Why does strength training not count towards your daily calo

Tadpole666
Tadpole666 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Brand new to MFP and am really impressed. Only thing I am confused about is that I have just added my exercise for today, and the strength part of the session (which was most of it) hasn't had any impact on my daily calorific allowance. Only the 6 min warm up on the rowing machine has been calculated. Don't understand why as it is common knowledge in fitness circles that strength training has prolonged effect on ones metabolic rate due to the recovery process that follows a resistance session (protein synthesis etc)

Anyone any ideas or have I just not got this set up right?

MW

Replies

  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    If you have a HRM just put a custom workout "Weight Training" and input the calories burned, thats what I do! I wasen't counting them before but my trainer said I should.
  • addisondisease2
    addisondisease2 Posts: 348 Member
    The strength section is for record keeping only. Enter it in cardio.

    Cardio -> Strength Training -> Time
  • Loisellentimms
    Loisellentimms Posts: 8
    I've added weight training to my regimen over the last four weeks and my weight went up a pound, down a pound...end result is a net no change in weight. But my measurement inches have gone down.
    I assume that if there was an adjustment to your calories for weight training, it would be in the opposite direction than we want if lowering your weight is your objective. That said, I love the way my clothes fit now and the inches really matter, so I've become less stressed over the number on the scale. I will ramp up my cardio to double my weight training and see how that goes.
  • terryswade
    terryswade Posts: 11
    Get a HRM and count the cals, them log them under cardio. I do P90X and that was the only way to subtract them from my cals consumed.
    Good luck.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I've added weight training to my regimen over the last four weeks and my weight went up a pound, down a pound...end result is a net no change in weight. But my measurement inches have gone down.
    I assume that if there was an adjustment to your calories for weight training, it would be in the opposite direction than we want if lowering your weight is your objective. That said, I love the way my clothes fit now and the inches really matter, so I've become less stressed over the number on the scale. I will ramp up my cardio to double my weight training and see how that goes.

    I was losing 3-4 lbs a week with just cardio but now im losing 1-2 lbs per week since I started weight training + Cardio. The weight isn't flowing off but the inches are, the scale is just a number, the inches are what counts imo.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I do a three set "circuit" of upper and lower body strength exercises. I lift heavy at weights that I can do more than 8 reps on for all upper body and then do lower weight, higher reps on my lower body while I'm recovering from a leg injury from last fall.

    I move from lift to lift with only a few moments pause between each one and the whole thing takes about an hour.

    That said, I burn about the same number of calories per minute while doing my strength workout as I do cooking dinner or cleaning up around the house. (about 3-4 calories per minute) And I've never recorded any significant "afterburn" of an increased caloric burn after a workout (of any kind) I actually tend to burn a little higher after cardio (typically 11-12 cal per minute during and 3-4 cal per minute for about 5-10 minutes after), while my burn goes back to my standard 1.1-1.2 cal per minute almost immediately after a strength workout.

    For those reasons, I wouldn't enter a strength workout as a dedicated calorie burning exercise any more than I would enter cooking dinner. So I feel that it's accurate that MFP doesn't give excess calories for strength exercises entered into the log.
  • Tadpole666
    Tadpole666 Posts: 4 Member
    Might try the HRM approach. Mine has a dead battery, rather annoying. I'll add it in as cardio for now.

    For those concerned about weight training affecting weight loss I would argue that your weight (in terms of a number) is only part of the equation, and as such should not be your primary concern. It is all about BMI of which weight is one of many factors considered.

    I would argue for ladies it all about your dress size (being optimum, not simply the smallest one) and for guys it's about getting that wedge shaped torso. In my humble opinion a heavier body that nicely shaped and toned (not necessarily muscled) is far sexier than a really light body that has no natural shape or definition.

    Slightly annoying about not being able to add weight training without the need for a HRM. Well ... its is FREE I suppose.
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