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Calculating calories burned from Strength Training exercises?

J_Bock
J_Bock Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
How should I go about accounting for calories burned by strength training exercises such as sit-ups, push ups, crunches etc... since the app doesn't do so?

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Use the option for calisthenics. There might also be one for bodyweight training but I *think* you get the same calorie calculation with both of those.
  • J_Bock
    J_Bock Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I always use the light effort version of calisthenics. The other version, in my opinion, gives way too many calories.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    You can log "strength training" under the cardio option on MFP

    That said, my personal experience is that a normal weight lifting day doesn't burn that many more calories over regular daily activity so I generally don't take the calories into consideration
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    Under exercise you can put in your training, but it will not give you any credit for calories burned.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    You can log "strength training" under the cardio option on MFP

    That said, my personal experience is that a normal weight lifting day doesn't burn that many more calories over regular daily activity so I generally don't take the calories into consideration

    Define "many more". An hour of strength training should burn around 150 to 200 calories. To some of us, that's a big amount.

  • Eddygogo
    Eddygogo Posts: 23 Member
    the calorie calculator is gonna be extremely inaccurate. It can't take into account rest periods, intensity, repetition, etc. I would just count it as a general 200-300ish calories per workout (a tad more for higher intensity, a tad less for lower intensity). of course, if you workout for 10 minutes and then stop that's a different story.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    When I do the MFP method (I switch back and forth between it and TDEE) I always log my strength training for the full time (even counting rest) and eat those calories. I absolutely need them. I might not burn that number during that 45-60 minutes but my body burns it during recovery afterward.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    ScubaSteve1962 wrote: »
    Under exercise you can put in your training, but it will not give you any credit for calories burned.
    @ScubaSteve1962
    You need to log it under the cardio section to get a very rough calorie estimate.
    Strength training, circuit training or calisthenics are all options.
  • __Karl__
    __Karl__ Posts: 45 Member
    J_Bock wrote: »
    How should I go about accounting for calories burned by strength training exercises such as sit-ups, push ups, crunches etc... since the app doesn't do so?

    Which HRM are you currently using to track daily calorie burns?

  • cam52404
    cam52404 Posts: 15 Member
    Getting a basic Hr monitor is a wise investment. I have the polar FT4, I believe they're about 50$ on Amazon.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I was under the impression that HRMs were meant to calculate burns for cardio-type exercise, not for strength training.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I was under the impression that HRMs were meant to calculate burns for cardio-type exercise, not for strength training.

    They aren't. An HRM is a pointless recommendation for strength training unless you want it to monitor your heart rate. The calorie burns will be wildly inaccurate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    cam52404 wrote: »
    Getting a basic Hr monitor is a wise investment. I have the polar FT4, I believe they're about 50$ on Amazon.

    A HRM is not going to be even remotely accurate for strength training or any other anaerobic activity
This discussion has been closed.

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