How Many Calories Do You Burn Lifting Weights?

Weightlifting is an essential part of any fitness routine, celebrated not only for building muscle and increasing strength but also for its ability to boost overall calorie burn. While it might not torch calories as quickly as a high-intensity cardio session, the benefits of weightlifting extend beyond the workout, contributing to long-term metabolic health and improved body composition. But exactly how many calories can you burn during a weightlifting session, and what factors influence this number? Let’s break it down.

How to Estimate Calories Burned While Weightlifting

The calories you burn while lifting weights depend on various factors, such as your body weight, the intensity of your workout, and the session’s duration. One widely used method to estimate calorie burn is through the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET), which measures the energy cost of physical activities.

• Light to Moderate Effort Weightlifting: Around 3.5 METs
• Vigorous Weightlifting (e.g., circuit training or heavy lifting): Around 6 METs

The higher the MET value, the more calories burned during the activity.

Formula for Calorie Calculation

To estimate your caloric burn during weightlifting, use this formula:

Calories Burned = MET × Body Weight (kg) × Duration (hours) × 3.5 / 200

Example Calculation

Let’s calculate for a 180-pound individual (about 81.65 kg) performing an hour of vigorous weightlifting:

• MET value: 6
• Weight: 81.65 kg
• Duration: 1 hour

Calories Burned = 6 × 81.65 × 1 × 3.5 / 200 ≈ 860 calories

This individual would burn approximately 860 calories during an hour of intense weightlifting. For lighter efforts, the calorie burn would be lower but still significant.

Factors That Influence Calorie Burn

1. Body Weight: Larger individuals expend more energy to move their bodies and lift weights, resulting in higher calorie burn.
2. Workout Intensity: High-intensity sessions, like heavy lifting or circuit training, elevate your heart rate and metabolic demand, increasing calorie expenditure.
3. Duration of Workout: Longer sessions naturally lead to more calories burned, although intensity might diminish over time.
4. Muscle Mass: More muscle mass means a higher resting metabolic rate, which helps burn more calories both during and after your workout.

The Role of EPOC (Afterburn Effect)

One of the unique benefits of weightlifting is the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), commonly known as the “afterburn effect.” After an intense lifting session, your body continues to burn calories as it restores oxygen levels, repairs muscle tissue, and replenishes energy stores. The higher the intensity of your workout, the more pronounced the afterburn effect.

Weightlifting vs. Cardio: Which Burns More Calories?

Cardio exercises like running or cycling often burn more calories per minute than weightlifting. However, weightlifting has a significant advantage in its ability to build and maintain muscle mass, which increases your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the number of calories your body burns at rest. Incorporating both weightlifting and cardio into your fitness routine provides the best of both worlds: immediate calorie burn from cardio and long-term metabolic benefits from weightlifting.

Maximizing Caloric Burn During Weightlifting

To get the most out of your weightlifting sessions:

• Incorporate Compound Movements: Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses work multiple muscle groups, increasing overall calorie burn.
• Try Supersets or Circuits: Reducing rest time between sets keeps your heart rate elevated, similar to cardio.
• Lift Heavy: Higher resistance stimulates greater muscle activation and energy expenditure.
• Keep It Consistent: Regular sessions build muscle and improve endurance, maximizing your long-term calorie burn.

Conclusion

The number of calories burned during weightlifting varies based on personal factors and workout specifics, but it remains a powerful tool for both fitness and metabolic health. While weightlifting may not always match the calorie burn of cardio during the session itself, its benefits for muscle growth, fat loss, and post-workout calorie burn make it an essential part of any fitness plan. Pairing weightlifting with cardio can create a balanced routine to optimize calorie expenditure and overall health.