HRM and lifting weights

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AmyM713
AmyM713 Posts: 594 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Do HRM accurately track calories burned for workouts such as Charlene extreme since I'm lifting weights?

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  • Asavitzk
    Asavitzk Posts: 66
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    In theory a HRM should accurately track calories burned regardless of what you're doing.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    From what I know,HRM over estimate the calories of strength training.
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
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    Right, what he said......HRM will accurately tell you the number of calories you burn lifting.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    In theory a HRM should accurately track calories burned regardless of what you're doing.

    Uh, no. The equations they use to convert your heart rate to calories only apply during aerobic activity. During other activity's your heart rate doesn't directly convert to calories (like watching a scary movie for example, your heart is beating fast but your sitting on your *kitten* and obviously not burning many calories).

    But Chalean Extreme might be close enough to aerobic activity for it to work.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    I've read that hrms don't work for weight training because your heart rate increase tends to be positional. I don't know that I buy it, but without knowing anything about chalean I'm gonna guess that it is very cardioy with a resistance aspect to the cardio, which should, in theory, make it more likely to be accurate than straight weight lifting
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    In theory a HRM should accurately track calories burned regardless of what you're doing.

    ...Only if what you're doing is aerobic exercise. Weight training is anaerobic and the HRM is inaccurate. I don't know about the Charlene Extreme program but I think its a combo of weights and aerobic? Like circuit training? It would be more accurate with circuit training than typical weight lifting (lift...rest...repeat) but less accurate than running, walking or cycling. You can certainly use it to gauge the intensity and progress of your workouts, though. Just be careful if you eat back your exercise calories.
  • Asavitzk
    Asavitzk Posts: 66
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    I stand semi-corrected. :)

    I do circuit weight training so it's as close to cardio as weight training can get so I trust my HRM results I guess. That said, I usually try not to eat back *all* of those calories simply because even though an HRM is the best way to gauge the burn it's still just an estimate.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    It's inaccurate, but most people agree it's the best rough estimate you're going to get.... So I think it's kind of splitting hairs to worry too much about this? Might just need to live with it being an ok-ish estimate.
  • dlcam61
    dlcam61 Posts: 228 Member
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    If you are lifting enough to make you sweat & get your heart rate up then yes it can give you a close estimate of what you are burning. If you are not being challenged you won't get an accurate reading. Weight training & circuit training are good for aerobic activity. Anyone who says otherwise is doing it wrong. I personally used my HRM and took the average burn to input into MFP. Depending on the amount of effort you put in will determine the burn. Just like aerobic activity. You burn more calories with more effort on weights & cardio :flowerforyou:
  • AmyM713
    AmyM713 Posts: 594 Member
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    Oh there is sweat lol, thanks everyone, I guess I will wear it and track them but not eat those calories back, or atleast not eat all of them.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Oh there is sweat lol, thanks everyone, I guess I will wear it and track them but not eat those calories back, or atleast not eat all of them.

    Perfect solution! Enjoy!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    If you are lifting enough to make you sweat & get your heart rate up then yes it can give you a close estimate of what you are burning. If you are not being challenged you won't get an accurate reading. Weight training & circuit training are good for aerobic activity. Anyone who says otherwise is doing it wrong. I personally used my HRM and took the average burn to input into MFP. Depending on the amount of effort you put in will determine the burn. Just like aerobic activity. You burn more calories with more effort on weights & cardio :flowerforyou:
    This isn't true. While you can get cardiovascular benefits from strength training, an HRM doesn't measure calorie burn, because strength training is anaerobic in nature, and anaerobic calorie burn has absolutely no correlation to heart rate.

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