Adding exercises question

Selicious88
Selicious88 Posts: 3 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
How do you add exercises such as Core, Intervals, Pilates, Circuit, Body sculpting etc?? I’m talking about classes in general that don’t fall under weight lifting. Should I grab myself an Apple Watch or a Fitbit? It’s hard to keep track of how many reps I’m doing since the class is an hour long and goes by fast. Most are a mix of strength and cardio

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,152 Member
    There are database options for Circuit Training, Pilates, Calisthenics, etc they're in the Cardio options
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Dittos to above.

    In addition, that is not the kind of workout the activity trackers doing distance or HR calculations for calories would be good estimate at.

    Circuit training entry is about 1 min rests between 10-15 reps decent weight - so if that is what some of the session is - just note total minutes and keep using that.

    Calisthenics entry is 30-60 sec rests with 15-20 reps usually lighter since moving on quickly to next thing - again note how much time here.

    Once you do a common entry of both for your whole workout time - you can create your own workout name with same calories.
    Then when you change the time on your entry, calories will change correctly.
    Just have to do once for different types of classes.

    Or just pick aerobics class and knock off 5-10 min for fact some is resistance training burning less.

    Should be decent enough estimate.
  • geltner1
    geltner1 Posts: 85 Member
    All the exercise entries that I use are under cardiovascular. There is one for the exercise bike, elliptical etc. If you don't find a perfect fit, you can estimate. Good luck!
  • Selicious88
    Selicious88 Posts: 3 Member
    I know I did find some under Cardio but I just find this app not the greatest to track exercises. I do one hour of different classes 5-6 times a week then I do free weights. Do any of you recommend a good fitness tracker to truly know how many calories I’m burning or a close estimate?

    Thank you all for your responses
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Selicious88 wrote: »
    I know I did find some under Cardio but I just find this app not the greatest to track exercises. I do one hour of different classes 5-6 times a week then I do free weights. Do any of you recommend a good fitness tracker to truly know how many calories I’m burning or a close estimate?

    Thank you all for your responses

    MFP database as well as many others out there (Fitbit eg) use a METS database that is based on studies.
    Frequency of updates as well as what they'll include/exclude is the difference.
    https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/corrected-mets

    But if no studies on your exact workout - then you just need to find what is close - otherwise it's just made up.

    Like free weights lifting - that's Weights or Circuit training in the database, depending on how you do it and what the studies were that the entries are based on.

    No tracker is going to be better at that since it's not based on HR or steps.

    One of the Fitbits does base it on the METS database when you select that as your workout type - it then stops using HR as the basis for that workout since that would be inflated calorie burn.

    I'm betting that despite these different classes each day - they aren't for that long of time or calorie burn that a 20% error is meaningful, especially compared to the upwards allowed error on food labels of 20%.

    Now if you were a super-slug for each day of the week except for 2 hr class - then the error might be meaningful.
    But you throw 1 hr daily into a decently active day already - the error just doesn't impact the day that much.

    Just FYI - HR-based calculations for calorie burn are only a decent estimate for steady-state aerobic exercise - same HR for 2-4 min.
    No intervals, no anaerobic. Best HR not at the bottom or top of the aerobic zone. And even there several factors cause HR to be inflated more than needed for the workout - stress, dehydrated, hot, drugs, genetics, ect.
    Are your class workouts as steady state as a treadmill?
    If not, tracker probably not that useful except for rest of the day, not the workout.
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