard as much doing weights as I do doing cardio. When I first started exercising I too was absolutely shattered for a few weeks until my body got used to it. Make sure you get 8-9 hrs sleep a night and a couple of rest days per week. Keep up the good work.
  • tknight1984
    tknight1984 Posts: 19
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    Last night i went to the gym about 8, did 45 minute workout (9 exercises 3 sets 8-10 reps) and got home and went to bed around 10, this morning i feel exhausted. Think i may need a rest day
  • KawaiiJennie
    KawaiiJennie Posts: 14
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    Strength training does burn calories. by the time I am done i am sweating and beat I wear a HRM when lifting to get an idea of how much I have burned

    I know. I meant it's not really why you do it, it's not the most effective way. It has other benefits.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    get more sleep.
  • Marksman21
    Marksman21 Posts: 126 Member
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    What you're looking for is Calesthenics if you're just doing things without weights (pushups, situps, squats, etc).
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    Strength training isn't really going to burn calories. What it will do is create muscle, boosting your metabolism, making you fitter, stronger, and making it a lot easier for you to shed the fat. Being exhausted is normal, but if you are really sore and so tired you can't do anything at all after then maybe tone it back a bit, it's a lot better to start out light and work your way up.

    you're doing it wrong if you aren't burning a SIGNIFICANT amount of calories.
  • laceepeery
    laceepeery Posts: 2 Member
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    Actually you burn more calories strength training because you body is still burning even after your workout is done. Although that doesnt mean cardio isnt a great way to burn calories, if cardio is your choice, I hope your doing High Intensity Interval Training to get the best out of your workout :)
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Strength training isn't really going to burn calories. What it will do is create muscle, boosting your metabolism, making you fitter, stronger, and making it a lot easier for you to shed the fat. Being exhausted is normal, but if you are really sore and so tired you can't do anything at all after then maybe tone it back a bit, it's a lot better to start out light and work your way up.

    you're doing it wrong if you aren't burning a SIGNIFICANT amount of calories.

    This.

    Strength training burns at least as many calories as running.

    The decreased actual time working is more than offset by the chemical inefficiency of energy production; anaerobic metabolism is 18x less efficient at using calories to produce energy than aerobic metabolism, meaning you have to burn up a lot more gas to do the short bursts of work you do when strength training.

    And this is ignoring the (significant) calorie cost of recovery and the calorie partitioning effects (your muscles suck up carbs and your body holds on to them, making a higher % of your resting calorie burn come from fat).
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
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    Regarding the tired question: within 3-4 weeks you should feel a lot more energetic. Just be sure you don't go below the minimum calorie goals MFP set for you. All I want to do is sleep in the first week or 2 of a new diet or fitness routine.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Strength training isn't really going to burn calories. What it will do is create muscle, boosting your metabolism, making you fitter, stronger, and making it a lot easier for you to shed the fat. Being exhausted is normal, but if you are really sore and so tired you can't do anything at all after then maybe tone it back a bit, it's a lot better to start out light and work your way up.

    you're doing it wrong if you aren't burning a SIGNIFICANT amount of calories.

    Here's an interesting chart of averages that illustrates the point:

    http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist3.htm
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Actually you burn more calories strength training because you body is still burning even after your workout is done. Although that doesnt mean cardio isnt a great way to burn calories, if cardio is your choice, I hope your doing High Intensity Interval Training to get the best out of your workout :)

    And there are studies showing that strength training increases the ratio of fat burned during cardio when done consistently. So strength training improves the effectiveness of any cardio you choose to do.
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
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    Strength training does burn calories. by the time I am done i am sweating and beat I wear a HRM when lifting to get an idea of how much I have burned

    I previously wore a HRM when lifting, but then read on several posts that it is not accurate when lifting. When entering on MFP under cardio, it gives me something like 163 cals for 45 mins of lifting. Is that too high of an estimate? I've also read several times that MFP gives too high of an estimate??? Can someone offer some insight on this???
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    ...
    And this is ignoring the (significant) calorie cost of recovery and the calorie partitioning effects (your muscles suck up carbs and your body holds on to them, making a higher % of your resting calorie burn come from fat).

    I like how you worded that. :flowerforyou:
  • Rhia55
    Rhia55 Posts: 247
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    I also have thought that MFP gives too high of an estimate.. often wondered just how accurate it is..
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Strength training does burn calories. by the time I am done i am sweating and beat I wear a HRM when lifting to get an idea of how much I have burned

    I previously wore a HRM when lifting, but then read on several posts that it is not accurate when lifting. When entering on MFP under cardio, it gives me something like 163 cals for 45 mins of lifting. Is that too high of an estimate? I've also read several times that MFP gives too high of an estimate??? Can someone offer some insight on this???

    Unless you are using weights that are too light for you, it's probably about right, or even a little low, but it depends on your intensity.

    I just looked up some links myself:

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/338469-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting/

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

    http://www.answerfitness.com/296/how-many-calories-are-burned-weight-liftin/
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    It is probably on the low side if you are doing a heavy lifting routine.

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