Why are there no calories earned for strength training?

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bmpal
bmpal Posts: 36
in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone explain why there are no calories earned for strength training, just cardio?

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  • sassysunflower
    sassysunflower Posts: 6
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    I have been wondering the same thing.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    ^^ yep what she said^^
  • Nikki_is_Knotty
    Nikki_is_Knotty Posts: 248 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    All calories burned count! And i usually burn 250 in 30 mins of strength training (according to my hrm) but MFP estimates only 190 in 30 mins.
  • veganjeanie
    veganjeanie Posts: 158 Member
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    But isn't circuit training part cardio part strength? And they give you plenty of calories for that, about the same as for aerobics.
  • Sassy_Cass
    Sassy_Cass Posts: 408 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    Untrue but not going there... mainly because strength training has a lot of variables (weight, reps, sets etc.) so it is difficult to create a database that would have the full listing of calories burned for you when you strength train.

    Best advise, work it out with a HRM :)
  • wcstrnad
    wcstrnad Posts: 3 Member
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    i think myfitnesspal explains it under FAQ's. They basically say its to hard to estimate calorie loss based on strength training due to level of exertion and types of strength training you are doing. I use my cardio trainer, a droid app, to estimate my calorie loss during workouts and then enter them into myfitnesspal.
  • Misty1777
    Misty1777 Posts: 29
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    BUMP
  • ncahill77
    ncahill77 Posts: 501 Member
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    The type of strength training you do completely determines the calorie burn. If you do a fast paced workout with little to no rest with an elevated heart rate throughout you will burn calories as fast as you do running the same amount of time, if not faster in some cases. If you do the typical 3 sets of 10 with a minute or more of rest between sets, then like she said you don't burn a whole lot at once but you keep burning through the day. It's just almost impossible to set a "standard" burn rate without knowing the workout. To be more accurate you just need to get a heart rate monitor and see how much you burn.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    The body uses several different modes of energy. Some are more efficient than others. Strength training uses a combination of energy sources, which makes it very difficult to estimate calories burned, plus there are way too many variables. 2 people lifting the same weight for the same number of reps can have a variance of a hundred calories, just based on speed of the rep, muscle strength, etc. All that makes it pretty close to impossible to do a blanket estimate for calories burned. You really need a heart rate monitor, and even then, I don't think it would ever be 100% accurate.
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    Untrue but not going there... mainly because strength training has a lot of variables (weight, reps, sets etc.) so it is difficult to create a database that would have the full listing of calories burned for you when you strength train.

    Best advise, work it out with a HRM :)


    I would like to know exactly what is Untrue about her statement, because

    1. strength training is listed in the cardio database
    2. just strength training compared to anything else is really not noteworthy to me and odivously to her. (for more than one reason) and this can be her opinion right?
    3. when building muscle it burns calories rebuilding that muscle, so you do infact continue to burn calories.

    So if I am mistaken please enlighten me.
  • Kinda79
    Kinda79 Posts: 239 Member
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    bump. A very good question with some great comments.
  • Sassy_Cass
    Sassy_Cass Posts: 408 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    Untrue but not going there... mainly because strength training has a lot of variables (weight, reps, sets etc.) so it is difficult to create a database that would have the full listing of calories burned for you when you strength train.

    Best advise, work it out with a HRM :)


    I would like to know exactly what is Untrue about her statement, because

    1. strength training is listed in the cardio database
    2. just strength training compared to anything else is really not noteworthy to me and odivously to her. (for more than one reason) and this can be her opinion right?
    3. when building muscle it burns calories rebuilding that muscle, so you do infact continue to burn calories.

    So if I am mistaken please enlighten me.

    Strength training can and often does burn a lot of calories therefore the burn being usually insignificant is not true. The problem is with the generalization - if you are wise about your circuit or training strength training can be an excellent way to burn calories and lose more weight than cardio (can be better for you too on a whole because you utilize more muscle which means more energy which means more calories etc. and combined correctly increases not only your muscular strength but your cardio as well)

    That's what untrue means...
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    Untrue but not going there... mainly because strength training has a lot of variables (weight, reps, sets etc.) so it is difficult to create a database that would have the full listing of calories burned for you when you strength train.

    Best advise, work it out with a HRM :)


    I would like to know exactly what is Untrue about her statement, because

    1. strength training is listed in the cardio database
    2. just strength training compared to anything else is really not noteworthy to me and odivously to her. (for more than one reason) and this can be her opinion right?
    3. when building muscle it burns calories rebuilding that muscle, so you do infact continue to burn calories.

    So if I am mistaken please enlighten me.

    Strength training can and often does burn a lot of calories therefore the burn being usually insignificant is not true. The problem is with the generalization - if you are wise about your circuit or training strength training can be an excellent way to burn calories and lose more weight than cardio (can be better for you too on a whole because you utilize more muscle which means more energy which means more calories etc. and combined correctly increases not only your muscular strength but your cardio as well)

    That's what untrue means...

    So really it's not so much as UNTRUE, as much is isn't true for EVERYONE. Sorry if I misled anyone by giving a general answer, since a lot of people just do general strength training incorporated with their cardio, and not heavy lifting or rigorous strength training exercises. But since I don't know this person or their workout routine, I was giving the best general answer I could, since they were asking a general question :) So in short, there IS an entry for strength training in the database, so you can use it if you want :)
  • PeachyKeene
    PeachyKeene Posts: 1,645 Member
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    There is a strength training entry in the cardio database, but really, the calories burned during a strength training session are usually not significant. HOWEVER, a good strength training workout burns calories even after you stop working out. :)

    Untrue but not going there... mainly because strength training has a lot of variables (weight, reps, sets etc.) so it is difficult to create a database that would have the full listing of calories burned for you when you strength train.

    Best advise, work it out with a HRM :)


    I would like to know exactly what is Untrue about her statement, because

    1. strength training is listed in the cardio database
    2. just strength training compared to anything else is really not noteworthy to me and odivously to her. (for more than one reason) and this can be her opinion right?
    3. when building muscle it burns calories rebuilding that muscle, so you do infact continue to burn calories.

    So if I am mistaken please enlighten me.

    Strength training can and often does burn a lot of calories therefore the burn being usually insignificant is not true. The problem is with the generalization - if you are wise about your circuit or training strength training can be an excellent way to burn calories and lose more weight than cardio (can be better for you too on a whole because you utilize more muscle which means more energy which means more calories etc. and combined correctly increases not only your muscular strength but your cardio as well)

    That's what untrue means...

    Circuit training is a bit different than just strength training, which seemed to be what the OP was talking about. Of course with the rapid movement and raising the heart rate with circuit training you are going to burn some serious calories. I wear an HRM I run 45 minutes on the treadmill, then I strength train, I will burn serious calories while I am running, but although I lift somewhat vigorously the calorie burned is minimal and definately much more insignificant. Why would you say it was significant, does she need to eat back those few calories or what? Seriously do you put everything you do all day down in your calories burned? I walk to the bathroom 20 times a day, although I am burning calories, it is not significant enough of amount to record it in the database.
  • bmpal
    bmpal Posts: 36
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    Ok, so I see there are some conflicting viewpoints based on what type of strength training one is talking about. To clarify for particular question, I was not referring to circuit training. I would generally lift 4 days a week and take 30 min - 1 hour for each workout. I try to use free weights rather than machines.I only take about 10 sec's between each set and I increase weight as I go along with each exercise to max out by the end. I break them up into days of back/bi's, chest/tri's, legs, calves & abs. To give a general idea of a typical workout after warmup:

    Back/Bi's:
    4 sets lat pull downs
    3 sets dead lifts
    3 sets rowing machine
    3 sets barbell biceps curls
    3 sets alternating biceps curls

    I asked this question because my weight lifting doesn't generally tend to be a passive activity. I push myself pretty hard and am short of breath and pretty sweaty after a workout. I move from one set to the next quickly and don't sit around because I feel like I don't want to waste my time hanging out in the gym when I could be doing other fun things!

    I appreciate the advice of getting a hrm. I think I will do that and see if there is a significant difference during my workouts.

    All the other comments were very helpful and I welcome additional advice or thoughts on this topic. Thanks all!

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