Measuring Strength Training

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neverstray
neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I keep hearing that HRMs are unreliable for strength training calorie burn. Is there a way to measure this reliably?

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  • jstrong123
    jstrong123 Posts: 10
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    Not really - you also have to consider that since muscle rebuilding, which consumes energy, takes place AFTER you leave (when you're asleep/resting days) there's no reliable way to track that. There are some estimates but who knows how accurate. For instance http://www.livestrong.com/article/441562-the-number-of-squats-it-takes-to-burn-3500-calories/ has a per-minute per pound of body fat estimate for squats.

    And just like every person puts on muscle differently, there's no really accurate way to establish something that applies equally to everyone.

    Heart rate monitors only estimate calories too - but it so turns out that when you're doing a steady activity such as running or walking, your heart rate mirrors your energy (because you're also steadily breathing oxygen) you're currently using closely enough to use it reliably. Doesn't work for weight lifting. Sux I know :). -J

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