Monitoring calories burned during resistance training.

badboyhouse
badboyhouse Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been monitoring my heart rate and calories burned using my Polar HRM for the last couple of weeks. Normally I just use it when I'm doing my HIIT runs three times a week.

I used it today though during a workout where I was primarily doing resistance training - kettlebell swings (really got my heart rate going!), sit-ups, crunches, chin-ups and dumbbell work.

After the session (about 50 minutes) I'd apparently burned almost 400 calories.

I've heard conflicting stories about monitoring your heart rate when doing resistance work - but surely if you're monitoring your heart rate, and it's going up/down with the workout, then it's still possible to calculate calories burned?

Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    HR has little direct impact on calorie burns.

    Calorie burns should not be why you are lifting.
  • badboyhouse
    badboyhouse Posts: 8
    It's not why I'm lifting - I just kept the hrm on after I did the kettlebell workout to see what the total calorie burn was at the end of the workout.

    Is the calorie readout on the hrm likely to be giving false readings??
  • badboyhouse
    badboyhouse Posts: 8
    It seems you are correct. Just read a blog article. Hrm/calories burned are in fact not part of resistance/strength training. I stand corrected.

    Cheers.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It's not why I'm lifting - I just kept the hrm on after I did the kettlebell workout to see what the total calorie burn was at the end of the workout.

    Is the calorie readout on the hrm likely to be giving false readings??

    Yes. HRMs use calculations to estimate calorie burns. Those calculations are based on steady/consistent elevated HR and cardio vascular exercise. When you start doing something that is not cardio or not steady state, the calculations will be inaccurate.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Is that to say the OP's (and mine) kettlebell routine is likely to give a false reading as kettlebell, or KB interspersed with callisthenics movements like burpees, mountain climbers etc, are more like HIIT than steady state.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Is that to say the OP's (and mine) kettlebell routine is likely to give a false reading as kettlebell, or KB interspersed with callisthenics movements like burpees, mountain climbers etc, are more like HIIT than steady state.

    Straight kettlebells, or kettlebells with other stuff, or true interval training... none are steady state cardio and as such HRM estimates are likely to be inaccurate.

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