Bodyweight Strength Training Calories?

I am working on improving body composition using bodyweight strength training exercises. What I often do for targeted exercises is to perform calisthenics, first set with as many reps possible to failure, take a short rest, then perform all subsequent sets with 10 reps:30 seconds rest until I can no longer reach 10 reps (or 10 seconds for holding exercises such as planks). I usually allow myself a long rest period of up to 10 minutes before performing the next exercise, usually no more than 3-4 exercises.
For total body sessions I tend to use one of the Neila Ray superhero workouts, changing the workout each month.
I often have issues with not eating enough, due to lack of appetite, so it helps me to keep a count of calories eaten and calories burned to be sure I'm eating enough. I tend to use the Bodyweight Training entry for calories, but would one consider the calories burned amount for that to be accurate, or at least a slight (but not gross) overestimate, for the type of training I'm doing?

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I'm not much help with calories but I have some friends that enter them as calisthenics vigorous effort.

    What I do have a question on is the programming. Where did you come up with that? Seems a bit more on the muscle endurance side rather than strength building.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I enter stuff like that under circut training.

    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member


    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...

    False. While it may not be as convenient as just adding weight to a bar, you can very much progressively overload your muscles thru body weight moves. You've got to get pretty far and pretty strong to eventually require a weight vest or dumbbells to increase some of the single leg squat work.
  • running4myboys
    running4myboys Posts: 44 Member
    I use a heart rate monitor and enter it manually.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member


    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...

    False. While it may not be as convenient as just adding weight to a bar, you can very much progressively overload your muscles thru body weight moves. You've got to get pretty far and pretty strong to eventually require a weight vest or dumbbells to increase some of the single leg squat work.

    hmmm not what I have read..

    anything over 10-12 reps is for muscle endurance and wont build much for muscle...

    Per the OP they want to recomp...to recomp you lose fat and build muscle...to build muscle you need a progressive load lifting program among other things like adequate protien.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member


    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...

    False. While it may not be as convenient as just adding weight to a bar, you can very much progressively overload your muscles thru body weight moves. You've got to get pretty far and pretty strong to eventually require a weight vest or dumbbells to increase some of the single leg squat work.

    hmmm not what I have read..

    anything over 10-12 reps is for muscle endurance and wont build much for muscle...

    Per the OP they want to recomp...to recomp you lose fat and build muscle...to build muscle you need a progressive load lifting program among other things like adequate protien.

    Make the body weight move itself difficult enough such that the number of reps able to be performed decreases.
  • viciouslitany
    viciouslitany Posts: 187 Member


    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...

    False. While it may not be as convenient as just adding weight to a bar, you can very much progressively overload your muscles thru body weight moves. You've got to get pretty far and pretty strong to eventually require a weight vest or dumbbells to increase some of the single leg squat work.

    hmmm not what I have read..

    anything over 10-12 reps is for muscle endurance and wont build much for muscle...

    Per the OP they want to recomp...to recomp you lose fat and build muscle...to build muscle you need a progressive load lifting program among other things like adequate protien.

    Make the body weight move itself difficult enough such that the number of reps able to be performed decreases.

    forgive me if I sound stupid here,

    but for someone who doesn't have access to heavy lifting equipment, are bodyweight exercises and dumbbells / kettle bells an adequate substitute for someone simply looking to retain the muscle they have / raise strength / endurance?

    or is it not worth it, which is kind of the vibe I get from that one guy?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member


    as well bodyweight will only take you so far with body comp...at some point it does become an endurance exercise ie Cardio.

    You need to do a progressive load program where you are increasing the weight each time...not the reps.

    Perhaps you could add in resistence bands and/or dumbells for now...but again at some point that no longer is enough and you will have to go for some heavy lifting...

    False. While it may not be as convenient as just adding weight to a bar, you can very much progressively overload your muscles thru body weight moves. You've got to get pretty far and pretty strong to eventually require a weight vest or dumbbells to increase some of the single leg squat work.

    hmmm not what I have read..

    anything over 10-12 reps is for muscle endurance and wont build much for muscle...

    Per the OP they want to recomp...to recomp you lose fat and build muscle...to build muscle you need a progressive load lifting program among other things like adequate protien.

    Make the body weight move itself difficult enough such that the number of reps able to be performed decreases.

    forgive me if I sound stupid here,

    but for someone who doesn't have access to heavy lifting equipment, are bodyweight exercises and dumbbells / kettle bells an adequate substitute for someone simply looking to retain the muscle they have / raise strength / endurance?

    or is it not worth it, which is kind of the vibe I get from that one guy?

    Not at all...

    I personallly think that they are totally worth it. I know people irl who don't lift heavy (women) but do a lot of resistence training and are very lean and defned...

    As long as you are doing resistence training and getting adequate protien you will retain muscle mass (or a lot of it).

    AS far as strength/endurance those are two different things...strength comes from a progressive load so that would mean adding in weight only doing up 5-8 reps and the last couple being hard...then the next time adding in weight...even if you can't do all the reps you are adding strength, stay at that weight until you can do the reps...

    Endurance I believe is 12-15 reps...with the last few being hard to complete.

    Others have this down to a science with the rep range for optimal training depending on goals..but I do know 1-5 or 6 is for strength and 12-15+ is endurance.
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
    There are many ways or progressively load body weight exercises. A person, and especially someone new to strength training could keep going for quite a while before needing to add additional resistance like weights or bands. So it is definitely worth it! Just make sure to find a balanced program to follow.

    I work out in a fully equipped gym, but still include some body weight exercises like push-ups and inverted rows. They are hard! And the more you weigh, the harder they are...