do YOU enter your strength training info to MFP?

unicornassassin
unicornassassin Posts: 141 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
I really, really am curious about this. I tried a different thread, but it died out before I any kind of answer.

I've entered strength exercises to MFP, and nothing seems to happen.

I lift daily. I'm wondering what happens to the info you put in when you enter strength training exercises into MFP. I don't want to do the work of entering it all if I don't get a report, or something beneficial...

So, if anyone can tell me what happens when you do enter it, that would be awesome. :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • GreenLifeGirl
    GreenLifeGirl Posts: 381 Member
    When you say that "nothing happens" when you enter your strength training, what do you mean? There are two ways to enter weight training in MFB.

    If you are just doing strength training...

    Under the exercise tab, click "add cardio exercise" then search "weight" and it will pull up "strength training"- enter the amount of time and it will give calories burned.

    Entering your "add strength training" info (set/reps/weight) is a log of your workout to help you track your progress and structure your workouts- it doesn't have to do with calories burned.

    Or are you doing the strength training as part of a circuit, doing strength and cardio at the same time (where your heart rate stays elevated)? If this is what you are doing, add it under "add cardio" and search "circuit" for calories burned.

    Does this help?
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I never log strength training in MFP. I consider it just Extra Credit. :smile:
  • btkoning
    btkoning Posts: 4 Member
    Joyce,
    As a personal trainer, it's really hard to estimate calorie burn from weight lifting. There are so many factors that go into it such as load, speed, power, rest in between sets, etc... When I design my boot camp workouts that combine strength and cardio, I can pretty much estimate that the calorie burn will average about 500. But, some people don't exert as much effort (maybe 300 calories) while others really push and can burn as 800-900. But... the afterburn or EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) lasts much longer with a good strength training workout as your muscles recover. That can last anywhere from four hours to 48 hours. That's why people who lift weights make much more progress towards their weight loss goals than just walking, jogging, biking. You need to stoke that fire!!! So, "good for you" for lifting weights. Push yourself, but make sure you also allow for plenty of rest for each muscle group. ~ Brian
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't lift, but I do 30 min of squats, lunges, pushups and resistance bands most days. I log it as calethenics.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    I don't bother to log mine, but I do keep track in a different website.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
    I do lift, but I'm usually too lazy to track my exercise in MFP ( I do keep a log while I'm exercising). Instead I just up my daily caloric total instead of going by what MFP would give me by default. So far it's been working out. I do have to keep an eye on it though.
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    I recorded mine for a while, but like you noticed the site only credits for cardio. So I don't record it anymore, I will lift but I can remember what body part I'm working and what exercises I want to do so I don't log it.
  • unicornassassin
    unicornassassin Posts: 141 Member
    When you say that "nothing happens" when you enter your strength training, what do you mean? There are two ways to enter weight training in MFB.

    If you are just doing strength training...

    Under the exercise tab, click "add cardio exercise" then search "weight" and it will pull up "strength training"- enter the amount of time and it will give calories burned.

    Entering your "add strength training" info (set/reps/weight) is a log of your workout to help you track your progress and structure your workouts- it doesn't have to do with calories burned.

    Or are you doing the strength training as part of a circuit, doing strength and cardio at the same time (where your heart rate stays elevated)? If this is what you are doing, add it under "add cardio" and search "circuit" for calories burned.

    Does this help?

    I'm talking about this "Entering your "add strength training" info (set/reps/weight)"

    So it DOES keep track of the info, and I can check my progress on the "reports" tab?
  • unicornassassin
    unicornassassin Posts: 141 Member
    I recorded mine for a while, but like you noticed the site only credits for cardio. So I don't record it anymore, I will lift but I can remember what body part I'm working and what exercises I want to do so I don't log it.

    Thanks, that helps. I don't think I'll record it, especially since I keep track of my progress on paper, anyway, but I figured if I get a fun graph it might be rewarding and worth the effort.
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