How Many Calories Do You Burn Weight Lifting

Weight lifting is more than just an excellent way to build muscle—it’s also a powerful calorie-burning activity. But how many calories do you burn weight lifting in a typical session? The answer depends on various factors, including your weight, intensity, and duration of the workout.

Calories Burned While Weight Lifting: Key Factors

On average, a person weighing 155 pounds burns approximately 112 calories during a moderate 30-minute weight lifting session, while a 185-pound individual burns around 133 calories. If you choose high-intensity resistance training or circuit-style weight lifting, those numbers can climb significantly—up to 220 to 280 calories per half-hour. Your body also keeps burning calories post-workout through something called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also known as the "afterburn effect."

How to Maximize Calorie Burn

To torch more calories while weight lifting, focus on compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, which engage multiple muscle groups and require more energy. Shortening rest periods, increasing weights progressively, and incorporating supersets or circuits are also effective strategies for boosting calorie burn.

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