The Rise of Wearable Tech Wearable tech has exploded over the last 5 years. Many of us have Apple Watches, Fitbits, or other calorie-burning trackers. They can do some great things for our health like tracking how many steps we do in a day or how many calories we burn in a workout.
The Misconception of Calorie Tracking HOWEVER, If you are tracking the amount of calories that you are burning in a resistance training workout and telling yourself that the number dictates how effective your session is– you should…STOP.
Limitations of Calorie Tracking During Cardio I can see the appeal of tracking calories when you do a cardio workout because once you stop doing a cardio workout, you aren’t burning calories at an increased rate for too much longer.
Broader Benefits of Resistance Training Focusing on calories burned takes your mind off some other important benefits gained from resistance training such as increased strength, better exercise technique, and better endurance. Calorie tracking can also make you want to go faster, leading to an increased chance of injury.
Psychological Impact of Calorie Focus You may also feel shitty if you didn’t burn the amount of calories that you wanted to. There are so many factors that go into calories being burned during a workout including your age, sex, muscle mass, and fitness level. People who are bigger and have more muscle mass usually burn more calories.
Muscle Mass and Caloric Burn Putting on muscle is a great way to burn more calories throughout the whole day. It takes the body a lot of energy to maintain muscle. Just one pound of extra muscle helps you to burn around 50 more calories per day. Compound that over a year and you will burn 18,000 more calories! Imagine putting on 4-5lbs of muscle!
The Drawbacks of Wearable Tech Accuracy Don’t let wearable tech, which can often be inaccurate, dictate how satisfied you are with a workout and your level of success.
Real Measures of Workout Effectiveness The best measure of effectiveness of your workout is the amount of effort you put in. That’s something you know is true. When you give a great effort, you will always be satisfied and stay consistent. Consistency is the key to results.
