Hi everyone, I’m curious about how many calories weightlifting actually burns. I’m not talking about extreme workouts—like 18 sets to near failure with 8 to 15 reps. I feel like a lot of the numbers I see online are way off. I’d appreciate your thoughts
You can check out this Harvard article for some insights. It covers weightlifting and other activities. Just a heads up, you really can’t outwork a bad diet. If your goal is fat loss, you should focus on your eating habits first. Being in a caloric deficit is key. Exercise helps to deepen that deficit
@Van
I’ve been cutting weight for a while; I’m down about 70 pounds. I was just wondering more out of curiosity. Thanks for the info
@Van
Training can really help create a calorie deficit too
In one hour of lifting, you can burn about 250 to 500 calories; it really depends on the intensity of the workout
Skyler said:
In one hour of lifting, you can burn about 250 to 500 calories; it really depends on the intensity of the workout
… or even less!
Honestly, not that much. You shouldn’t focus on burning calories with workouts. Think of it more as a way to stay fit and strengthen your body
Weightlifting isn’t all about burning calories—it’s more about boosting your hormone levels to gain lean muscle
I’m 6 foot 3, weigh 220 pounds, and during a one-hour gym session, I usually burn around 300 to 500 calories. After a workout, your body keeps working hard, burning a few more calories through what they call Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT. Your regular movements after working out also count. It’s worth looking into more if you’re interested
@Ren
The NEAT effect plays a role, although it’s not huge. Every bit counts, including the protein you use up repairing muscles. Just keep in mind you can easily overeat and wipe out the calorie burn from exercise. If you’re tracking, remember to include everything
I know I can’t out-exercise a poor diet since I’ve lost 70 pounds myself. I was just curious about this topic. Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts
Davis said:
I know I can’t out-exercise a poor diet since I’ve lost 70 pounds myself. I was just curious about this topic. Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts
It seems like people made a lot of assumptions about your question. Here’s another data point from my experience: my Apple Watch says I burn about 330 to 347 calories during my 80-minute workouts and I’m 51, weighing 210 pounds. That includes a warm-up routine. Good job on your progress
Davis said:
I know I can’t out-exercise a poor diet since I’ve lost 70 pounds myself. I was just curious about this topic. Thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts
You can out-exercise a bad diet. It’s tough, but possible. I’ve seen people succeed, but no one ever manages to out-exercise a poor diet consistently
You don’t burn enough calories to really adjust much in your diet based on lifting alone
Not much at all. You might as well just go for a walk instead
Around 300-400 sounds about right
Are you asking about calories burned during the workout or during recovery when rebuilding muscles?
Tarian said:
Are you asking about calories burned during the workout or during recovery when rebuilding muscles?
I meant during the workout
Tarian said:
Are you asking about calories burned during the workout or during recovery when rebuilding muscles?
I meant during the workout
Lifting 100 pounds for 100 feet burns around 14 calories
@Tarian
Does that calculation take into account full efficiency?