Whining -- Why doesn't strength training burn more calories?

Who says you only burned X amount of calories? This app?

The exercise totals for different movements never match up with what they could be in real life.

Favor weight training when attempting to make body composition changes...

I've heard the benefits of strength training and been doing it for a while, and I've also heard that somehow it increases your metabolism. by a tiny and pretty insignificant amount unfortunately But it burns so few calories, especially for someone my size (5'1.5"). I did 30 minutes today, and it burned 81 calories. It may well be more but for all practical purposes it's impossible to calculate. Your weight loss results over time may be the best guide TBH. Sometimes I do a strength training class that's an hour, and I'm sore for 2 days, but burn only 160 calories, and basically can't lift for a couple of days. Good for you for putting the effort in!Wow, I get to "eat back" a yogurt. Whereas if I do cardio like kickboxing and zumba, it burns a ton, but some posts I've seen say that cardio makes you retain fat and lose muscle.Myth. You would have to doing a really excessive amount and have a totally insufficient diet for that to be an issue.

But in the end strength training isn't to burn calories, it's for strength, retention of muscle, to look great when you get to goal and for health.

Because strength training isn't about burning calories at that instant. In fact, most people don't even add strength training to their "cardio" exercises on MFP. The general breakdown is:

1. You're keeping your muscle and losing the fat instead of losing both. It's easier for your body to metabolize protein (muscle) than fat, so if you're not using it it'll go away.
2. Muscle looks prettier than fat. It's firmer and gives your body a good look.
3. As the fat burns away and the muscle stays, you see more of that pretty muscle that you've worked so hard to keep. It makes you look prettier, even though you may still be overweight. Example: I have surprisingly nice shoulders even though I'm still 90 pounds overweight, because I've been strength training.
4. As an added bonus, muscle needs more energy to maintain than fat, which bumps up your BMR. It's more of a long-term effect than cardio.

Yes, you will burn less as you get smaller, but that's true of cardio as well. Don't do strength training to burn calories. Do it for the sexiness.

As mentioned, strength training is for strength. Also for "harder" muscles and lean muscle retention. The benefits of strength training outweigh the lack of calories burned.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Lift heavy. And get a heart rate monitor to see how many calories you actually burn

Cardio also burns a lot of calories and does not cause muscle loss. Lack of strength training may cause muscle loss.

Cardio, especially prolonged sessions, will inevitably result in a loss of muscle mass. You need to have near perfect dietary conditions to prevent that from occurring, or have worked up to a point where thats a common occurrence for you.

This really does not apply to the average Joe/Jane heading out for a run or hopping on the elliptical or doing a zumba class or whatever...

New question -- how much protein would I need? I read a lot of stuff about certain number of macros being necessary to get a certain type of energy supply and appearance. Maybe this is where I need to to be adjusting since I'm pretty near my goal weight and want to lose body fat. This thread is really educating me.

1gram of protien for every pound of LBM. I currently try to hit min of 120g.

and I have to ask what yogurt are you eating at 160 calories??? mine is 50calories a serving...

For a lot of people who lift we use TDEE and that way we don't have to worry about actual burns...

Lift heavy. And get a heart rate monitor to see how many calories you actually burn

HRMs are wildly inaccurate for strength training.

Do you have proof of this?

This is a widely known fact. Your calorie burn is not directly attributable to your actual heart rate...your heart rate is simply used in an algorithm by the HRM to determine some level of VO2 max you are working and thus a reasonable estimate of calorie burn at that particular level of VO2 max. To get a good estimate of VO2 max requires an aerobic event...anaerobic events such as weight lifting are ****ty measures of VO2 max and thus HRMs are generally not going to be accurate given that the entire algorithm gets thrown out the window.

HRMs assume a steady state aerobic event...the further you get away from such an event, the more inaccurate a HRM is going to be for calorie burn estimates.

Totally disagree - please state your sources.

If you disagree the onus of proof is on you.

I used all the necessary verbiage that would allow another variable to introduce itself to change the equation.

Your preferred energy sources are glycogen and fat - not muscle.

Have a read of this nice simple article, should have enough verbiage for you.....
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/will-cardio-burn-muscle

Keep doing strength training. It is important for health, retaining muscle, etc. and it will help you to look better at any weight.

But for us small gals ( and I mean small in weight as well as height), we will always have to work in some cardio to burn a few more calories so we don't have to be on starvation rations!

I either go for a walk or short run when I finish my weights, or I do some sort of circuit training. I either use a DVD like Jillian michaels, or if I am doing more straight lifting, after every three exercises or so I will jog in place, jump rope, or do jumping jacks for a minute or two to sneak in some cardio.

Many on here will tell you that cardio is not necessary but when you are small, middle aged, and female, it just doesn't take many calories to maintain. My sedentary TDEE to maintain is only about 1500 calories. You can make it on 1500 cals without being too hungry, but I like to eat as much as possible, so I work in daily cardio. And if you are trying to create a deficit, it is easy to see why some cardio is good.

Just my two cents worth!

This really does not apply to the average Joe/Jane heading out for a run or hopping on the elliptical or doing a zumba class or whatever...

I dont see how it could apply to one person but not the next?

That would be because your original assertion is, whilst not complete nonsense, not far short of it for your weight loss exerciser.

Nothing further to add given the link to the article upthread.