Strength training - calories burned?

TotalTiger
TotalTiger Posts: 74
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. I'm new here and still learning. I've just been to the gym and am trying to put it in my diary. The cardio part was fine - it gave me a calorie burned figure very close the the treadmill one. But when I put in the strength exercises, it doesn't give me any calories burned. I did 30 minutes of various strength machines and exercises and broke out in a fair sweat, so I know I've burned the calories. Can anyone help me with this? I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Replies

  • Vanilladays
    Vanilladays Posts: 155 Member
    Hello, I was stuck on this one too because the gym I go to is very strongly based on strength training blended with cardio.....Curves.....and nothing registered. I just stopped worrying and put it in as Circuit Training at first. I am using a HRM now so have a clearer idea of the total calories burnt. Curves actually have a program that logs all your workout on the machines and gives you the figures but I haven't organized that yet.
    I don't quite understand why the Strength Training exercises don't have a calorie burn against them either. Obviously you are burning calories....?
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
    type in "strength training" under cardio. It's there and will give you calories burned.
  • TotalTiger
    TotalTiger Posts: 74
    Thank you :smile:
  • Vanilladays
    Vanilladays Posts: 155 Member
    type in "strength training" under cardio. It's there and will give you calories burned.

    YES Thank you....:happy:
  • Aggieman09
    Aggieman09 Posts: 13
    I was a bit skeptical of the calorie number that MFP was giving me for strength training under the cardio category. I decided to lift weights with my HRM on today to see how the numbers matched up. I was pleasantly surprised to find that MFP was only overestimating by about 45 calories.
  • Lolamako
    Lolamako Posts: 89 Member
    Hey I just read about this this morning:

    "A HRM won't give you an accurate idea of how many calories you burn during strength training, because the relationship between heart rate and calorie expenditure is not the same during strength training as during cardio exercise, which is what the HRM's estimate is based on. Unless your weight training is very vigorous circuit training, the heart rate monitor will be overestimating your calorie burn by a fair amount."

    From:

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
  • Aggieman09
    Aggieman09 Posts: 13
    Unless your weight training is very vigorous

    Is there any other way to lift weights?

    I appreciate your prompt correction. Keep up the good work!
  • Lolamako
    Lolamako Posts: 89 Member
    Just passing along what I read in my research this a.m, since I had the same question :) It would be a bummer to end up over eating since the estimate was off.
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