How many calories does lifting weights burn?

news image

Lifting weights is one of the most popular and effective forms of exercise. It helps build muscle, improves strength, boosts metabolism, and is often a key component of any fitness program. However, a question that many people often ask: How many calories does lifting weights burn? To clarify this question, follow the information shared by Zextrasure in the article below.

1. How many calories does lifting weights burn?

The number of calories burned during weightlifting can vary significantly depending on several factors. Understanding these factors will help answer the question: How many calories does lifting weights burn? Let’s explore them in detail:

Duration of the workout

The longer you lift weights, the more calories you will burn. A longer workout involves more energy expenditure. However, the relationship between duration and calories burned is not always linear. At a certain point, your body may become fatigued, and your calorie burn per minute may decrease.

Therefore, How many calories does lifting weights for an hour burn? A 60-minute weightlifting session could burn from 300 to 500 calories, depending on the intensity, weight lifted, and other factors. The more time you spend lifting, the more calories your body will burn, but remember that overtraining can lead to injury, so it’s important to maintain a balance.

The longer you lift weights, the more calories your body burns

Weigh and Intensity

“How many calories does a weight lifting session burn?” based on your weight. Heavier individuals typically burn more calories, and increasing workout intensity can enhance calorie expenditure.

Here’s an estimate of calories burned in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity weightlifting, according to Harvard Medical School:

A person weighing 125 pounds burns approximately 90 calories.
A person weighing 155 pounds burns about 112 calories.
A person weighing 185 pounds burns roughly 133 calories.

If you increase intensity, you can almost double the calories burned. The calorie burn significantly increases for 30 minutes of vigorous weight lifting:

A person weighing 125 pounds burns 180 calories.
A person weighing 155 pounds burns about 216 calories.
A person weighing 185 pounds burns 252 calories.

Therefore, the intensity of your weightlifting session plays a major role in “How many calories does lifting burn?”. A high-intensity workout will typically burn more calories than a low-intensity workout with lighter weights and more repetitions. Intense exercises increase your heart rate which leads to higher calorie expenditure.

Weight and intensity are factors that influence the amount of calories burned by lifting weights

Your weight and fitness level

Your weight and fitness level can also influence “How many calories does weight training burn?” Heavier individuals tend to burn more calories because their bodies have to work harder to perform the same exercises. However, fitness level also plays a role - someone who is more conditioned may burn fewer calories doing the same workout compared to a beginner.

2. Compare calories burned when weight training with other sports

When you know how many calories does lifting weights burn, you can easily compare it with other popular sports and exercises, such as:

Cycling at a normal pace burns about 276 calories/hour.
Aerobic exercise at normal intensity burns about 172 calories/hour.
Tennis at moderate intensity burns about 241 calories/hour.
Climbing stairs burns about 310 calories/hour.
Swimming at a normal pace burns about 276 calories/hour.
Brisk walking burns about 131 calories/hour.
Jogging at a normal pace burns about 200 - 500 calories/hour.

3. Why should you calculate calories when lifting weights?

Calculating calories is important to know “How many calories does lifting weights burn? Here’s why:

Calculating how many calories does lifting weights burn is essential for your exercise

Weight training offers numerous benefits, from weight loss to muscle gain and body shaping. However, achieving your fitness goals requires choosing the right weights, duration, and intensity for your workouts. Estimating the calories burned during weightlifting is a key step to adjusting your exercise and diet effectively.

For weight gain: Calorie intake must exceed the calories burned during weightlifting.
For weight loss: Calories burned should surpass those consumed through your diet.
For energy balance: Calories burned should match your intake to maintain stable energy levels.

So, How many calories does lifting weights burn? The answer depends on several factors, including your body weight, workout intensity, and duration. On average, you can burn between 90 to 126 calories per 30 minutes of moderate-intensity weightlifting, but this number can vary.