Logging your Weight Lifting?

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buzzyk79
buzzyk79 Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Quick question -- I find it easy to log my cardio on this program but if I'm adding in my weight lifting, do I just record it as strength training/weight lifting (I forget the exact term now). I want to make sure that I'm getting "credit" for the calories burned from using free weights. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!

Replies

  • missimplicity
    missimplicity Posts: 31 Member
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    That's how I log mine and then put in my actual burn from my heart rate monitor. I'm not sure how "accurate" the MFP numbers are though.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    When I log mine, I put about half the time I actually do my weight lifting. I just don't trust the calories burned on MFP. It's pretty much how I log all my exercises hehe.
  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
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    It's virtually impossible to measure the calories burned from weight lifting. So using the estimation from MFP is only beneficial if you consider it a baseline of sorts. And if you find that you're increasing/losing weight, then you may have to adjust the numbers or change how you use it. And you'll get a good idea of what kind of intensity you need to burn a certain number of calories over a period of time.

    Also, the estimation is going to be more accurate if your strength training is full body or hitting several major muscle groups. If you are on a muscle split, where you're doing arms and shoulders on a day, then you probably will not be getting the caloric burn like you would on a day where you're doing squats or deadlifts, for example.
  • michaelmadonna
    michaelmadonna Posts: 105 Member
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    From what I've learned through these forums and other internet research, discussions with fitness professionals etc, is that there is no real way to calculate calories burned for weight lifting. HRM are not made for this and are only good for cardio activities. I've seen in a number of places estimates of 300 calories per hour but it will always depend on intensity and rest between sets/excorcises as well as your own body size and LBM. MFP under cardio activity has weight training and that gives me a bit under 250 calories per hour, I usually only record half or even less of the time lifting - say I spent an hour and fiteen minutes, I'll log 30 minutes weight lifting under cardio for about 130 calories - this way I'm not overestimating the caloric burn of the activity.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    Quick question -- I find it easy to log my cardio on this program but if I'm adding in my weight lifting, do I just record it as strength training/weight lifting (I forget the exact term now). I want to make sure that I'm getting "credit" for the calories burned from using free weights. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!

    Are you logging your strength training under Cardiovascular, or under Strength Training?
    If you pick "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" under Cardiovascular MFP credits you for those calories, but doesn't under Strength Training.

    When I do it I count it as 1/2 the amount of time I was working out...so 7-8pm lifting is 30minutes, as there is all the rest times, grabbing a drink, moving tween stations, setting up, etc.
  • mandeenicoleb
    mandeenicoleb Posts: 479 Member
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    I personally never logged weight training.

    Now I don't log any exercise at all, but that's only because I'm using TDEE and it's already accounted for.

    Either way, that's a very tough one. Not to mention that you don't burn very much calories WHILE lifting.

    I wish there was an exact science to this all!
  • cv2k
    cv2k Posts: 30 Member
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    I personally use a Total Gym and I never log calories burned. The program calls for many exercises to be performed for enhanced calorie burning but I use the machine to re-build muscle I lost during my weight-training hiatus (10 years). The muscle I build from the workouts will be beneficial for metabolism and later for maintenance of muscle mass.

    I do usually between 4-8 exercises depending on the way I feel. I am currently doing only 1 set to absolute muscular failure, as I am trying to re-build muscle and not necessary burn calories, cardio does that.
  • HikerRR50
    HikerRR50 Posts: 144 Member
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    The calories burned number would vary wildly depending on how much actual effort you were expending. on Light days I would guess I burn half or less than I do on heavy days. So in short I just log it but don't eat the calories back :)
  • singlefemalelawyer
    singlefemalelawyer Posts: 382 Member
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    This is a tough one. I myself am not sure I am doing it right. But I always log it under the cardio "weight lifting/training". Right now I am in a burn phase with my trainer and we do circuit style weight training with very little rest in between sets so I put it as 400 burned cals for an hour (there's an option for circuit training but it suggests over 700 cals for an hour, so I assume my 400 estimate must be close). But once I get in the strength phase and will be doing lower reps with heavier weights, I will log it as 300 cals for the hour.

    ETA: I don't eat back all my exercise cals to offset any estimates. So you might also want to try doing this, only eat back half or 3/4 depending on how hungry you are. Good luck!
  • Armyantzzz
    Armyantzzz Posts: 214 Member
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    I don't count calories from weight lifting..:wink: I just put the work in knowing that my total calorie burn count for the day is understated...:smile: but add to my overall weight loss in the end.:bigsmile:
  • sarahwilson12
    sarahwilson12 Posts: 70 Member
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    As others have said, it's really hard to accurately count calories burned from strength training. What I do is, if I've gone over a bit calorie wise, I add a few minutes of strength training done that day to my cardio :laugh:
    I figure I have burned some calories, so why not ensure that I don't go over that day?
  • aRunnerandaRider
    aRunnerandaRider Posts: 4
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    I don't count calories from weight lifting..:wink: I just put the work in knowing that my total calorie burn count for the day is understated...:smile: but add to my overall weight loss in the end.:bigsmile:

    Same here. I figure that weight lifting doesn't really burn all that much (relatively), so I just log what I've done in the exercise notes section and eat my normal target amount. Then again, I don't do super intense lifting sessions, usually just 30-45 min of circuit training or the 50 min body pump (Les Mills) class offered at my gym.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    Same here. I figure that weight lifting doesn't really burn all that much (relatively), so I just log what I've done in the exercise notes section and eat my normal target amount. Then again, I don't do super intense lifting sessions, usually just 30-45 min of circuit training or the 50 min body pump (Les Mills) class offered at my gym.

    The Les Mills session is likely in the 400cal range, based off their research from 2007(Average for males and females combined was 411cals, for a 57 minute class, averaging 7.2cals per minute). I understand that the newer programs are more intense.
    http://www.lesmills.com/files/Email/BODYPUMP Research Report_final.pdf

    400cals is what you would burn by running a 5k in 24 minutes if you weigh 175lbs.
  • buzzyk79
    buzzyk79 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the feedback. I asked my trainer last night and she figured about 800 calories... but now that seems high compared to what I'm reading...
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
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    The stronger you are, the more you will burn from your workout. That's about the only real rule. 800 would indeed be doable, but you would already have to have done decent strength to it that level

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