Calories Burned during Strength Training

I think the idea of strength training burning more calories comes not so much from the strength training itself but from the amazing benefit that lean muscle mass provides in burning calories throughout the day. Plus, AFTER working out your body is actively repairing all the stuff you just tore apart so there is a raise in caloric burn then as well.

In the end I imagine it's not in MFP because its nearly impossible to quantify with a real number the total calories burned. I would probably take on a couple hundred calories burned an hour for the workout itself if you want to keep things close, but even with a tight circuit at good intensity, isolated muscle movements if you think about it, are logically going to burn fewer calories than sustained full body movements.

Bump wondering the same.

Nowhere as many as you'd think. Unless you're doing really high intensity training, the calorie burn isn't that high on any places that list calories for physical activities.

Think if it as an investment, though. You'll burn the extra calories over the next several hours from having your metabolism stepped up and the more muscle mass you build burns more calories, so the calorie benefits are there. They're just not immediate.

Use MFP as a calorie/macro tracking source, not exercise logging. These rates here are inaccurate.

Heart rate monitor is the way to go.

Under add cardio, type in strength training. Then type in minutes.

A heart rate monitor is always more accurate but mfp DOES have a means to add calories burned through strength training.

EDIT: oops, person above me mentioned it too. There you have it :-).

Heart rate monitor is absolutely not the way to go with regards to strength training.

First thing to understand: HRMs do not measure calories burned! They measure Heart Rate.

Second thing to understand: Your HR can change for any number of reasons. Caffeine, fear, adrenaline, excitement, etc.

Third thing to understand: A faster beating heart does not burn significantly more Calories. You can check this yourself by sitting perfectly still and hold your breath as long as you can. Repeat over and over. Watch your HR soar. Are you burning more calories? No. What if you burn 100 calories in a walk, then repeat the walk the next day immediately after having 3 cups of espresso. Are you burning more calories? No. Well, your HRM will say you did.

Important bit about HRMs: They use a calculation based on the volume load from steady state aerobic exercise to estimate the calories burned.

Volume load: When doing aerobics, your HR rises to move a greater volume of oxygen through your body. When you lift weights, your HR rises while blood vessels constrict to increase the blood pressure in the appropriate area. This is called Pressure Load. You can see this for yourself by examining someone on an elliptical at 85% max HR and someone lifting weights at 85% max HR. The person on the elliptical will be flushed and gasping for breath. The person lifting weights will have veins popping out all over the place and will just have slightly elevated breathing. Pressure load is not volume load. Your heart is beating faster for a different reason with weights than with aerobics. So, the calorie formula is no longer accurate.

Steady state: When you are doing aerobics, you are constantly moving with very little rest, and you are moving large portions of your body. When you lift weight, you are often not using your whole body, and taking longer rests. So, it's not accurate.

Aerobic exercise: Aerobic exercise is when your body mixes oxygen and fat to produce energy. This happens when the energy requirement is low. Lifting weights is anaerobic exercise. That means it uses the glycogen stored in the muscles for energy. Different energy source from aerobics (what most people call cardio), so the formula is inaccurate. (This is a simplifed explanation, the reality is a little more complicated, but the effect is the same).

To recap: The three important factors in determining a calorie burn from HR are all using different things. There is NO WAY for it to be even remotely accurate. Ditch the HRM for weights.

Use the Strength Training entry in the cardio section as a rough entry, or use the basic formula of Pounds Lifted * .0125 to calculate calories burned.

Here's another calculator you can try: https://www.exercise.com/activity/weight-lifting

I just use mfp's strength training calorie burn in the cardio section and subtract the time of my lifting breaks. This is the best strategy that I have been able to come up with so far, and I am still steadily losing pounds and inches. I lift extremely heavy, so I am pretty sure that I am burning more than I am logging. However, I would rather underestimate than overestimate. As others have mentioned, a HRM is not accurate for lifting calorie burns.

Nowhere as many as you'd think. Unless you're doing really high intensity training, the calorie burn isn't that high on any places that list calories for physical activities.

Think if it as an investment, though. You'll burn the extra calories over the next several hours from having your metabolism stepped up and the more muscle mass you build burns more calories, so the calorie benefits are there. They're just not immediate.

This is what he asked. He's asking if it's going to cause calories to continue to be burned why aren't those accounted for?

I just use mfp's strength training calorie burn in the cardio section and subtract the time of my lifting breaks. This is the best strategy that I have been able to come up with so far, and I am still steadily losing pounds and inches. I lift extremely heavy, so I am pretty sure that I am burning more than I am logging. However, I would rather underestimate than overestimate. As others have mentioned, a HRM is not accurate for lifting calorie burns.

Thank you this is a helpful idea.

I typically log it generically under strength training in cardio. It's worked well thus far