Strength training questions????

21karensmith
21karensmith Posts: 50 Member
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it when we do "strength training" stuff like crunches, it doesn't list how many calories it burns once you log it? I deffinitly work up a good sweat and feel the burn, but its not an option under the cardio section only strength training. It does burn calories right??? Anybody know??? I hate bustin my butt, and not seein any calories burned, its very depressing:frown:

Replies

  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
    There's strength training entires in the cardio section.
  • NoWeighJose74
    NoWeighJose74 Posts: 581 Member
    You can search for "strength training" in the cardio section. The section you are talking about is more for logging how many sets/reps of each exercise you do.
  • What kind of strength training are you doing? I lift weights and I log it under Cardio/strength training. When I do the Jillian Michael s 30 day shred I log it as circuit training or Calisthenics depending on the level. --rosalie-
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.

    I log and eat my strength training calories, but they are only like 3-400 a week, so it would be damn near negligible if they were calculated incorrectly. I also lift heavy though, and my heart rate gets into the cardio zone for my age (usually in the 130s for the actual sets)
  • damifino
    damifino Posts: 22 Member
    I actually use another site to enter my strength training and get a decent calorie count. Then I log it in here under cardio - strength training. I use fitclick.com to track it, it is another free site that is ok but I like the setup here much better but they do have free workout plans for those who need some direction.
  • Ohhh wow thank you for the little hints I was wondering the same to :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.

    I log and eat my strength training calories, but they are only like 3-400 a week, so it would be damn near negligible if they were calculated incorrectly. I also lift heavy though, and my heart rate gets into the cardio zone for my age (usually in the 130s for the actual sets)

    Yea but is your heart rate in the cardio zone due to actual cardio or due to the increased pressure from lifting?

    Thats why HRM's are pretty useless for strength training.. because the pressure makes heart rate shoot up, even though your not doing something that should cause it shoot up that high.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.

    I log and eat my strength training calories, but they are only like 3-400 a week, so it would be damn near negligible if they were calculated incorrectly. I also lift heavy though, and my heart rate gets into the cardio zone for my age (usually in the 130s for the actual sets)

    Yea but is your heart rate in the cardio zone due to actual cardio or due to the increased pressure from lifting?

    Thats why HRM's are pretty useless for strength training.. because the pressure makes heart rate shoot up, even though your not doing something that should cause it shoot up that high.

    Hmm, I don't understand the need for a distinction. I mean, the reason that heart rate increases is that you are converting chemical energy from glycogen stores/ATP to mechanical energy to produce a force. I don't understand why that process isn't indicative of calories burned when it is strength training. Wouldn't that be like saying cycling faster at low resistance is better cardio than slower at higher resistance if both get same heart rate? I like science, so I would really appreciate it if you could explain why heart rate isn't a good measure of calories burned for strength training.

    Thanks!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.

    I log and eat my strength training calories, but they are only like 3-400 a week, so it would be damn near negligible if they were calculated incorrectly. I also lift heavy though, and my heart rate gets into the cardio zone for my age (usually in the 130s for the actual sets)

    Yea but is your heart rate in the cardio zone due to actual cardio or due to the increased pressure from lifting?

    Thats why HRM's are pretty useless for strength training.. because the pressure makes heart rate shoot up, even though your not doing something that should cause it shoot up that high.

    Hmm, I don't understand the need for a distinction. I mean, the reason that heart rate increases is that you are converting chemical energy from glycogen stores/ATP to mechanical energy to produce a force. I don't understand why that process isn't indicative of calories burned when it is strength training. Wouldn't that be like saying cycling faster at low resistance is better cardio than slower at higher resistance if both get same heart rate? I like science, so I would really appreciate it if you could explain why heart rate isn't a good measure of calories burned for strength training.

    Thanks!

    Read this article.. It explains why.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    It's very difficult to estimate calories burned during strength training, even if you use a heart rate monitor. Proceed with caution if you enter the time spend doing strength as cardio and eat your exercise calories.

    I log and eat my strength training calories, but they are only like 3-400 a week, so it would be damn near negligible if they were calculated incorrectly. I also lift heavy though, and my heart rate gets into the cardio zone for my age (usually in the 130s for the actual sets)

    Yea but is your heart rate in the cardio zone due to actual cardio or due to the increased pressure from lifting?

    Thats why HRM's are pretty useless for strength training.. because the pressure makes heart rate shoot up, even though your not doing something that should cause it shoot up that high.

    Hmm, I don't understand the need for a distinction. I mean, the reason that heart rate increases is that you are converting chemical energy from glycogen stores/ATP to mechanical energy to produce a force. I don't understand why that process isn't indicative of calories burned when it is strength training. Wouldn't that be like saying cycling faster at low resistance is better cardio than slower at higher resistance if both get same heart rate? I like science, so I would really appreciate it if you could explain why heart rate isn't a good measure of calories burned for strength training.

    Thanks!

    Read this article.. It explains why.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

    Sorry, when I say "why" I mean a physiological explanation of why using energy to lift heavy things is so fundamentally different from using energy to move yourself. That article is just a guy saying something is true. Since I have been told that lifting light weights at high reps is the way to get a "toned" look, and numerous other things that I have since uncovered as false, I am skeptical to believe things until I understand why they are true. Even if I grant that an hrm is an imprecise tool in general and specifically for weight lifting, there is still a scientifically established afterburn from lifting that results in close to the amount of calories my hrm says I burn anyways.
This discussion has been closed.