Question on calories burned when weight lifting...
AuntieKT
Posts: 235 Member
For the past month or so, I have been doing some heavy lifting in addition to my cardio routine. Because of this I noticed that I am a lot more hungry and have finally decided to up my calories some and start eating exercise calories back. Because I'm new to this and kind of scared, I have been making sure that I am only counting the calories that I am burning when I am in that optimal heart rate zone that I keep track of on my heart rate monitor. I just make sure to glance at it throughout my workout to make sure that I'm where I need to be. When I lift, like most people, my heart rate doesn't stay up in that zone because I am resting in between sets and changing up the weights on the barbell ect, so I haven't been logging those calories because the heart rate monitor isn't calculating them accurately. Surely though, if I am sweating and panting when I am lifting because I'm working hard, I am burning some amount of extra calories. Yesterday I was shorter than I usually am and did like 15 minutes of cardio after lifting for like 70 minutes. So even though I was in the gym for an hour and a half, I only got to log like 125 calories. What is a reasonable way to count some of these calories towards my daily amount without overestimating and eating back too many? Should I just keep not logging them at all?
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Replies
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I don't count them anymore. I eat a certain number of calories on non-workout days and add 200 to that on work-out days. I figure on any given day in the week, if I'm between 1500-1800 calories, I'm good. That's well above BMR and still lower than TDEE. It's been 3 weeks now since I started this and lifting and I finally broke my plateau and started losing again.0
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for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.0 -
@jlapey ... on your non workout days.. what calorie amount are you consuming? I need to figure a way out to break my plateau as well. I'm on my 3rd week (day 3 of weight training) taking weekends off to recover... and I am consuming more protein, and staying within range of my 1200 caloire day.. but i'm hungry too.. like AuntieKT mentions.. I recently got a HRM as well.. and i'm trying to see if staying in the "fat burn zone" works.. i'm excited to see what happens to my body.0
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Unfortunately it's quite hard to work out calories burnt through weight lifting as your body continues to burn calories for some time after.
I think the only way to get a half decent idea would be to measure your weight and calories over time while lifting and work it out from there.
You are 'supposed' to be eating back any exercise calories regardless, but of course depends on a lot of factor
I'd try eating a bit more and see and see If your weight keeps going down/your body keeps losing fat.
(And yes, I know it can be really hard to 'let yourself' eat a bit more - I certainly didn't like the idea of it.)
A couple of notes from stuff I've found out over the last couple of months:
For best results, try and seperate cardio and weights days - especially doing cardio after can end up doing various things that could 'harm' the weights work you've done.
"The fat burning zone" isn't well named - if you exercise harder, you'll burn more fat.
But at those heart rates you're more likely to be burning a high proportion from fat at the time.
Of course, if you then eat the same amount after, the person who's been at the higher heart rate will still do better as more of their food will go to 'energy reserves', which will have been drained more too.
Oh and for me - I'm following a 'leangains' style protocol, so I actually eat about 1000 calories more on workout days (2450 and 1450 respectively.)0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
i agree with all of this. However, I know that I want to eat more on lifting days to replenish my body , so i log approximately 300 calories of cardio to stay on target.0 -
It seems that when I add strength training exercises to my journal there is no report on the amount of calories burned... Is this right?0
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@jlapey ... on your non workout days.. what calorie amount are you consuming? I need to figure a way out to break my plateau as well. I'm on my 3rd week (day 3 of weight training) taking weekends off to recover... and I am consuming more protein, and staying within range of my 1200 caloire day.. but i'm hungry too.. like AuntieKT mentions.. I recently got a HRM as well.. and i'm trying to see if staying in the "fat burn zone" works.. i'm excited to see what happens to my body.
I'll start off by saying that I'm not bashing the 1200cal/day thing. BUT. If you're going to be lifting for a significant amount of your workout, you should definitely think about increasing your calories. I'm at around 1900/day and I'm still finding myself hungry sometimes. I honestly couldn't imagine consuming anything less than 1700cals/day while doing a lifting program. If you're feeling hungry it's because your metabolism is increasing and you should be eating when you're feeling hungry. Personally, if I don't eat at least 200 cals every few hours my stomach is eating itself. My lifting routine may be more intense than yours, but I'd recommend increasing your calories if you're feeling hungry throughout the day.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
This. HRMs should not be used for strength training.
IMO, the bigger issue here is mentality. If you are concerned about your calorie deficit for weight loss, focus on your diet and do cardio. If you want to change how you look, lift and lift heavy. Lifting shouldn't be about calorie burns.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.0 -
Just as an estimation tool, try looking at this calculator:
http://www.prohealth.com/weightloss/tools/exercise/calculator1_2.cfm
Not an absolute indicator, but its a decent enough starting point. Lifting will build lean muscle, lean muscle will burn fat. The benefits of lifting usually show up gradually over time; so I'm not sure if logging that as a daily works to a great advantage. Its still great that you've added it to your regimen though. Like another poster mentioned, I would also recommend keeping cardio and weight lifting on separate days. I find it works different muscle groups on different days and helps with overall development.
Keep up the great work!!
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@jlapey ... on your non workout days.. what calorie amount are you consuming? I need to figure a way out to break my plateau as well. I'm on my 3rd week (day 3 of weight training) taking weekends off to recover... and I am consuming more protein, and staying within range of my 1200 caloire day.. but i'm hungry too.. like AuntieKT mentions.. I recently got a HRM as well.. and i'm trying to see if staying in the "fat burn zone" works.. i'm excited to see what happens to my body.
1200 is too low, especially if you are weight training. I'm 5'0", 150 pounds. I eat around 1500 on my off days. If you can get your hands on a copy of "The New Rules of Lifting For Women", read the nutritional section. It's very enlightening.0 -
@jlapey ... on your non workout days.. what calorie amount are you consuming? I need to figure a way out to break my plateau as well. I'm on my 3rd week (day 3 of weight training) taking weekends off to recover... and I am consuming more protein, and staying within range of my 1200 caloire day.. but i'm hungry too.. like AuntieKT mentions.. I recently got a HRM as well.. and i'm trying to see if staying in the "fat burn zone" works.. i'm excited to see what happens to my body.
#1 way to break your plateau? EAT MORE. You need to figure out your BMR and eat over that at the very least.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.
The only things zones are good for is if you are training for an endurance event, you want to be able to train for longer in the cardio zone to improve performance. This is not the same as losing weight or fat.
If you are, for the day, in a 500 cal deficit and did no cardio, or 30 mins in the cardio zone or 1 hour in the fat burning zone, will not be any different for fat loss, provided you get adequate protein to ensure the loss isn't coming from lean muscle.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.
Well first, I'd want to go to the Mayo Clinic if I had cancer but they are not at all recognized as an authority on fitness. Second, it is pretty much irrelevant what fuel substrtate you are burning during exercise. What matters is the overall burn and your body will sort out where it gets the energy from. If, over the course of the day, including the workout, you are in calorie deficit then fat oxidation will exceed fat storage. It is no more complicated than that.
The whole Zone things was debuked years ago. I strongly suggest you research this. Your body never uses one fuel substrate like say, carbs or fat, exclusively. Also, heart rate is completely irrelevant for strength training. It in an anaerobic activity not an aerobic one. That is why HRMs are useless in measuring calorie burn for it.
Both Erickirb and jacksonpt are correct in everything they have posted and have made the most helpful and knowledgeable posts in this thread.0 -
If you're hungry on those lift days, eat more calories. But I would not invent some cardio calorie number just so it appears on your record that you did not go over your calorie goal (as someone else here suggested). There is nothing wrong w/ going over your calorie goal. It is a goal to come close to - give or take. It is not a calorie limit. Anyway, just go ahead and have a little something extra (protein, best option) after your lift session, and enjoy!
Keep up the good work. Good luck on your journey.0 -
If you're hungry on those lift days, eat more calories. But I would not invent some cardio calorie number just so it appears on your record that you did not go over your calorie goal (as someone else here suggested). There is nothing wrong w/ going over your calorie goal. It is a goal to come close to - give or take. It is not a calorie limit. Anyway, just go ahead and have a little something extra (protein, best option) after your lift session, and enjoy!
Keep up the good work. Good luck on your journey.
I am not inputting lifting calories to ensure that I do not go over my goal, I am changing my goal on lifting days and this is the only way MFP will let you do that.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Yeah, I get this. That's why I was asking what people thought a reasonable way to guesstimate what these calories are...0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.
Thank You! I just wear it when I lift to easily track my time (I like to see how long I worked out each day). I also know that the calorie calculations that my heart rate monitor is figuring aren't really all that accurate when you aren't in that magical zone and therefore didn't want to trust them for lifting so I didn't overestimate what I was burning. Hence, why I was asking what you guys thought I should do to guess the amount of calories I burned when I lift. Thanks for the support!0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.
Thank You! I just wear it when I lift to easily track my time (I like to see how long I worked out each day). I also know that the calorie calculations that my heart rate monitor is figuring aren't really all that accurate when you aren't in that magical zone and therefore didn't want to trust them for lifting so I didn't overestimate what I was burning. Hence, why I was asking what you guys thought I should do to guess the amount of calories I burned when I lift. Thanks for the support!
Calorie burns from HRM have nothing to do with zones, and virtually nothing to do with actual HR. Calorie burns happen when O2 exchange increases at the cellular level. This is most common and most easily measured during steady state cardio. When the activity is no longer steady state or no longer cardio, the calculations/estimates given by HRMs become hugely unreliable.
I go back to what I said before... change your mentality. Lift to change how you look (not to burn cals, not to lose weight, etc). Focus on your diet and do cardio to help with the calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. Do all 3 (weights, cardio, diet) for optimal health.0 -
It seems that when I add strength training exercises to my journal there is no report on the amount of calories burned... Is this right?
if you go under the cardio session there is an entry for strength training. It seems like a reasonable estimation.0 -
for starters HR zones are *kitten*, and don't really have much to do with weight loss. Cals in vs. cals out. That said, strength training does not burn a lot during the lifting, but your metabolism is raised for 24-48 hours after a session for muscle recovery.
And HRM's are only designed to be somewhat accurate during steady state cardio, not circuits, or strength training. Just take a guesstimate and readjust if you are not getting expected results after 4-6 weeks.
Actually, HR zones are very important. While it is true that cardio will not help you lose weight alone, being in the zone lets you see where you are pulling your energy from. The body stores only so much carbs, when they run out then the body converts fat into energy to fuel the work out. Where in the HR zone doesn't really matter as much, but making sure that you are maintaining the elevated HR is important and helps to keep people on track in their workouts.
Even the Mayo clinic supports HR zone performance because of its benefits to the body.
Also, the OP already stated she doesn't follow what the HRM says when she weight trains, so I don't know why you are preaching to a choir.
Thank You! I just wear it when I lift to easily track my time (I like to see how long I worked out each day). I also know that the calorie calculations that my heart rate monitor is figuring aren't really all that accurate when you aren't in that magical zone and therefore didn't want to trust them for lifting so I didn't overestimate what I was burning. Hence, why I was asking what you guys thought I should do to guess the amount of calories I burned when I lift. Thanks for the support!
Calorie burns from HRM have nothing to do with zones, and virtually nothing to do with actual HR. Calorie burns happen when O2 exchange increases at the cellular level. This is most common and most easily measured during steady state cardio. When the activity is no longer steady state or no longer cardio, the calculations/estimates given by HRMs become hugely unreliable.
I go back to what I said before... change your mentality. Lift to change how you look (not to burn cals, not to lose weight, etc). Focus on your diet and do cardio to help with the calorie deficit if you want to lose weight. Do all 3 (weights, cardio, diet) for optimal health.
I know the calculations that the HRM is giving while lifting are hugely unreliable...that was the whole point of this post. I was wondering what a reasonable guess would be. I am trying to lose weight at the same time as gain muscle and strength. I just don't want to overestimate what I am burning and then eat back too many calories. I just also didn't think it was reasonable to lift heavy for over an hour and not count any of the calories that I had to burn during that time.0 -
you're not going to build any meaningful muscle while on a deficit to lose weight.
But to your question, take a guess. I'd say something between 4 and 6 cals per minute is a reasonable guess if you absolutely have to have a number.0 -
Don't worry so much about the calories. You'll never get a complete 100% number for the amount of calories you burned. I'm training for a bikini competition and I lift HEAVY 6x a week, with cardio 2x a week. I do wear a HRM and I do log the calories into the Strength Training section under Cardio, but that's more for tracking purposes. I eat more calories and up my carb intake on days where I train legs, but other than that, I eat pretty much the same every day. What works for the people here might not work for you, so switch it up for a week and see what happens. Lifting will increase your muscle, but less so if you're in a calorie deficit. The more muscle you have, the more fat you'll burn.0
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