How do you log strength exercises?

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GettingAngBack
GettingAngBack Posts: 11
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm new and working with a personal trainer and I know I'm burning calories but have no clue how to figure out how much I'm burning (even in general). I see crunches, etc in MFP but don't have a clue how to add it so that it shows I'm burning calories. I've put in reps and how many per rep but then it doesn't even give me a guideline.

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  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    I'm new and working with a personal trainer and I know I'm burning calories but have no clue how to figure out how much I'm burning (even in general). I see crunches, etc in MFP but don't have a clue how to add it so that it shows I'm burning calories. I've put in reps and how many per rep but then it doesn't even give me a guideline.

    Heart Rate Monitor or something like BodyMedia and Fitbit is the best way.

    Otherwise there is no good way. Not even in general, because there would be way too much of a variance.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    There is no good way, period. HRMs are highly ineffective. All you can do is guestimate. Pick a number between 3 and 7 cals per minute (more the heavier/more intense your lifts are, i.e. high weight low reps... less if you weights are lighter, i.e. light weight more reps).
  • jcc4
    jcc4 Posts: 37 Member
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    Heart rate monitors really aren't good for measuing exertion during anaerobic excercise (strength training) they overestimate how many calories are burned.. t

    That said.. if you wear a HRM you can always put down the number of calories burned in the notes section or you can create your own "cardio" exercise and call it "Strength Training," or "Weight Lifting," or whatever floats your boat and then log the calories burned. The latter way will allow MFP to auto adjust your daily caloric goal... if that is what you desire.
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    There is no good way, period. HRMs are highly ineffective. All you can do is guestimate. Pick a number between 3 and 7 cals per minute (more the heavier/more intense your lifts are, i.e. high weight low reps... less if you weights are lighter, i.e. light weight more reps).

    Depends, new HRM"s have been designed for strength training. That is why I bought the polar FT-80. It was designed for Strength Training in mind.
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
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    I don't log my strength training - admittedly I'm still only on 'baby' weights so don't feel I''m burning too much on those days!

    B x
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    There is no good way, period. HRMs are highly ineffective. All you can do is guestimate. Pick a number between 3 and 7 cals per minute (more the heavier/more intense your lifts are, i.e. high weight low reps... less if you weights are lighter, i.e. light weight more reps).

    Depends, new HRM"s have been designed for strength training. That is why I bought the polar FT-80. It was designed for Strength Training in mind.

    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.
  • jcc4
    jcc4 Posts: 37 Member
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    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    Except that calorie burn is, at best, only loosely based on HR.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
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    I simply set my calories, and that is what I eat. I do not try to eat back any calories I burn by lifting. As such, I generally just record my lifting log in the exercise notes section, for posterity.
  • GettingAngBack
    GettingAngBack Posts: 11
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    Thanks everyone for the input!
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    One interesting thing I've gotten from it since I got it. I was resting too long. It's cut my lifting down by several minutes a day in resting time. I do put trust in Polar and do think hype or not that they'd have done some research on their claims. They aren't a fly by night company. That is what sold me on the FT-80 when I saw it had the weight lifting mode I bought it and basically shelved the FT-60 I had bought just months before. (Much to the anger of my wife at the time lol.)
  • cristyherron
    cristyherron Posts: 4 Member
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    I was just coming to the community to ask the same questions. My cardio automatically logs calories burned but the strength training stuff (situps/pushups, etc) doesn't calculate it. Therefore, it doesn't give a very accurate picture of my days' accomplishments.

    I'll be keeping an eye on this topic to see if anyone has a spectacular answer! :smile:
  • Erica_theRedhead
    Erica_theRedhead Posts: 724 Member
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    I used a body media fit in the beginning. It is a little better at estimating calorie burn as opposed to a heart rate monitor. Now awadays tho, I don't really log it. I can usually estimate how many calories are burned based on how hard I work. I try to underestimate so that even if I eat back my calories, it's still net negative.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    One interesting thing I've gotten from it since I got it. I was resting too long. It's cut my lifting down by several minutes a day in resting time. I do put trust in Polar and do think hype or not that they'd have done some research on their claims. They aren't a fly by night company. That is what sold me on the FT-80 when I saw it had the weight lifting mode I bought it and basically shelved the FT-60 I had bought just months before. (Much to the anger of my wife at the time lol.)

    What do you mean by resting too long?
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Options
    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    One interesting thing I've gotten from it since I got it. I was resting too long. It's cut my lifting down by several minutes a day in resting time. I do put trust in Polar and do think hype or not that they'd have done some research on their claims. They aren't a fly by night company. That is what sold me on the FT-80 when I saw it had the weight lifting mode I bought it and basically shelved the FT-60 I had bought just months before. (Much to the anger of my wife at the time lol.)

    What do you mean by resting too long?

    In between sets I would take x amount of time that the program I was doing would say to be doing, and then the break between sets of deads and squats when lifting heavy.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Options
    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    One interesting thing I've gotten from it since I got it. I was resting too long. It's cut my lifting down by several minutes a day in resting time. I do put trust in Polar and do think hype or not that they'd have done some research on their claims. They aren't a fly by night company. That is what sold me on the FT-80 when I saw it had the weight lifting mode I bought it and basically shelved the FT-60 I had bought just months before. (Much to the anger of my wife at the time lol.)

    What do you mean by resting too long?

    In between sets I would take x amount of time that the program I was doing would say to be doing, and then the break between sets of deads and squats when lifting heavy.

    No, I get that... but how do you quantify "too long"?
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    Options
    I have a hard time believing they are remotely accurate (my guess is it's more marketing hype than anything else)... if lifting doesn't significantly increase O2 exchange, I don't care how the calorie burn in calculated, it just ain't happening. But giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to read up on the new batch of them.

    I just checked out the FT-80 because I had not heard of one optimized for strength training but what it says is that:
    "The Polar Strength Training mode, meanwhile, helps you optimize your strength training by reading your heart rate and informing you when your body is ready for the next set--an ideal way to optimize your weight training."

    basically it is trying to keep you within a set range of BPM; which in effect, could make it more accuate for determining the calorie burn

    One interesting thing I've gotten from it since I got it. I was resting too long. It's cut my lifting down by several minutes a day in resting time. I do put trust in Polar and do think hype or not that they'd have done some research on their claims. They aren't a fly by night company. That is what sold me on the FT-80 when I saw it had the weight lifting mode I bought it and basically shelved the FT-60 I had bought just months before. (Much to the anger of my wife at the time lol.)

    What do you mean by resting too long?

    In between sets I would take x amount of time that the program I was doing would say to be doing, and then the break between sets of deads and squats when lifting heavy.

    No, I get that... but how do you quantify "too long"?

    A validation study proved that heart rate based recovery time improves strength more than training with traditional recovery periods and, on top of that, Strength Training Guidance shortens training time nearly to half[1]

    1. Piirainen et al. Effects of the HR based recovery period on hormonal and neuromuscular responses during strength training in men and women. Oral presentation at the ECSS annual meeting in Oslo, June 2009.


    ^^^^^ From the Polar Site on the FT-80... There are some other things about why on there as well. I will say my training time didn't cut to nearly half by anymeans, It cut out around 15 minutes on a 45 minute lift routine. Takes about 30 minutes instead of 45.

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