Calories burned vs strength training

Sam3622
Sam3622 Posts: 172 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

I am in need of your help/opinions...

I used to focus a lot more on my cardio, doing around 30 mins of it 5 days a week on the eliptical/stationery bike/stepper/treadmill etc and would then do about 10 mins strength.

I am now cutting my gym time in half and doing 2/3 sessions a week but focussing heavily on strength training, getting in around 30 mins of heavy lifting and maybe only 10-15 mins of cardio.

Now i know my Polar ft7 says i haven't burned nearly as many calories just doing strength, but surely it burns more fat in the long run? Even when i've cut down my gym time in half?

It is a little disheartening when i log 45 mins worth of hard work and it says i've only burned 100 cals!

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    HRM doesnt reallly work for strength training. It's a guess. Sorry.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Based on everything I've read and the people I've talked to, in a 24hr span, strength training burns about the same number of cals as cardio. It's all just an estimate, but the estimates are pretty similar. Cardio burns most of those cals during the workout and very few post-workout, while strength training burns relatively few during the workout but much more post-workout.
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    ^^ this, strength training burns calories long after you stop working out. So, you may not see a huge calorie burn.....but you'll see inches drop.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    Strength training burns less calories than cardio. No question. The afterburn effect is there, but it is rather small. You will get used to the fewer calories burned.

    As stated before, HRMs do not accurately measure calories burned during strength training. I just use MFP's estimate.

    However, strength training is amazingly beneficial for you and I recommend you keep doing it.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    first of all - kudos on changing your workout for the better. You done good.

    secondly, dont be bummed by it! know why?

    ST does something that cardio cant.

    It continues to burn for the rest of the day.

    while you arent working out.

    its magic.

    and it WILL change your body - guaranteed. Im walking proof that ST plus less focus on cardio makes all the difference.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Strength training burns less calories than cardio. No question. The afterburn effect is there, but it is rather small. You will get used to the fewer calories burned.

    As stated before, HRMs do not accurately measure calories burned during strength training. I just use MFP's estimate.

    However, strength training is amazingly beneficial for you and I recommend you keep doing it.

    x2

    The point of strength training isn't calorie burn. It's to preserve LBM amongst other things like, errrr, getting stronger so that when your calorie deficit strips off body fat you look sexaaaay naked.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
    We've all heard of BMR or Basal Metobolic Rate. It's the amount of calories your body burns doing nothing. Basically it's what your body needs to run itself on a daily basis.
    It takes more calories to feed muscle than it does to feed fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories your body consumes.
    Weight lifting is not about burning calories in the short term or while you're exercising but it's about burning more calories over all and while you're not doing anything.
    A very muscular person that weighs 200 lbs will have a much higher BMR than a 200 lbs person with very little muscle mass.

    And by the way... heart rate monitors are not designed for weight lifting. They use calculations that are based on cardio and higher oxygen levels that are only obtained during strenuous activity.
  • Sam3622
    Sam3622 Posts: 172 Member
    Thanks for the replies everyone! Strength training all the way!!
  • talamer
    talamer Posts: 516 Member
    Based on everything I've read and the people I've talked to, in a 24hr span, strength training burns about the same number of cals as cardio. It's all just an estimate, but the estimates are pretty similar. Cardio burns most of those cals during the workout and very few post-workout, while strength training burns relatively few during the workout but much more post-workout.

    Sam I agree with this comment :)

    Weightlifting will have some burn but less! look into the mirror! ur body will looks much better and stronger! take measurement!

    I have been for the same weight for more than 5 months! after I start lifting, my body is changing into better shape :) !!

    I count the calories burned during the weightlifting almost each 30mins is around 100 kcal.

    Good luck!

    Tal x
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
    Personally I calculate my TDEE, base my eating cals on 80% of that figure and add 100 cals for each day based on the amount of cardio and strength I do in a week. I'm seeing a loss and im not worrying about logging exercise. I figure if im at a defecit with food and its enough to give me energy for the exercise and daily life then i'll bank any added benefit from the exercise.

    So i'm 6'1 male, currently 250lbs on 1800 with the following regime:

    Mon - Basketball (60 min game)
    Tue - Strength/P90X
    Wed - Basketball or Swimming
    Thurs - Rest
    Fri - Heavy Weights or P90X
    Sat - P90X or Xbox (rest)
    Sun - Heavy Weights

    Try setting your activity level higher based on your average workout week. For weeks when you work out less adjust the calories to suit. Just make sure you dont eat back the exercise cals in this case.
  • Delicate
    Delicate Posts: 625 Member
    Keep doing weights, keep increasing weights, get stronger, your fat will go down

    but extra bonus

    the more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn, permanently
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    This comes up everyday.

    I actually think that Cardio v Strenght is same same.

    Its all about HIIT training.

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