strength training

davidsadler86
davidsadler86 Posts: 22
edited December 26 in Fitness and Exercise
HI, this has probably been asked a few times so sorry if there is any repetition, but do you guys count the calories burned from strength training in any way? is there any specific reason that a generalized calorie burn doesn't exist on this site/app?
thanks guys

Replies

  • Jasmineb333
    Jasmineb333 Posts: 21
    because it is very difficult to measure calorie burn based on a certain exercise, say like dumbell curls. There are many deciding factors like weight lifted, your weight, reps, sets....
  • bokabeus
    bokabeus Posts: 3
    This is my first (and so far only) frustration with the site. :P

    I guess the solution is to worry less about overshooting the calorie goals on those days?
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    I basically decided to invest in a HRM. Now I know how how many calories I burn during strength training then I label it under cardio on this site. Now I've used it for so long I have a basic idea of how many calories I burn doing a certain split for a certain amount of time. It's still a rough guess though, if you want to be close to accurate then get a quality (Polar brand are great) HRM.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    If you look under the 'Cardio' tab there is 'Strength training (weight lifting, weight training)' listed with a burn estimate.

    The 'Strength Training' tab is meant to be used to track your progress etc.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    From MFP's help section (there is all kinds of good info there, folks!):


    Doesn't strength training burn calories? Why don't you show any calories burned for strength training?

    Estimating the calories burned from strength training is very difficult because it depends on a variety of factors: how much weight you lifted per repetition, how vigorously you performed that exercise, how much rest you took between sets, etc. Because of this, we do not automatically calculate how many calories you burned from strength training exercises.

    However, if you'd like, you can add "Strength training" as a cardio exercise to get a rough estimate of how many calories you burned. Please be aware though that this is definitely a rough estimate and can be fairly inaccurate.
  • chrisrollins1
    chrisrollins1 Posts: 56
    No, I'm quite certain this has never been asked before. Ever. I promise. Good question.


    I'm sorry...was my answer not helpful?


    Put it in under cardio if you really want to, but if you want a real answer to the "how many calories did I burn?" question, the only thing I can tell you is get a heart rate monitor and put it in manually. Obviously no one can estimate accurately what kind of intensity you train with. Most guys I see in the gym do more standing around than lifting.
  • lobbyart
    lobbyart Posts: 24 Member
    I definitely feel my heart rate going up during strength training, but I would rather err on the side of not reporting exercises like that so I know I'm burning more than I record.
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    I didn't think heart rate monitors were accurate for Lifting, only for cardio. I could be wrong tho. Here is a link I found about it: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I didn't think heart rate monitors were accurate for Lifting, only for cardio. I could be wrong tho. Here is a link I found about it: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

    Not wrong. HRM are not accurate for calorie burns for weightlifting.

    As someone else mentioned, search strength training under cardio and you wil get a conservative estimate. I do believe there are two options, I always go with the low one.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    I have found that the estimated calories that MFP gives for weightlifting (under the cardio section) to be pretty accurate. Most people think they are a bit on the low side but I have maintained a pretty steady -1 pound per week average using the estimate MFP gives me.
  • grantmotox
    grantmotox Posts: 3 Member
    I wasn’t too sure how accurate the numbers MFP comes up with are, but i have consistently dropped Body Fat in line with MFP's estimates. To try bridge the inaccuracy, if i do a 60minute strength training session, i only enter 45mins.
  • girlie100
    girlie100 Posts: 646 Member
    I didn't think heart rate monitors were accurate for Lifting, only for cardio. I could be wrong tho. Here is a link I found about it: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

    Not wrong. HRM are not accurate for calorie burns for weightlifting.

    http://www.polar.fi/en/products/improve_fitness/fitness_crosstraining/FT80

    Apparantly this is designed for strength training??? not sure how well it works
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    I didn't think heart rate monitors were accurate for Lifting, only for cardio. I could be wrong tho. Here is a link I found about it: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

    Not wrong. HRM are not accurate for calorie burns for weightlifting.

    http://www.polar.fi/en/products/improve_fitness/fitness_crosstraining/FT80

    Apparantly this is designed for strength training??? not sure how well it works

    It states it has strength training features, not accurate calorie burn features for strength training.

    This is not meant towards anyone in particular as it is a very common misconception on this site, but I really wish people would get it out of their head that their heat rate is directly related to the number of calories your body is burning.
  • melainemelaine
    melainemelaine Posts: 127 Member
    I wear a heart rate monitor and I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5.
    The more I up the weight the more I burn, as I work harder now than say three weeks ago. This will vary from person to person and sometimes from workout to workout.
    Invest in a HRM if you want to know how HARD you work yourself.

    Edited to add:

    Three weeks ago my heart rate didn't hit 150 when doing barbell squats, now I'm nearly hitting 170 when I finish a set of 5.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,089 Member
    I didn't think heart rate monitors were accurate for Lifting, only for cardio. I could be wrong tho. Here is a link I found about it: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

    Not wrong. HRM are not accurate for calorie burns for weightlifting.

    http://www.polar.fi/en/products/improve_fitness/fitness_crosstraining/FT80

    Apparantly this is designed for strength training??? not sure how well it works

    It states it has strength training features, not accurate calorie burn features for strength training.

    This is not meant towards anyone in particular as it is a very common misconception on this site, but I really wish people would get it out of their head that their heat rate is directly related to the number of calories your body is burning.

    this^ i use my hrm to time my rest periods, but not for calories burned
    it's usless for calories burned. anyway you don't burn much during strenght training

    fe me: I do 4 lifts, each one 5x5, that means that during 1h I actually make 5x5x4 =100 movements... that can't butn more then 100kcals. add some walking on top of that, maybe you will burn 200-300 kcals per hour
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