Why does it not log calories lost for strength training?

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shellyf87
shellyf87 Posts: 1 Member
edited April 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I can feel I'm working just as hard has I do when I'm doing cardio but this app doesn't count any calories lost. I know I'm losing calories when I'm at the gym working hard on the machines, just would like to know a ball park range of how many.

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  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    Add "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" to Cardiovascular to get estimated Calories burned added to your Diary. Please note that the Calories burned for Cardiovascular exercises provided by MFP are based on published metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs), which are estimates for a general population and may differ for you as an individual. If desired, add individual strength training exercises, such as "Biceps Curl," to Strength Training to have a log of sets, reps, and weights as individual exercises.

    Please see these articles, and search for other helpful articles on the MFP Help pages...

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

    myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/topics/455842-exercise-diary-and-exercise-database/articles
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,656 Member
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    +1 to CyberTone's advice. Just wanted to add: I hear what you're saying about perceived exertion with weight training, but the nature of it is different from intense cardio. It doesn't burn as many calories during the actual workout as it may feel like. But the other benefits are way worth it, including a slightly elevated calorie burn as you get more muscular, just from everyday life activities.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    I log around 50 calories burned for 30 minutes of strength training.
  • xKoalaBearx
    xKoalaBearx Posts: 181 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Weight training isn't the same as doing pure cardio because we don't lift weights the entire time. You take breaks in between reps, in between sets, and in between different exercises.

    So for example, saying you do 60 minutes of weight training isn't the same as if you did 60 straight minutes of, say, bench press, which I guess you could theoretically calculate, but no one does that.

    In the end, you might only actually move for a few minutes, even though the entire workout is an hour. It's not easily calculable.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    Villae81 wrote: »
    CyberTone wrote: »
    Add "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)" to Cardiovascular to get estimated Calories burned added to your Diary. Please note that the Calories burned for Cardiovascular exercises provided by MFP are based on published metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs), which are estimates for a general population and may differ for you as an individual. If desired, add individual strength training exercises, such as "Biceps Curl," to Strength Training to have a log of sets, reps, and weights as individual exercises.

    Please see these articles, and search for other helpful articles on the MFP Help pages...

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

    myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/topics/455842-exercise-diary-and-exercise-database/articles

    I logged about 40 min of weight training under cardiovascular says I burned 130 Cal is that right ? My workout today consisted of 2 5x5 tri sets chin ups dips and push ups slow tempo and the weights was dumbell incline bench seated dumbell press and deadlift slow tempo and finished it with a 4 min hiit. is 130 really that accurate? I'm just curious

    An estimate is rarely accurate, it is just an estimate. Considering that a broken clock is accurate twice a day, it could possibly be accurate.

    The METs value for strength training is 3.0. The METs values for "Walking, 2.5 mph, leisurely pace" and "Carpentry, general" are also 3.0, as are a few other activities in the database. If you think that you would burn a similar amount of Calories for the same amount of time doing either of these activities, then the estimate for strength training might be in the ballpark for you. If not, you can adjust the amount of time logged, or adjust the estimated Calories burned, or just not log it.

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