No cal calc for strength exercises?

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hollypend
hollypend Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
maybe it's a stupid question but I don't understand how strength training doesn't burn calories too.

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  • MistyinTN
    MistyinTN Posts: 78 Member
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    I'd like some feedback on this as well.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Edit: Strength training effects different areas of the body depending on the lift. So it would be almost impossible to calculate the burn.
    There is no simple formula for calculating calories burned during strength training because every strength-training workout is so different. You lift different weights with different muscle groups throughout a single workout, whereas during running, you use the same muscles in the same way for several continuous minutes. Some strength exercises, such as a barbell snatch, use more (and larger) muscles, while other exercises, like a biceps curl, may isolate a very small muscle. Obviously, the amount of energy (calories) used to execute these two different movements is very different. All we know is that a more challenging routine that uses full-body movements and large muscles (like the glutes and legs) will burn more calories than a strength-training workout that isolates small muscles.

    This came from : http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=you_asked_how_many_calories_does_strength_training_burn
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
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    I think the issue is that it's just too hard to calculate so 'they' err on the side of caution and say zero. Me, I use a HRM even though I know it's not accurate (I'm a bit obsessive, I know) but don't eat those calories back.
  • drdwngfan
    drdwngfan Posts: 33 Member
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    I ride the stationary bike to warm up first, so I count those calories as my workout. Better than nothing. :)
  • little_simon
    little_simon Posts: 37 Member
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    It's impossible to estimate, however you can search for strength training under cardio and it gives you a figure, but it's highly inaccurate.
    • Use strength training to maintain your muscle mass
    • Use steady state cardio to burn calories

  • hollypend
    hollypend Posts: 19 Member
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    Great replies everybody - thank you!
  • MellowGa
    MellowGa Posts: 1,305 Member
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    I use my HRM as well, what I did basically did the workout I amd currently doing for two weaks, and get an "average" of my Cal burned by lifting. As other said, it is basically impossible to get a good read, so an average works for me. I found my average is higher than what MFP says it is under "cardio exercise = Weight lifting" Remember with Strength training it will change your metabolism so you will burn longer and after the workout is complete due to muscle repair. I recomend NEw Rules of lifting for women, check out your library if you don't want to buy it, but sift through it, gives you different exercises, how to do them and discusses the calorie burn with weight lifting.

    Best of luck and enjoy.
  • CandyFudge
    CandyFudge Posts: 3 Member
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    I enter "Circuit Training" under cardio for my strength training. It does seem a bit high so I just roll my warm up 15 minute cardio session into the time entered for the entire workout, so if I do 15 minute warm up run and 25 minutes strength training I enter 25 minutes of circuit training for 348 calories. I discussed it with a trainer at my gym and they agreed that the calorie burn was probably fairly accurate.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    I give myself 50 calories for a 30 minute routine (I do StrongLifts as 5X3). Apart from deadlift, all of my lifts are in the ~55 lb range right now. I will probably up my calorie estimate to 75 calories when I hit 75 lbs.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    The strength training section of the exercise log exists solely to track your lifting progress and does not affect calorie burns. This question has been asked literally hundreds of times before. Please search the forums.
  • Frequently_Fabulous
    Frequently_Fabulous Posts: 132 Member
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    britishbroccoli wrote: »
    I give myself 50 calories for a 30 minute routine (I do StrongLifts as 5X3). Apart from deadlift, all of my lifts are in the ~55 lb range right now. I will probably up my calorie estimate to 75 calories when I hit 75 lbs.

    This is so interesting! I give myself 250 cals for an hour strength workout (that includes a lot of rests, so probably 20 minutes of actual lifting). That said- I don't usually lose weight after weight lifting days (like I do w running). However, I found if I didn't give myself a generous buffer, I was repeatedly starving by 6pm and I would just snap and eat a huge dinner with lots of desserts, lol.
  • babyseal_24
    babyseal_24 Posts: 26 Member
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    You can add them as cardio by estimating the amount of time you actually exercised. It's listed as "calisthenics," with different levels of effort.
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
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    i add a calorie per minute that I work out but only so I can easily track the time as I have dropped a little cardio to focus on more resistance since new year

    I'd avoid any theoretical numbers of calorie burns as has been advised on many of these threads asking the same / similar thing

  • Leyac
    Leyac Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Fitness trackers are becoming more and more intelligent at estimating calories for weight lifting sessions. Im looking at UP3 (not out yet), Mio Fuse (available), Fitbit Surge and the Peak to a certain extent.
    They all have heart rate monitors (no chest strap required) and combined with accelerometers I think they are getting better and better at estimating calories.
    I'm still doing my research but we're getting there :)
  • AidaWinona
    AidaWinona Posts: 4 Member
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    If you get a good heart rate monitor / calorie tracker - you will have a better read on what calories are burned during weight training.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    The answer can be found on the MFP Help pages...
    myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    AidaWinona wrote: »
    If you get a good heart rate monitor / calorie tracker - you will have a better read on what calories are burned during weight training.

    NO! HRMs do not accurately calculate caloric burn from lifting.
  • Leyac
    Leyac Posts: 2 Member
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    The only two trackers that claim to be specialized in such metrics (weight lifting) are Amiigo (amiigo.com) and Atlas (atlaswearables.com). Still not released yet but apparently these devices will able to guess what exercise your doing (squats vs kettlebell swings). They have sophisticated algorithms and a huge database of exercises to be able to estimate the caloric expenditure. Looking forward

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