Estimating Calorie Burn on Weight Training Days

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Hi there,

Im going to be doing a P90X & Insanity hybrid. Insanity 3x per week, P90X 2 days a week (chest, back, arms, shoulders, ect). I plugged my info in to MFP calorie counter and it came up with 250 calories for doing 1 hour of weights. I weigh 183.5 and am 5'9F. I know that your body continues to burn calories long after your done lifting. Im in a daily caloric deficit of 750 per day. Im doing to be starving if I only eat back 250 calories. I was eating around 2000 when I was doing p90x exclusively, and I was still losing.

Anyway, what would you suggest eating on weight days? Thanks!

Replies

  • DirtbikeGal
    DirtbikeGal Posts: 61 Member
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    Bump anyone?
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    I suggest decreasing your deficit. The only way to know anything more accurate than that is by getting a HRM.
  • AliciaBeth78
    AliciaBeth78 Posts: 437 Member
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    Lots of protein?
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
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    In the book, The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler the author suggests eating at least an extra 300 calories on weight training days. The author also advocates eating your maintenance calories and not at a deficit. This is to help build muscle, which in turn, will torch the fat!

    While I didn't always follow this advice (I fell into the temptation of cutting calrories to lose fat), I seem to do fine when I eat plenty of protein and fiber and eat to satiety. If I'm hungry - I eat!

    As far as exercise calories my HRM will say I burn 600-700 in one hour of weight training but I only eat back the 161 or so calories MFP claims I burn doing weight training. I'm skeptical that I really burn that high (though I do get sweaty and breathless and my HR gets way up there!)
  • mbar12
    mbar12 Posts: 125 Member
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    I have trouble believing what MFP says I burn on the elliptical as well, and when I do an hour of elliptical plus a half hour of weight training, the calories it calculates I burn is over 1000. I don't eat all of those back, but am wondering now if I should to ensure I dont actually end up losing muscle? When I first started weight training last May, I went at it 5x per week, and although I lost inches I didnt lose much actual weight. I have since changed my exercise routine, and do cardio 5 - 6x per week, and only 2 days of weights. After I lose the weight I need to, I will probably go to 3x per week weights and 2x per week cardio. I am hoping that by building muscle I can keep the weight off this time. Anyone with any suggestions?
  • vegamy
    vegamy Posts: 204 Member
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    I burn about 250 - 300 calories for 30 minutes of lifting weights, according to my HRM. It's about 40% higher than MFP estimates.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    A HRM will not give you an accurate calorie burn for weight training because it is not a steady state heart rate. I use the following METs compendium that I was directed to as part o my bachelors in exercise physiology to figure calorie burns.

    http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf

    The METs are based on the averages of actual lab measurements. A MET is basically, the metabolic equivalent to what you are doing at rest, so you subtract one MET for what you would burn without the activity to determine your calorie burn strictly from the exercise. Take the MET level and multiply it by your weight in Kilograms (To get kilograms you can divide your pounds by 2.2) then multiply by 0.0175 to get calories per minute. Then multiply that by the number of minutes you do the activity.

    Now, you have to determine which effort level you are doing to determine which MET level to use. For P90X, I would use the Weight Lifting as opposed to Health Club Exercise General, but you'll have to determine if it is vigorous which is 6 METs or light which is 3 METs based on the weight you use. I'm going to guess you're going to go heavy enough to count it as vigorous and do the calculation for you:

    6 METs - 1 MET for normal calorie burn = 5 METs

    183.5 / 2.2 = 83.4 kg

    83.4 kg x 5 METs x 0.0175 = 7.298295455 Calories per minute x 60 minutes = 438 Calories burned

    For the Insanity, I would use Aerobics, High Impact which is 7 METs so we'll use 6 for the calculation after subtracting the 1 for normal activity.

    83.4 kg x 6 METs x 0.0175 = 10.332 Calories per minutes x 60 minutes = 620 Calories burned
  • gfr2256
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    I have trouble believing what MFP says I burn on the elliptical as well, and when I do an hour of elliptical plus a half hour of weight training, the calories it calculates I burn is over 1000. I don't eat all of those back, but am wondering now if I should to ensure I dont actually end up losing muscle? When I first started weight training last May, I went at it 5x per week, and although I lost inches I didnt lose much actual weight. I have since changed my exercise routine, and do cardio 5 - 6x per week, and only 2 days of weights. After I lose the weight I need to, I will probably go to 3x per week weights and 2x per week cardio. I am hoping that by building muscle I can keep the weight off this time. Anyone with any suggestions?

    Some people may not agree with this, but it is true; forget the scale and go by how you feel and how your clothes fit! If you were losing inches, that is the result you want right? By doing weight training you will not drop as many pounds b/c you are replacing fat with muscle and that is great. I am going to guess that although you may have a set goal weight in mind, your true goal is to lose fat and not necessarily weight??? I have seen many people drop several pants sizes and barely lose 10 lbs.

    There are numerous studies that show that weight training burns more calories and jacks your metabolism up longer than cardio. A good weight training session will keep your metabolism stoked for 48-72 hrs. I would recommend weight training 3 days a week with cardio in between. Maybe Mon, Wed, Fri weights; Tues, Thurs cardio. Just do full body workouts or circuits on your weight training days. Any exercises that are compound or multi-joint are best. The more muscles in your body you work the more your metabolism is fired up. Exercises like squats, front squats, deadlifts, etc. ignite every muscle in your body. You dont have to lift heavy, just enough to tax yourself. You dont want to over do it and hurt your self. Good Luck!!!
  • Goldenbast
    Goldenbast Posts: 227 Member
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    I would think protein and carbs...that is what p90X suggests with their supplements...I have that system, I just don't think im in good enough shape to try it out yet. I also heard you should eat back at least half of the calories you burned with workout.
  • jamaicanlady
    jamaicanlady Posts: 878 Member
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    A HRM will not give you an accurate calorie burn for weight training because it is not a steady state heart rate. I use the following METs compendium that I was directed to as part o my bachelors in exercise physiology to figure calorie burns.

    http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf

    The METs are based on the averages of actual lab measurements. A MET is basically, the metabolic equivalent to what you are doing at rest, so you subtract one MET for what you would burn without the activity to determine your calorie burn strictly from the exercise. Take the MET level and multiply it by your weight in Kilograms (To get kilograms you can divide your pounds by 2.2) then multiply by 0.0175 to get calories per minute. Then multiply that by the number of minutes you do the activity.

    Now, you have to determine which effort level you are doing to determine which MET level to use. For P90X, I would use the Weight Lifting as opposed to Health Club Exercise General, but you'll have to determine if it is vigorous which is 6 METs or light which is 3 METs based on the weight you use. I'm going to guess you're going to go heavy enough to count it as vigorous and do the calculation for you:

    6 METs - 1 MET for normal calorie burn = 5 METs

    183.5 / 2.2 = 83.4 kg

    83.4 kg x 5 METs x 0.0175 = 7.298295455 Calories per minute x 60 minutes = 438 Calories burned

    For the Insanity, I would use Aerobics, High Impact which is 7 METs so we'll use 6 for the calculation after subtracting the 1 for normal activity.

    83.4 kg x 6 METs x 0.0175 = 10.332 Calories per minutes x 60 minutes = 620 Calories burned

    But Insanity isn't considered weight training so wouldn't the HRM work for that?
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Options
    A HRM will not give you an accurate calorie burn for weight training because it is not a steady state heart rate. I use the following METs compendium that I was directed to as part o my bachelors in exercise physiology to figure calorie burns.

    http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf

    The METs are based on the averages of actual lab measurements. A MET is basically, the metabolic equivalent to what you are doing at rest, so you subtract one MET for what you would burn without the activity to determine your calorie burn strictly from the exercise. Take the MET level and multiply it by your weight in Kilograms (To get kilograms you can divide your pounds by 2.2) then multiply by 0.0175 to get calories per minute. Then multiply that by the number of minutes you do the activity.

    Now, you have to determine which effort level you are doing to determine which MET level to use. For P90X, I would use the Weight Lifting as opposed to Health Club Exercise General, but you'll have to determine if it is vigorous which is 6 METs or light which is 3 METs based on the weight you use. I'm going to guess you're going to go heavy enough to count it as vigorous and do the calculation for you:

    6 METs - 1 MET for normal calorie burn = 5 METs

    183.5 / 2.2 = 83.4 kg

    83.4 kg x 5 METs x 0.0175 = 7.298295455 Calories per minute x 60 minutes = 438 Calories burned

    For the Insanity, I would use Aerobics, High Impact which is 7 METs so we'll use 6 for the calculation after subtracting the 1 for normal activity.

    83.4 kg x 6 METs x 0.0175 = 10.332 Calories per minutes x 60 minutes = 620 Calories burned

    But Insanity isn't considered weight training so wouldn't the HRM work for that?

    You can use a HRM for Insanity if you aren't on any medications that effect heart rate (Blood pressure meds, asthma meds, allergy meds, or caffeine) and are advanced enough to not take breaks during the activity. If you are ingesting something that elevates heart rate, you will get an inaccurately high calorie burn from a HRM and if you are on a blood pressure medication that prevents the heart rate from going up too high, then you will get an inaccurately low calorie burn from a HRM. If you are just getting started with Insanity and have to take breaks during the activity, then your heart rate will come down and it will no longer be in steady state, so a HRM won't be as accurate.
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    Options
    A HRM will not give you an accurate calorie burn for weight training because it is not a steady state heart rate. I use the following METs compendium that I was directed to as part o my bachelors in exercise physiology to figure calorie burns.

    http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf

    The METs are based on the averages of actual lab measurements. A MET is basically, the metabolic equivalent to what you are doing at rest, so you subtract one MET for what you would burn without the activity to determine your calorie burn strictly from the exercise. Take the MET level and multiply it by your weight in Kilograms (To get kilograms you can divide your pounds by 2.2) then multiply by 0.0175 to get calories per minute. Then multiply that by the number of minutes you do the activity.

    Now, you have to determine which effort level you are doing to determine which MET level to use. For P90X, I would use the Weight Lifting as opposed to Health Club Exercise General, but you'll have to determine if it is vigorous which is 6 METs or light which is 3 METs based on the weight you use. I'm going to guess you're going to go heavy enough to count it as vigorous and do the calculation for you:

    6 METs - 1 MET for normal calorie burn = 5 METs

    183.5 / 2.2 = 83.4 kg

    83.4 kg x 5 METs x 0.0175 = 7.298295455 Calories per minute x 60 minutes = 438 Calories burned

    For the Insanity, I would use Aerobics, High Impact which is 7 METs so we'll use 6 for the calculation after subtracting the 1 for normal activity.

    83.4 kg x 6 METs x 0.0175 = 10.332 Calories per minutes x 60 minutes = 620 Calories burned

    Thank you so much for this information! I'm trying to determine my maintenance calories and this is a big help :smile:
  • mbar12
    mbar12 Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    I have trouble believing what MFP says I burn on the elliptical as well, and when I do an hour of elliptical plus a half hour of weight training, the calories it calculates I burn is over 1000. I don't eat all of those back, but am wondering now if I should to ensure I dont actually end up losing muscle? When I first started weight training last May, I went at it 5x per week, and although I lost inches I didnt lose much actual weight. I have since changed my exercise routine, and do cardio 5 - 6x per week, and only 2 days of weights. After I lose the weight I need to, I will probably go to 3x per week weights and 2x per week cardio. I am hoping that by building muscle I can keep the weight off this time. Anyone with any suggestions?

    Some people may not agree with this, but it is true; forget the scale and go by how you feel and how your clothes fit! If you were losing inches, that is the result you want right? By doing weight training you will not drop as many pounds b/c you are replacing fat with muscle and that is great. I am going to guess that although you may have a set goal weight in mind, your true goal is to lose fat and not necessarily weight??? I have seen many people drop several pants sizes and barely lose 10 lbs.

    There are numerous studies that show that weight training burns more calories and jacks your metabolism up longer than cardio. A good weight training session will keep your metabolism stoked for 48-72 hrs. I would recommend weight training 3 days a week with cardio in between. Maybe Mon, Wed, Fri weights; Tues, Thurs cardio. Just do full body workouts or circuits on your weight training days. Any exercises that are compound or multi-joint are best. The more muscles in your body you work the more your metabolism is fired up. Exercises like squats, front squats, deadlifts, etc. ignite every muscle in your body. You dont have to lift heavy, just enough to tax yourself. You dont want to over do it and hurt your self. Good Luck!!!
    Thanks so much for the info. This really helps to have this kind of advice.