Calories Burned Lifting
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krause1cj
Posts: 14 Member
Hey all, I had a question to my fellow calorie counters out there.
I keep track of my heart rate during exercises to give myself an idea of how many calories I burn. I take consistent 10 second heart rates throughout the whole exercise period (usually once directly after a set and once at the end of the rest period after the set) and then average the numbers to get my average heart rate for the whole time.
The I plug that into a heart rate calorie calculator online that I use. Pretty simple, you just input your gender, age, weight, heart rate, and how long you worked out.
Now, the reason I'm looking for other opinions on this is because specifically on days that I weight lift, according to my calculations, I burn anywhere from 1000 to 1400 calories in a 1.5 hour session. That just seemed odd to me because most people report much lower calorie burns.
Now, that said, I only lift twice, so when I do I hit bench, squat, deadlifts, muscle ups, weighted pull ups, weighted lunges, and lawnmowers, so pretty much all big compound lifts. And on heavy days I don't take longer than a 2min break, and on high rep days (sets of 15) I don't take longer than 1 minute breaks.
So maybe it's just because I'm doing big compound lifts that my burn is so high. And Ive been staying at my goal weight...but it still just seemed weird, because online I see most people reporting 250 to 300 calories burned for one hour at my weight (175lbs), and it did seem odd to me that I was burning 4 times as much as that or more.
I wanted to see what other people's experiences were in regards to how much they burned while lifting. Let me know!
I keep track of my heart rate during exercises to give myself an idea of how many calories I burn. I take consistent 10 second heart rates throughout the whole exercise period (usually once directly after a set and once at the end of the rest period after the set) and then average the numbers to get my average heart rate for the whole time.
The I plug that into a heart rate calorie calculator online that I use. Pretty simple, you just input your gender, age, weight, heart rate, and how long you worked out.
Now, the reason I'm looking for other opinions on this is because specifically on days that I weight lift, according to my calculations, I burn anywhere from 1000 to 1400 calories in a 1.5 hour session. That just seemed odd to me because most people report much lower calorie burns.
Now, that said, I only lift twice, so when I do I hit bench, squat, deadlifts, muscle ups, weighted pull ups, weighted lunges, and lawnmowers, so pretty much all big compound lifts. And on heavy days I don't take longer than a 2min break, and on high rep days (sets of 15) I don't take longer than 1 minute breaks.
So maybe it's just because I'm doing big compound lifts that my burn is so high. And Ive been staying at my goal weight...but it still just seemed weird, because online I see most people reporting 250 to 300 calories burned for one hour at my weight (175lbs), and it did seem odd to me that I was burning 4 times as much as that or more.
I wanted to see what other people's experiences were in regards to how much they burned while lifting. Let me know!
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Replies
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I only record the actual time spent lifting (not resting between sets)and then use whatever mfp calculates. It is ridiculously low, but it doesn't bother me. I don't think calories burned during lifting are calculated the same way as during steady cardio.0
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Heart rate has no relationship with calorie expenditure when you're doing resistance training.
Personally I don't log resistance training as it's dwarved by my CV expenditure as an endurance runner. It's about 300 cals in an hour.4 -
Using a heart rate monitor during lifting is gonna be very very inaccurate for gauging calorie burns.
Lifting actually burns very little compared to steady state cardio.
This is a old blog but still remains quite accurate for answering your question.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-176982 -
I just use the MFP strength training estimate, it's probably low as I lift a high volume and typically have short rest periods but as it's not possible to measure accurately (certainly not with a HRM) then a consistent estimate is fine.
You can spike your HR to the same levels doing low weight accessory lifts as you can from doing big compound lifts despite the real calorie relationship coming from mass moved over distance.
Ditch the HRM for strength training unless you want to use heart rate to gauge recovery.
Overall keep in mind HRMs measure heartbeats not calories!
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Hmm, that article posted was interestinf. However, I don't use a HRM, I take my ten second pulse consistently throughout the workout, once when I finish a set and once at the end of a rest period after the set. I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not.0
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Tracking HR during strength training is pointless if the only reason is calorie burn. They are barely related. You can stop wasting your time with that.
I usually figure 250 an hour.4 -
Hmm, that article posted was interestinf. However, I don't use a HRM, I take my ten second pulse consistently throughout the workout, once when I finish a set and once at the end of a rest period after the set. I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not.
Doesn't matter whether your tracking HR manually or using a monitor. HR isn't a meaningful proxy for calories expended while resistance training.4 -
The whole idea of rishing through a strength workout to keep HR elevated and "burn more calories" can be counter productive. You can be lowering the quality of your workout and not really burning many more calories anyhow.
A recent study published by Brad Schoenfeld et al showed that longer rest periods tend to produce greater gains in both strength and hypertrophy.
There are reasons to do circuit training, "metabolic" workouts, etc. But if your goals are primarily to increase strength and gain muscle, then trying to "cardio-ize" your strength workout means you're probably going to do a mediocre job of both.
Just lift your weights and let the calories take care of themselves. Lifting weights might not burn the same calories per minute as running, but if you do 60 min of a full body lifting routine, along with the afterburn, calorie expenditure is more than sufficient to support a weight loss program.5 -
That would probably explain why I haven't gained any weight and stayed at my goal weight.
So if I'm understanding this correctly, weightlifting doesn't produce the same kind of heart rate/oxygen intake relationship cardio does, and that's why HR is an unreliable calorie estimator for lifting.
So what do people think about programs like p90x3 then? During that, even on days like The Challenge routine which is only push ups and pull ups, they move so quickly between the exercises with so few breaks, my HR elevates to around 155bpm and stays there the entire 30mins. And I know my breathing increases heavily. Would HR monitoring be more accurate for programs like p90x?0 -
The ONLY time HR is even remotely accurate is during steady state cardio. P90x does not fall into that category.
Let's remember, HR monitors are training tools and intended to be used as just that. For that, it can be helpful in many circumstances. The calorie burn are just an added feature with more marketing power.1 -
Interesting. I've been reading articles that have been saying something similar to a p90x3 routine or lifting circuit training style (higher reps, shorter breaks) would actually be somewhat more accurate when figuring calories.
I've been using the online HR calculator for about a year now to figure out calories burned while exercising, and so far it's always been consistent weather I've been losing or maintaining weight. I suppose that if those estimates are off, the only explanation would be that I've been constantly undershooting my calories without realizing it. (2100 is my maintenence to stay at 175, which I have for the past 5 months or so). Either that, or the calorie calculator is more accurate with exercises like the p90x3 which tend to be very cardio intensive even with their "conditoning" days. Or its a combo of both I suppose.0 -
Interesting. I've been reading articles that have been saying something similar to a p90x3 routine or lifting circuit training style (higher reps, shorter breaks) would actually be somewhat more accurate when figuring calories.
I've been using the online HR calculator for about a year now to figure out calories burned while exercising, and so far it's always been consistent weather I've been losing or maintaining weight. I suppose that if those estimates are off, the only explanation would be that I've been constantly undershooting my calories without realizing it. (2100 is my maintenence to stay at 175, which I have for the past 5 months or so). Either that, or the calorie calculator is more accurate with exercises like the p90x3 which tend to be very cardio intensive even with their "conditoning" days. Or its a combo of both I suppose.
Any "success" using an online HR calculator is most likely coincidence, not cause. It could also be that whatever calculator you are using underestimates the calorie burn from the exercise routine.
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In other words, even a broken clock is right twice a day.Interesting. I've been reading articles that have been saying something similar to a p90x3 routine or lifting circuit training style (higher reps, shorter breaks) would actually be somewhat more accurate when figuring calories.
I've been using the online HR calculator for about a year now to figure out calories burned while exercising, and so far it's always been consistent weather I've been losing or maintaining weight. I suppose that if those estimates are off, the only explanation would be that I've been constantly undershooting my calories without realizing it. (2100 is my maintenence to stay at 175, which I have for the past 5 months or so). Either that, or the calorie calculator is more accurate with exercises like the p90x3 which tend to be very cardio intensive even with their "conditoning" days. Or its a combo of both I suppose.
Any "success" using an online HR calculator is most likely coincidence, not cause. It could also be that whatever calculator you are using underestimates the calorie burn from the exercise routine.
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Hmm, that article posted was interestinf. However, I don't use a HRM, I take my ten second pulse consistently throughout the workout, once when I finish a set and once at the end of a rest period after the set. I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not.
The issue is not the HRM, it is the relationship between HR and calories burned in strength training regardless of how your numbers are measured. The point is, HR cannot be used to estimate calories for strength training.1 -
Interesting. I've been reading articles that have been saying something similar to a p90x3 routine or lifting circuit training style (higher reps, shorter breaks) would actually be somewhat more accurate when figuring calories.
I've been using the online HR calculator for about a year now to figure out calories burned while exercising, and so far it's always been consistent weather I've been losing or maintaining weight. I suppose that if those estimates are off, the only explanation would be that I've been constantly undershooting my calories without realizing it. (2100 is my maintenence to stay at 175, which I have for the past 5 months or so). Either that, or the calorie calculator is more accurate with exercises like the p90x3 which tend to be very cardio intensive even with their "conditoning" days. Or its a combo of both I suppose.
Any "success" using an online HR calculator is most likely coincidence, not cause. It could also be that whatever calculator you are using underestimates the calorie burn from the exercise routine.
I don't think it's that, since the reason I started this was because I noticed my calorie count seemed higher than others for my burns.
And I dont think it's coincidence either, considering I work out 6 to 7 days a work, and I've been using the HR calculator for over 6 months daily now.0 -
I use an HRM when I lift. We're big on mobility work though, so in addition to doing our big lifts, we're also doing crazy box jumps (always a good day when "death box jumps" is written on the board...), burpees, weighted step ups, jump squats...
This morning's workout burned 505 according to my HRM - that included low box squats at heavy reps, jumping lunges, weighed step ups, jump squats, and some ab work. Lots of circuit and plyo work.
I'll eat back maybe 200 of those, but I like having the number.0 -
Interesting. I've been reading articles that have been saying something similar to a p90x3 routine or lifting circuit training style (higher reps, shorter breaks) would actually be somewhat more accurate when figuring calories.
I've been using the online HR calculator for about a year now to figure out calories burned while exercising, and so far it's always been consistent weather I've been losing or maintaining weight. I suppose that if those estimates are off, the only explanation would be that I've been constantly undershooting my calories without realizing it. (2100 is my maintenence to stay at 175, which I have for the past 5 months or so). Either that, or the calorie calculator is more accurate with exercises like the p90x3 which tend to be very cardio intensive even with their "conditoning" days. Or its a combo of both I suppose.
Any "success" using an online HR calculator is most likely coincidence, not cause. It could also be that whatever calculator you are using underestimates the calorie burn from the exercise routine.
I don't think it's that, since the reason I started this was because I noticed my calorie count seemed higher than others for my burns.
And I dont think it's coincidence either, considering I work out 6 to 7 days a work, and I've been using the HR calculator for over 6 months daily now.
Do you weight all solids and measure all liquids that you ingest?
It doesn't really matter since whatever you are doing is working for now, even if it is just coincidence (my thoughts). If it stops working, then reevaluate. No need in making it more confusing.
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This is fascinating though. So, HR calculator's aren't too accurate for anything other than consistent cardio. However, I've been using one basically daily for at least 6 months (probably more, I started using MFP almost exactly one year ago, and I started taking my HR during exercises a few months after that). And I've been eating back the extra calories the HR calculator says I've burned every day for over half a year now, and it's never hampered my results. When I was set to lose 2lbs a week, I stayed at that goal, sa me for 1lb, and for maintaining weight which I've done for about 6 months now.
So either I've consistently undershot my calories for a year now, which is possible, but I've always used MFP 's estimates for my calorie goals, or the HR isn't as inaccurate as people think when it comes to p90x3, which given the high cardio nature of that program is certainly possible.0 -
So either I've consistently undershot my calories for a year now, which is possible, but I've always used MFP 's estimates for my calorie goals, or the HR isn't as inaccurate as people think when it comes to p90x3, which given the high cardio nature of that program is certainly possible.
I'd say this is basically correct. P90X (and P90X3) - if done as the videos show - aren't really "lifting" or "strength training." There's a strength component to them, but it's circuit training.0 -
Hey all, I had a question to my fellow calorie counters out there.
I keep track of my heart rate during exercises to give myself an idea of how many calories I burn. I take consistent 10 second heart rates throughout the whole exercise period (usually once directly after a set and once at the end of the rest period after the set) and then average the numbers to get my average heart rate for the whole time.
The I plug that into a heart rate calorie calculator online that I use. Pretty simple, you just input your gender, age, weight, heart rate, and how long you worked out.
Now, the reason I'm looking for other opinions on this is because specifically on days that I weight lift, according to my calculations, I burn anywhere from 1000 to 1400 calories in a 1.5 hour session. That just seemed odd to me because most people report much lower calorie burns.
Now, that said, I only lift twice, so when I do I hit bench, squat, deadlifts, muscle ups, weighted pull ups, weighted lunges, and lawnmowers, so pretty much all big compound lifts. And on heavy days I don't take longer than a 2min break, and on high rep days (sets of 15) I don't take longer than 1 minute breaks.
So maybe it's just because I'm doing big compound lifts that my burn is so high. And Ive been staying at my goal weight...but it still just seemed weird, because online I see most people reporting 250 to 300 calories burned for one hour at my weight (175lbs), and it did seem odd to me that I was burning 4 times as much as that or more.
I wanted to see what other people's experiences were in regards to how much they burned while lifting. Let me know!
Your HR doesn't directly correlate to calorie burn...it is simply used in an algorithm that also assumes steady state cardiovascular activity...the further you get from that, the less accurate it's going to be. It's not accurate at all for lifting...and no way in hell are you burning 1400 calories in 90 minutes of lifting.2
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