Calories Burned Lifting Weights (and How to Burn More!)
Need to Know
Several factors contribute to the number of calories burned while lifting weights, such as duration, intensity, and body size.
You can burn more calories lifting weights by decreasing rest time, adding intervals of high-intensity work, or increasing the amount of weight lifted.
If your goal is fat loss, the number of calories burned lifting weights can make a difference in your overall success.
Calories burned lifting weights can vary from about 200 per hour to 400 per hour or more. Factors such as the duration of your workout, the amount of weight you lift, the muscles used, and your workout intensity can affect how many calories you burn during strength training. If you want to burn more calories, your best option is to add high-intensity intervals to increase your heart rate and oxygen uptake. There are many different ways to do this.
How Many Calories Does Weight Lifting Burn?
The number of calories you burn while lifting weights can vary significantly. Primary factors affecting calories burned during strength training include:
Duration: A longer workout session will generally burn more calories than a shorter session.
Intensity: A harder workout session will almost always burn more calories than an easier session. Harder sessions usually involve lifting heavier weights and taking shorter rest breaks between sets.
Bodyweight: A larger (heavier) body will burn more calories while lifting weights than a smaller, lighter body.
Other factors affecting calories burned while lifting weights:
Number of muscles engaged: Compound exercises (movements that engage several large muscle groups) require more energy and burn more calories than isolation exercises that work just a single muscle group.
Size of muscles engaged: When you use large muscles or muscle groups (such as the latissimus dorsi or the quads), you’ll use more energy than if you use a small muscle group, such as the biceps.
Body composition: A body with more muscle will burn more calories than a body with more fat.
Examples
According to the American Council on Exercise, a 150-pound person will burn about 204 calories per hour when participating in a “typical” weight training session lasting one hour.(2) A typical weight training session may involve traditional weight lifting exercises, such as:
Weighted squats
Split squats
Push Ups
Lat pulls
Chest press
Shoulder (military press)
Plank variations
Biceps curls
Triceps extension
If you modify certain factors, you’ll see how the number of calories changes based on intensity, duration, and body weight.
A 150-pound person will burn about 408 calories when participating in an intense weight training session for one hour.
A 125-pound person will burn about 170 calories when participating in a typical weight training session for one hour..
A 125-pound person will burn about 340 calories when participating in an intense weight training session for one hour..
A 200-pound person will burn about 544 calories when participating in an intense weight training session for one hour.
A 200-pound person will burn about 272 calories when participating in an intense weight training session for 30 minutes.
A 200-pound person will burn about 136 calories when participating in a typical weight training session for 30 minutes.
How to Burn More Calories Lifting Weights
In general, weight-lifting activities burn fewer calories than cardiovascular (aerobic) activities. Aerobic exercise includes activities such as running, cycling, stair climbing, or jumping rope. These are activities that raise your heart rate and keep it elevated.
If you want to burn more calories when strength training, you can add aerobic activities to increase your heart rate and keep it elevated when lifting weights.
For example, to increase your energy expenditure while weight training, you can try:*
Warming up with a 20-minute treadmill session before lifting weights (260 calories)
Ending your strength-training session with a 10-minute cycling session (90 calories)
Adding a 2-minute jump rope interval between each of 10 weight training exercises (181 calories)
Adding a 5-minute treadmill hill climb between each of 8 weight training exercises (up to 400 calories)
Adding 90 seconds of calisthenics (such as jumping jacks or burpees) between each of 6 strength training exercises (450 calories)
*Caloric expenditures are approximate and based on a 150-pound body weight.
In addition to adding cardiovascular activities to your strength training workout, you can also work out longer (increase duration) or lift harder (increase intensity). To increase intensity, you can either:
Lift more weight: If you currently lift 60-70% of your one rep max, try to increase the weight to 70-80% or more of your one rep max.
Decrease rest time: Take shorter breaks between each set of your exercises. For example, if you currently rest for two minutes or longer between sets, try to decrease your rest segment to 90 seconds or one minute. You’ll notice that your heart rate stays elevated, and you’ll feel like you are working harder even though you have not increased the amount of weight you are lifting.
What Is EPOC and Does It Matter?
The number of calories you burn after a hard workout can make a difference in the total number of calories you burn per day. These calories are often referred to as the “afterburn,” but the technical term is “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or EPOC. The theory is that certain workouts contribute to EPOC and help you to burn more calories even after your workout is complete.
In the past, it has been assumed that high-intensity interval training (also known as HIIT) is most effective at maximizing EPOC. But studies are showing that weight training can contribute as well.
A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science compared HIIT workouts to resistance training workouts in fit women. Researchers found that both forms of exercise produced increases in caloric expenditure after their workouts. Specifically, women participating in both forms of exercise burned about 66 calories more per hour compared to baseline.(1) Over the course of 14 hours, that totals 924 calories, which is substantial.
If your goal is weight loss, EPOC is your friend. In the study, the strength training program provided for participants involved a total-body, circuit-style resistance training protocol. You can turn any weight training program into a circuit-style format by simply reducing the rest time between sets and keeping your workout pace a bit quicker. Maintain an elevated heart rate and try to work all major muscle groups.
Should I Worry About Calories When Lifting Weights?
People often want to burn more calories to lose weight or burn fat. Weight lifting can help you reach those goals, but people generally lift weights to gain strength and improve muscle tone.
It’s important to understand the difference between those two goals because strength training often leads to weight gain, not weight loss. However, if you train properly, the weight you gain is lean muscle tissue, not fat. A lean, muscular body functions better (and looks better!) than a body with little muscle, no matter how thin.
So, should you worry about your calorie expenditure when weight training? Perhaps. Understanding your total calorie expenditure throughout the day can help you determine your total caloric needs and macronutrient ratios. Gaining muscle and losing fat will be much easier if your diet supports your weight training program. Getting adequate amounts of protein will give your body the essential amino acids needed to increase muscle mass.
Not sure where to begin? Pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies to learn how to consume the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to fuel your body properly. You’ll learn how to prep meals, track your macros, and cook meals that are both satisfying and delicious! It’s a great resource to have on hand no matter what your fitness and nutrition goals are.
Sources:
Greer BK, O'Brien J, Hornbuckle LM, Panton LB. EPOC Comparison Between Resistance Training and High-Intensity Interval Training in Aerobically Fit Women. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Aug 1;14(2):1027-1035. doi:10.70252/ODIN6912
American Council on Exercise Physical Activity Calorie Calculator