How do I calculate calories burnt when lifting weights?

Options
3shirts
3shirts Posts: 294 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all.
I currently do two weights sessions a week where I do an hour of just lifting. I have a HRM which I use for cardio (I also cycle to work and play Badminton every week) but I understand that they give artificially high figures for lifting because your heart rate peaks and drop frequently and they are designed for consistent activity.

My question is, therefore, how can I make sure I am eating enough on days when I do a weight session? Is there some way to calculate it, should I just do a rough estimate (like 1/3 of what the HRM says) or is it actually likely to be so low a number that it's not really worth worrying about?

I'm currently aiming for 1750 calories a day and my goal is to lose body fat.

Thanks
«1

Replies

  • khandmisri
    khandmisri Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/949271-how-to-calculate-calories-burned-weight-lifting
  • candiceh3
    candiceh3 Posts: 379
    Options
    Well, I kinda cheat. I don't log many calories at all for weight lifting.

    But since I do it every week for the same amount of time, I just adjust given the weight loss of the prior week. If I lost too much, I didn't eat enough, and I'll up my calories by about 100 on weight days.

    Keep going until you find a balance :).
  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    Thanks, I read that other thread but it's what I already knew, HRMs aren't great for calculating the calorie burn.

    I think I'll try what you suggest candiceh3 and count no extra calories for now, see how it goes and then adjust gradually. They are only 1 hour sessions and my HRM says about 300-400 calories so, realistically, it's probably only 100 or so anyway
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Options
    Thanks, I read that other thread but it's what I already knew, HRMs aren't great for calculating the calorie burn.

    I think I'll try what you suggest candiceh3 and count no extra calories for now, see how it goes and then adjust gradually. They are only 1 hour sessions and my HRM says about 300-400 calories so, realistically, it's probably only 100 or so anyway

    Expect a 100 to 300 calorie burn (300 is very intense) above usual for a 1 hr session so you really do not need to add a lot. Consider doing so if performance suffers. Just watch your weight loss and adjust from there.
  • tula1980
    tula1980 Posts: 54
    Options
    I was doing 6x 60 minute yoga sessions, eating at TDEE (based around 6 workouts) and losing about 0.2lb a week, so TDEE is clearly slightly under for me.

    I switched over to lifting 3 days and dropped to 3 days of yoga. The first two weeks I had to eat at TDEE +500 because I was so hungry I could have chewed off my own arm. I put on 5lb (clearly mainly water weight from the lifting) in the first two weeks. The third week I managed TDEE +400 and weight held at +5. And now I'm eating at TDEE +300 and I've lost the 5lb in the last two weeks.

    So, I think I'd have lost 1lb (3500 calories) over the last 5 weeks had I stuck with 6x yoga and TDEE. However I've eaten 14,000 over that in the last 5 weeks with the lifting and maintained my weight. So if that trend continues and it's not related to some newbie phenomenon, then I need to eat an extra 300 calories a day over what I was to maintain weight. As ridiculous as it sounds it works out at 700 calories per lifting session (3x per week) OVER what I would have burnt doing 60 minutes of yoga. So I guess I'm saying that so far I think it burns a LOT and my advice would be not to be resolute at holding your calories at 1750, especially at the start. Even though your goal is clearly fat loss you might find that you get really hungry as your body craves calories to help strengthen muscle. If I could have held my calories at TDEE I think I would have lost 4-6lb in the last 5 weeks overall.
  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    Ok, I won't pretend I fully understood all that but I did get the gist. I'll estimate at about 1/3 of what my HRM says and see how that goes then adjust as needed.
    I've been stuck at the same weight and body fat % for several months and I am just trying to find the reason. I'm strongly leaning towards the fact that I've been adding too many calories on weights and badminton days (as well as too many biscuits, cake and other empty calories)
    I suspect a similar problem is happening with badminton as it's also quite stop/start so might cause the HRM to give false calorie estimates.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    You're not going to find a great way to calculate calories burned during resistance training. It's all just an estimation. The best bet is just to make an estimate and track your progress, adjusting cals up or down as necessary.
  • PrimalGirl
    PrimalGirl Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I don't understand why the HRM would be wrong? If your heart rate spikes when you lift then you are burning more calories because you are working hard, your muscles are engaged and your respiration increases. Those can't happen independent of you burning more calories (can they?). If during your 2/3min rest period it reduces, then you burn less calories at that point, so overall the spikes and dips even out into an accurate burn indicator.

    Don't they?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I don't understand why the HRM would be wrong? If your heart rate spikes when you lift then you are burning more calories because you are working hard, your muscles are engaged and your respiration increases. Those can't happen independent of you burning more calories (can they?). If during your 2/3min rest period it reduces, then you burn less calories at that point, so overall the spikes and dips even out into an accurate burn indicator.

    Don't they?

    No. HRM estimate burn from heart rate based on experimental oxidation curves during steady state aerobic exercise. Heart rate changes during weightlifting varies based on other things such as the Valsalva reflex.
  • Fitwam
    Fitwam Posts: 275 Member
    Options
    Oh no! I have been wearing my HRM and my fitbit during my weight lifting sessions. And yep..been logging it in on the MFP site (and thinking that my fitbit would adjust the calories). Now, i am thinking I shouldn't log it all! Feel like I am getting a good workout with all the compound lifts...but it is definitely different than cardio. UGH....
    I like the approach of GuitarJerry...just live, eat and move. :flowerforyou:
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    Options
    I used to wear my BFM when I lifted and about all I got max was 3-4 calories a minute (not super-setting or doing active rests). Considering that about 1.5 of those calories would have been burned even if I was sitting still, it wasn't much. I also was a sweaty mess and was out of breath at times. Now that I kinda know what I normally burn, I usually guestimate it at 2-3 calories a minute. I'm sure all of this would be adjustable to you personally depending on your weight, etc.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I don't understand why the HRM would be wrong? If your heart rate spikes when you lift then you are burning more calories because you are working hard, your muscles are engaged and your respiration increases. Those can't happen independent of you burning more calories (can they?). If during your 2/3min rest period it reduces, then you burn less calories at that point, so overall the spikes and dips even out into an accurate burn indicator.

    Don't they?

    No. HRM estimate burn from heart rate based on experimental oxidation curves during steady state aerobic exercise. Heart rate changes during weightlifting varies based on other things such as the Valsalva reflex.

    correct. Furthermore, even if it was possible to measure the exact number of calories you burn lifting weights, it wouldn't be a helpful number b/c lifting weights will raise your metabolism later in the day anyway.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Options
    Well it will take some work, but what I'm doing right now during this cutting cycle, is logging all my calories for the week, along with the weight I've lost. I'm also keeping my weight training schedule and routine exactly the same and logging my calories as exactly as possible. (you can see my routine exactly, in my profile)

    I am going through a 6 week cutting cycle. By the end, I will have a very good idea of maintenance with exercise. Take your estimated sedentary calorie burn, subtract it from your actual maintenance, and you've got your number.

    For illustration purposes, so far it's looking like I'm loosing 1 lb per week eating an average of 1920 calories per day. Add 500 calories a day to that, and we've got a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) of around 2400 calories. My sedentary maintenance is around 2000, so exercise is helping me burn around 400 calories, possibly a bit more even but it's probably "afterburn".

    I only lift weights, for about 60-90 minutes, 4 days a week. I rest for 2 minutes between all sets, no crazy super setting or even cardio right now. 5'4", 146 lbs, BF% 12.
  • maca416
    maca416 Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I don't understand why the HRM would be wrong? If your heart rate spikes when you lift then you are burning more calories because you are working hard, your muscles are engaged and your respiration increases. Those can't happen independent of you burning more calories (can they?). If during your 2/3min rest period it reduces, then you burn less calories at that point, so overall the spikes and dips even out into an accurate burn indicator.

    Don't they?

    No. They don't.

    It's very complicated. But, the algorithms are set to calculate steady state cardio, not spikes up and down. You can google it. There are many article written about it.

    For the OPs benefit, I've been all over the map on this. I finally decided to stop
    Logging exercise and just set my calories constant so I reach my goals. I am so much happier. I don't have to screw around with HRMs or think, "oh no, I just played volleyball, how many calories did I burn?" I just live, eat, and move. It's a much better approach, IMO.

    I am now a proponent of simply monitoring your results via various periodic measurements.


    +1
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Options
    I calculate mine at just under half of what my HRM lists and it closely corresponds to what MFP calculates for weight lifting under cardio.
    It doesn't add up to a lot ~180-250 calories but it seems to work right for the amount of weight I'm losing.
    Also, since I eat back my calories and intake higher protein it allows me an extra 3-4 ounces chicken or tuna.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Options
    MFP calculates it low for someone who is lifting with intensity. If you're just doing some light weight, MFP is probably accurate. If you're doing a tough routine like Stronglifts, Starting Strength, or 5/3/1 for example, you're probably closer to 400 for an hour.
  • PrimalGirl
    PrimalGirl Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    All those weeks of inaccurate logging... Damn.

    Thanks for all the info though, I really thought I was doing well. But at least now I know. As I do 5x5, I'm probably burning slightly more than MFP estimates, but not as much as my HRM tells me. I'll probably put something halfway between and see how I go.

    Trying to bust out of maintenace by upping my calories anyway, so at least this helps with that.
  • MrKevboto
    MrKevboto Posts: 12
    Options
    Pause the HRM if rests exceed 30 seconds and start back up when beginning new set.

    But everyone should remember that weight lifting is better for that utilitarian weight loss: more muscle equals more daily caloric consumption.

    Sure you can burn more faster doing cardio, but the drop off is faster if you start slacking whereas all that hard work from weight lifting will continue to support your body.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I don't understand why the HRM would be wrong? If your heart rate spikes when you lift then you are burning more calories because you are working hard, your muscles are engaged and your respiration increases. Those can't happen independent of you burning more calories (can they?). If during your 2/3min rest period it reduces, then you burn less calories at that point, so overall the spikes and dips even out into an accurate burn indicator.

    Don't they?

    No. They don't.

    It's very complicated. But, the algorithms are set to calculate steady state cardio, not spikes up and down. You can google it. There are many article written about it.

    For the OPs benefit, I've been all over the map on this. I finally decided to stop
    Logging exercise and just set my calories constant so I reach my goals. I am so much happier. I don't have to screw around with HRMs or think, "oh no, I just played volleyball, how many calories did I burn?" I just live, eat, and move. It's a much better approach, IMO.

    I am now a proponent of simply monitoring your results via various periodic measurements.

    +1

Categories