Rock climbing - how to calculate

LTS0611
LTS0611 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just joined MFP last night. My problem is that climbing is an activity I regularly indoor and out. I wouls argue that it is akin to weight training on the indoor wall, and more cardiovascular outdoors when you are walking about all the time, carrying gear too. But either way - there is nothing in the database for climbing that I can find . Has anyone else solved this?

Replies

  • KinoM
    KinoM Posts: 359 Member
    Rock climbing, both ascending & rappelling, are in the cardio exercise database. Type Rock into the search & you should find them.
  • beaustin
    beaustin Posts: 1
    They are in the database, but I feel like they way over do it with how many calories they say you are burning. Although, if you climb really hard and only count the time you are climbing (unless you begin another climb within a minute or so?), maybe it gets a bit more realistic. Most people are burning 300-400 in an hour of climbing, some people upwards of 600+, expending tons of energy the whole time. If you do lots of standing around, you may not want to count that time (unless you spend it belaying, which can be somewhat strenuous), or estimate on the lower end.

    Climbing is great for fitness! Love it, especially bouldering.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    If I feel like my calculations is overestimating, I'll usually log about 3/4 of the time I spent to try to make it more accurate. I do this if I've been hiking, climbing, or playing some type of sport where we have breaks. It depends, but unless you're wearing something that tracks your burn, you're just going to have make it work the best you can.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    If you think it's overestimating, then just reduce the calorie count.
  • mackiekelly4367
    mackiekelly4367 Posts: 1 Member
    I don’t think that it overestimates, climbing burns a ton of calories. If I go on auto belay and climb/down climb for a solid 2 hours straight it is a noticeable difference from going with someone else, and then there is also the difference between top rope and leading. You are expensing way more energy leading(clipping in etc). I actually time myself for actual time on the wall.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    Apparently research from Harvard has indicated that a 155lb person may burn up to 600 cal/hr rock climbing. I guess you have to use whatever resources you have available to guestimate your calorie burn (you can manually change it in the system when you log cardiovascular workouts).

    I don't really know if it'd be any more accurate to use something like a smartwatch or HRM with a chest strap to get a calorie burn. But if you do opt for a HRM - remember it's still just an estimateand to pause it while you are not climbing/hiking.

    Other than that...choose a calorie burn and incorporate that into what you're eating and see if you lose/stay the same/gain weight...

  • brightj47
    brightj47 Posts: 2 Member
    westrich20940 wrote: »
    Apparently research from Harvard has indicated that a 155lb person may burn up to 600 cal/hr rock climbing.
    But does that include belaying, approaching, or breaks? Is it average over a day outside, or average over a gym session, or only during the physical act of climbing? For MFP, I would want to just log the hours I'm at the gym or the hours I'm outside and estimate the average over that time.

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