Weight lifting

Poopkh
Poopkh Posts: 24 Member
edited November 17 in Fitness and Exercise
How do you calculate calories burned for weight lifting exercises ?

Replies

  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 347 Member
    In the cardio icon they have strength training listed. I use that to determine calories burned.
  • AlanahCFit
    AlanahCFit Posts: 53 Member
    ^i do that too
  • Wizeman22
    Wizeman22 Posts: 552 Member
    Add me
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I don't because the calories burned is very minimal compared to my caloric intake and my weight gain is on point, so no point on accounting for them.
  • Poopkh
    Poopkh Posts: 24 Member
    K thanks everyone!
  • doctoremma
    doctoremma Posts: 8 Member
    Yep. I don't count them. It's fewer then you think. MFP calculates me at 300-odd an hour, which is nonsense.
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    doctoremma wrote: »
    Yep. I don't count them. It's fewer then you think. MFP calculates me at 300-odd an hour, which is nonsense.

    You don't think you burn 300 calories in an hour weight lifting? If you are putting in any sort of effort for an hour, I'm willing to bet you could burn 300 calories. 300 calories is like walking on a treadmill at like 2mph or something.

    I would assume most people who are weight lifting are putting in more effort than that, and if they aren't, they probably aren't seeing any benefits of it.
  • doctoremma
    doctoremma Posts: 8 Member
    I promise I put effort in - if I can lift 10 reps, it's not heavy enough. And I have definitely seen extensive benefits. I am very small/light though (but strong ;) ) and my calorie burn is depressingly low compared to others :) I only burn 2000 for a marathon!

    There is an argument that the total calorie burn attributed to weight lifting lasts long into the day and could hit 300 total, so I'll concede it's not as low as to be negligible for calorie counting purposes. According to Harvard University, a 125lb person burns 90 cals for 30 mins of general weight training, up to 180 cals per 30 mins of vigorous weight training. I'm not sure if "heavy" counts as "vigorous" though. "Vigorous" seems more Body Pump territory.
  • KimJohnsonsmile
    KimJohnsonsmile Posts: 222 Member
    doctoremma wrote: »
    Yep. I don't count them. It's fewer then you think. MFP calculates me at 300-odd an hour, which is nonsense.

    I lift heavy 3x a week and wear a HRM. I can burn 300 cals/hour easy, more if doing lower body. Lifting heavy weights has almost a cardio effect on your breathing and your heart rate. That's why you're (I'm) out of breath at the end of my sets. I'd use what MFP suggests for "weight lifting" and maybe subtract 10-20%, as I believe MFP routinely gives back too many calories for exercise.

    Best of luck to you!
  • doctoremma
    doctoremma Posts: 8 Member
    Oh, I'm definitely out of breath (and sweating hard) at the end of a set. But when I check my heart rate, it's nowhere near my running heart rate. Maybe I've been underestimating then.

    I have been trying for some time to work out calorie burn during weight training. It's the gap in knowledge in my exercise regime and that annoys me!
  • Rammer123
    Rammer123 Posts: 679 Member
    doctoremma wrote: »
    Oh, I'm definitely out of breath (and sweating hard) at the end of a set. But when I check my heart rate, it's nowhere near my running heart rate. Maybe I've been underestimating then.

    I have been trying for some time to work out calorie burn during weight training. It's the gap in knowledge in my exercise regime and that annoys me!

    I wasn't doubting your effort by any means. The only real way to tell is like you've been doing is tracking it at some place, and then obviously, if your weight isn't doing what you had expected it to do, and you believe all other aspects are dialed in, then maybe the number is off.

    But I agree, for the most part, it's less about the calories in terms of the weight loss, but more about the recovery and long term benefits of weight training.
  • doctoremma
    doctoremma Posts: 8 Member
    rdridi12 wrote: »
    But I agree, for the most part, it's less about the calories in terms of the weight loss, but more about the recovery and long term benefits of weight training.
    Certainly, for me, weights is about reshaping rather than fitness. Running burns my calories, I don't need weights for that :)

  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    I do log it (the estimate *mostly* covers the 80-calorie pouch of fruit snacks I ingest to stave off the hunger while lifting if I didn't have time to eat beforehand).
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
    Depending on the intensity and exercise you're doing it's not far fetched to think you burn on average between 100 - 300 cal/hour. This greatly depends on body weight. If you're heavier, you burn more, lighter - less, and intensity.

    Most people don't lift consistently hard during that hour and take longer rest than needed. Your recovery would need to be around 2 minutes give or take to maintain intensity (varies based on lifts doing). Lifting/strength is anaerobic.

    If you're not reaching that intensity, safest route is to leave off strength calories and record them under the strength section of MFP where it does not give you calorie burn. Otherwise, you could be burning maybe 20 - 50 cal an hour.
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