How Many Calories Does Weight Lifting Burn? Debunking the Myths

In the vast universe of fitness, weightlifting often takes center stage for one good reason – building strength and muscle. Fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and those looking to shed pounds have all turned to the iron for various reasons, but one question seems to pop up frequently – how many calories does Weight lifting burn? This comprehensive guide will peel back the layers and explore the intricate relationship between weight lifting and calorie expenditure.

As we proceed in the article, we’ll discuss why understanding calorie burn in weight lifting is crucial, and the science behind how calories are burned.

1. How Calories are Burned:

The human body is an engine, constantly burning fuel to function. When we talk about calorie burning, we’re referring to the breakdown of macronutrients – like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins – to produce energy. This energy (measured in kilocalories) drives essential bodily functions, muscle contractions, and metabolic processes that happen with or without your conscious effort.

Calorie expenditure can be segmented into two main categories – aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

Aerobic Exercise: These are often called cardio, involves continuous contraction of muscles and usually necessitates a steady supply of oxygen to fuel these contractions. This process consumes calories at a moderate rate and is sustainable over extended periods.
Anaerobic Exercise: Exercises like weight lifting, involves intense, short bursts of effort that cannot be supported by oxygen intake alone. This ‘energy debt’ leads to a continued calorie burn even after the workout, a phenomenon known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

Aerobic exercise burns more calories immediately, while anaerobic exercises cause a prolonged calorie burn, contributing to overall expenditure.

2. Factors Affecting Calories Burned in Weight Lifting:

The number of calories you burn during a weightlifting session is far from a one-size-fits-all metric. It’s influenced by a range of factors, including:

a. Muscle Mass and Metabolism

Muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means that even at rest, muscle requires calories to sustain itself. Therefore, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn just by existing. Building more muscle through heavy weight lifting can significantly increase your resting metabolic rate.

b. Intensity and Duration of the Exercise

Intensity matters in calorie burn; a more intense workout, achieved by increasing Weight or performing exercises quicker, will result in higher immediate calorie expenditure. In contrast, longer workouts can lead to a higher total calorie burn.

c. Personal Variables

Your age, Weight, gender, and prior fitness level all play a part in determining your calorie burn. Generally, younger individuals with more muscle mass will burn more calories. Men tend to have higher calorie requirements because of typically having more muscle and being more extensive.

3. Calculating Calories Burned in Weight Lifting:

It’s impossible to give an exact calorie count without indirectly measuring an individual’s energy expenditure. We can get close by understanding the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). MET values indicate the energy cost of a physical activity related to rest.

Simply put, 1 MET is the energy it takes to sit quietly. Activities with MET values higher than 1 burn more energy relative to rest and, therefore, more calories.

To calculate the calories you burn during weight lifting, you can use the following formula:

Calories Burned = MET value of the activity × your body weight in kilograms × time (in hours)

Here is how to find the MET value corresponding to your exercise:

Select the weightlifting exercise and find its MET value. For example, bicep curls might have a MET value of 3.8.
Convert your Weight to kilograms. If you weigh 150 pounds, you divide 150 by 2.205 to get 68 kilograms.
Determine the duration of the exercise in hours.

Plug these values into the formula, and you’ll have your estimated calorie burn. This is just an approximation, as individual metabolic rates can vary.

4. Weight Lifting Burns How Many Calories?

Understanding the calorie burn of weight lifting exercises hinges on the intricate dance between intensity, type of movement, and individual physical characteristics. A moderate weightlifting session burns between 90 and 216 calories in 30 minutes for a person weighing 125 to 185 pounds, respectively.

However, this varies significantly based on the intensity of the workout. High-intensity strength training, involving shorter rest periods and heavier weights, can increase calorie burn substantially. This makes each session more efficient in energy expenditure.

a. Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)

Beyond the immediate calorie burn, strength training workout profoundly impacts the body’s metabolism. Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) means that after a weightlifting session, the body continues to consume oxygen at an elevated rate to repair muscles and replenish energy stores. This “afterburn” effect results in additional calories burned for hours, sometimes even days, after the workout. The more intense the exercise, the more prolonged and significant the EPOC effect, enhancing the overall calorie-burning benefits of weight lifting.

Furthermore, as muscle mass increases, the body becomes more efficient at burning calories even when at rest. Muscle tissue requires more energy than fat tissue, meaning individuals with higher muscle mass have a higher resting metabolic rate. This underlines the long-term benefits of consistent weight lifting for improving body composition and aiding in weight management.

5. Practical Tips for Calorie Buring:

Here are practical tips for maximizing calorie burn:

Focus on Compound Exercises: These multi-joint movements, like squats and deadlifts, work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This leads to higher energy demand and, thus, more calorie burn.
Play with Rest Intervals: Shorter breaks between sets maintain a raised heart rate and elevate the overall workout intensity. This results in increased calorie expenditure
Increase Weight Gradually: Add more Weight to your exercises as your strength improves. This progressive overload increases muscle strength and size and enhances calorie-burning potential.
Circuit Training: Circuit training can elevate your heart rate and involve more muscles in a shorter time frame.
Stay Consistent: Regular weight lifting sessions not only increase calorie burn during the workouts but also lead to a more substantial increase in muscle mass, amplifying your metabolic rate.

6. Best Weight Lifting Program for Burning Calories:

To maximize calorie burn through weight lifting routine, selecting a program that emphasizes intensity, volume, and progression is vital. A highly effective calorie-burning weightlifting program should include compound and isolation exercises.

Weekly Plan Overview:

Day 1: Lower Body Compound Focus – Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges
Day 2: Upper Body Compound Focus – Bench Press, Rows, Overhead Press
Day 3: Rest or Light Cardio
Day 4: Full Body Circuit Training – A mix of upper and lower body exercises. Performed in a circuit with minimal rest between exercises.
Day 5: Isolation Work and Core – Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions, Leg Curls, Abdominal and Lower Back Exercises
Day 6: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with Weights – Short bursts of intense exercise with weights training are followed by a brief rest period, repeating the circuit.
Day 7: Rest

Within this program, emphasis is placed on:

Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weights or resistance as your strength improves to continue challenging your body and burning more calories.
High Intensity: Keep rest intervals short and incorporate HIIT sessions to elevate the heart rate and increase calorie burn.
Variety in Exercises: To engage all muscle groups, prevent boredom, and target muscles from different angles for balanced development and calorie expenditure.

This strength training program maximizes calorie burn, builds lean muscle mass, enhances metabolic rate and caloric burn at rest.

7. The Iron Path to Sustainable Calorie Burning:

Lifting weight is not commonly associated with the fast calorie burn that running or cycling can provide. However, its effects on gaining muscle mass, metabolism, and overall body composition are profound. By understanding how weight lifting burns calories, one can craft a fitness strategy that promotes sustainable, healthy weight loss and supports a robust physique.

Encouragingly, integrating Weight lifting into your exercise repertoire can lead to a higher calorie burn throughout the day—effectively turning your body into a calorie-burning powerhouse.