The number of calories burned from one hour of lifting weights varies according to your weight and the level of intensity of the workout. In general, the more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn. A more vigorous workout will also burn more calories than a lighter workout.
Calories Burned at 125 Lbs.
According to data compiled by the Harvard Medical School, MayoClinic.com and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a person weighing 125 lbs. will burn approximately 180 calories per hour by performing general weight-lifting. Vigorous weight-lifting at 125 lbs. will burn about 360 calories per hour.
Calories Burned at 150 to 185 Lbs.
If your weight range is 150 to 160 lbs., general weight-lifting will burn 219 to 224 calories per hour. You'll burn 440 to 446 calories per hour doing vigorous weight-lifting. At 185 lbs., general weight-lifting burns 266 calories in an hour, while vigorous lifting burns 532.
Calories Burned at 200 to 240 Lbs.
A person weighing 200 lbs. will burn approximately 273 calories per hour doing general weight-lifting. At 240 lbs., you'll burn about 327 calories. Vigorous weight-lifting will burn about twice as many calories as general weight-lifting.
Misconceptions
Some people believe that weight-lifting is not a good activity for burning calories because it increases your body's mass. This is not true, according to the Weight-Control Information Network, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Lifting weights builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. Only very intense weight lifting will cause you to grow in mass.
Significance
According to MayoClinic.com, weight-lifting is important for reasons other than burning calories. As you age, you lose muscle mass and tone. Weight-lifting and other strength-training exercises help fight that loss.
Considerations
You'll have a more accurate estimation of the number of calories burned from lifting weights if you determine the level of intensity of your workout. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes a moderate, or general, level of intensity as one "that is done at 3.0 to 5.9 times the intensity of rest" and vigorous physical activity as one "done at 6.0 or more times the intensity of rest." An alternate method of determining the intensity of your workout, also provided by the CDC, is to relate it to your individual personal capacity for activity on a scale of 0 to 10. General, or moderate, activity is about a 5 or 6, and vigorous is about 7 or 8.
Keep in mind that the intensity of your workout depends on the amount of weight you lift, how much you rest between sets, and the number of sets and repetitions you perform. The Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University warns that using heart rate to determine intensity, as is done with aerobic exercises, is not a good method to use when lifting weights.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Chapter 3 Weight Management
- Weight-Control Information Network: Weight-loss and Nutrition Myths: Physical Activity Myth
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Loss: Strength Training
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