Weight training burns calories??

newmej5
newmej5 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 11 in Getting Started
...but I don't see my exercise report logging any calories burned for the weight/toning exercises I've done. Why not, or am I missing seeing it? Thank you!

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    You have to log it under the cardio section. There's an entry for strength training/weight lifting.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    It burns less calories than you'd hope, unfortunately. :\
  • newmej5
    newmej5 Posts: 4 Member
    Oh my gosh, thank you!! I was logging it under the section *below* cardio. Now, I can receive "credit"! :)
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    Also note that it's a very rough guess. Weight training just has too many variables (Your weight, weights you are using, muscles used, rest time, etc, etc,) to be accurate.
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
    weight training has a lot of variables......especially if you take long breaks between sets......typically, when i wear my heart rate monitor......during my workouts i will find that myfitnesspal's calorie burn is 100 calories greater than what my hrm reads.....which is essentially measuring my output based on my heart rate......but this is no reason to NOOT lift weights! weight lifting will burn calories even after weight lifting.......leaving the gym, etc....as the muscles tense and flex and the body goes in 'repair' mode, to repair what muscles were just worked......so yes, on paper, you burn less calories, but overtime, it's a greater calorie burn.......
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    ahoier wrote: »
    weight training has a lot of variables......especially if you take long breaks between sets......typically, when i wear my heart rate monitor......during my workouts i will find that myfitnesspal's calorie burn is 100 calories greater than what my hrm reads.....which is essentially measuring my output based on my heart rate......but this is no reason to NOOT lift weights! weight lifting will burn calories even after weight lifting.......leaving the gym, etc....as the muscles tense and flex and the body goes in 'repair' mode, to repair what muscles were just worked......so yes, on paper, you burn less calories, but overtime, it's a greater calorie burn.......

    I've worn my HRM when lifting a few times. My burns on the HRM are usually around 300 calories higher than what MFP gives me (although I use the TDEE method now and don't even bother with figuring out calorie burns for exercise). My heart rate gets up around 160 during many of my sets and I don't rest for long between sets.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    ahoier wrote: »
    weight training has a lot of variables......especially if you take long breaks between sets......typically, when i wear my heart rate monitor......during my workouts i will find that myfitnesspal's calorie burn is 100 calories greater than what my hrm reads.....which is essentially measuring my output based on my heart rate......but this is no reason to NOOT lift weights! weight lifting will burn calories even after weight lifting.......leaving the gym, etc....as the muscles tense and flex and the body goes in 'repair' mode, to repair what muscles were just worked......so yes, on paper, you burn less calories, but overtime, it's a greater calorie burn.......

    Keep in mind that HRMs are not really good for calculating calories burned in anything other than a steady state cardio session. Also, you need to factor out any calories you would have burned doing nothing (sitting on the sofa). In other words, you would normally have burned over 100 calories anyway during an hour. If you spend that hour weight lifting you should factor out that 100+ calories or you're double-dipping.
  • newmej5
    newmej5 Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I can only work out about once (maybe twice) per week, but figure it is better than nothing! And I have no idea what TDEE is. :)
  • danielley247
    danielley247 Posts: 3 Member
    TDEE and more: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ :smile:
  • carriebeenz
    carriebeenz Posts: 16 Member
    Hi, I have a question related to this. I'm doing a 30 ab and squat challenge but it's not registering any calories burned. I have to do 95 squats today so surely that will burn a few calories! Should I be putting them under cardio rather than strength training?
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    I go by TDEE and don't eat back the calories burned most days. I repeat most days because yesterday I wanted some ice cream...but anyway. I just stick to TDEE -15 to 20 % which gives 1700 cals/ day. I don't trust the machines or MFP to give me an accurate count of cals burned during my workouts.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-
  • newmej5
    newmej5 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks all! Man, I'm definitely not as dedicated, yet. I am having a very hard time staying under my calorie allotment, so don't really have anything to "eat back". Yesterday I was starving at the end of the day, and ended up going over by about 240 calories. :( I truly do feel hungry. Ugh. I felt like I did well today, and when I just logged what I plan to eat for dinner, it's already over (just a bit, but still). Good for you all who can work out more and stick to your plan! :)
  • carheitz
    carheitz Posts: 1 Member
    Remember that strength and weight training leads to muscle gains with adequate protein intake! This will help you burn more calories in the long run because 1lb of muscle burns and extra 35kcal a day - increasing your resting metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn in a day just by being alive!) :)
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    carheitz wrote: »
    Remember that strength and weight training leads to muscle gains with adequate protein intake! This will help you burn more calories in the long run because 1lb of muscle burns and extra 35kcal a day - increasing your resting metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn in a day just by being alive!) :)

    35 cals per pound of muscle is quite the burn ... and doesn't hold up. If it did, just 50 pounds of muscle mass on a human body would consume 1750 calories on its own at rest.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139779/

  • zarumi
    zarumi Posts: 4
    since i saw it mentioned few times here....

    i also have a problem that my app shows no calories burnt for strength exercises AT ALL....and while i don't expect it to be much i still expect it to show some!
    and i've tried all, it doesn't seem to fix the problem :(
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    zarumi wrote: »
    since i saw it mentioned few times here....

    i also have a problem that my app shows no calories burnt for strength exercises AT ALL....and while i don't expect it to be much i still expect it to show some!
    and i've tried all, it doesn't seem to fix the problem :(

    It isn't a problem ...

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/11170-why-don-t-you-calculate-calories-burned-for-strength-training-
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