Y doesnt strength training count in our diary?

MimzyWhimzyKins
MimzyWhimzyKins Posts: 1
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey All,

I noticed that when I input cardio exercise into my daily diary, I am allotted extra calories, but when I input strength training exercises I am given nothing and it doesn't count toward my goal of exercising 4 times per week. Do I have something set incorrectly? Why are my power lifting sessions not counting toward my goal?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Replies

  • MassaWorks
    MassaWorks Posts: 3
    I was wondering the same thing. Because I do integrate cardio into my weight training. By keeping the heart rate elevated by only allowing 1-1.5min of rest between sets and 3min between exercise. Heart rate kept at about 65-75percent. I'd call that exercis too. Anyone have any thoughts..?
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member
    I add strength to my cardio routine. For example, I can walk on my treadmill @ 4mph and at my level barely reach a heart rate of 130. But add some 5lb hand weights doing curls i can keep a steady 160 heart rate at that same 4mph walk. Get yourself a HRM and go by your average heart rate and forget about MFP when it comes to calories burned. MFP is good for moral support and food logging, but thats about it.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    You can enter strength training as a cardio exercise, or, as suggested above, use a heart rate monitor for a more accurate measurement of your calories burned.
  • JaneGS93
    JaneGS93 Posts: 18
    Also, on a side note, I believe that when logging in the strength training, the system assumes you weren't really exerting. By that I mean you didn't start with a raised heart. This is just a guess on my part though. Maybe they have something against weights, haha! Anyway, Your best bet it to do what everyone else has said. Though it might not log into your diary at least you will know that you did it.
  • helpmeet2day
    helpmeet2day Posts: 33 Member
    Yeah, I'm wondering why this is not counting too!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    An HRM will give inaccurate (generally vastly overestimated) calorie burns for the exercises described in this thread. "Raising your heart rate" does not mean you are suddenly burning a crap load of calories.

    There is also a "strength training" activity under "Cardio".
  • natekorpusik
    natekorpusik Posts: 176 Member
    Usually when you do cardio you burn calories solely for the time you are doing that cardio and your heart rate is up. Then after you are done, the burn subsides. With weight training you will continue to burn calories up to 24 hours after your workout. So it is very difficult to set a standard calorie burn weight training.
  • JaneGS93
    JaneGS93 Posts: 18
    Usually when you do cardio you burn calories solely for the time you are doing that cardio and your heart rate is up. Then after you are done, the burn subsides. With weight training you will continue to burn calories up to 24 hours after your workout. So it is very difficult to set a standard calorie burn weight training.

    Really? I had not idea that it was that prolonged! That's pretty cool.
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
    there is a strength training selection in cardiovascular. the best way to tell your individual calories burned is to wear your HRM. that will give you your own average.
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
    I love strength in both areas.

    cardio - to see what i burned and length of time
    strength - to look at weight i lifted and exercises done.

    i recommend doing both of them.
  • 50racinggirl
    50racinggirl Posts: 96 Member
    I definitely use a HRM: It is much more accurate!:laugh:
  • jennadelane
    jennadelane Posts: 121 Member
    You can track strength training under cardio, its in the list and it will give you a calories burned estimate. That said, HRMs are not accurate for strength training. They are built to track calories burned during steady state aerobic cardio, not strength training. Here's some good explanations why they are inaccurate for this kind of training:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75


    Also, there's lots of other threads about this with a lot of good info, just search for them. :smile:
  • Krista916
    Krista916 Posts: 258
    Track it under cardio-strength training.
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    HRM is NOT accurate at all when it comes to weight lifting from what i have read
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Usually when you do cardio you burn calories solely for the time you are doing that cardio and your heart rate is up. Then after you are done, the burn subsides. With weight training you will continue to burn calories up to 24 hours after your workout.

    That myth has also been blown up. A number of studies looking specifically at this have shown there is no difference in 24 hour post-exercise burn between cardio and strength training.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    The "Strength Training" section is merely to keep track of your Reps and Sets.

    To log it for calories burned, you need to log it under the Cardio section as "strength training".
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    I just don't bother recording my strength training. My workouts are: 10 min cardio, 2 sets of 4 weights/core workouts, 10 min cardio 2 sets of 4 different, 10 min cardio and then last 2 sets of four more. I just record the cardio, seeing how I use the numbers off the equipment it might not be 100% accurate, that'll make up for whatever I burn while lifting I figure. If anything, it's a bit of an extra deficit for the day I end up going over a bit on my intake :wink:
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Pure strength training isn't a big calorie burner, that shouldn't be why you're doing it. Building muscle is useful because muscle requires more energy to function 24/7 than fat does. Having a well muscled body means you will just burn more all the time to maintain that muscle.

    The algorithms for HRM's are set up for steady state cardio like running or cycling. They are going to give you crazy inflated numbers if you wear it for strength which is probably where the idea that strength training burns a significant number of calories comes from in the first place.

    All that said, if you're only exercising to earn food to eat you need to take a new look at your goals. If you're concerned that you aren't netting enough because your strength training is burning huge amounts that doesn't need to be a concern. Bodybuilders eat to bulk or fuel their muscles but that's a whole different ballgame.

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