Weight Lifting and Calories Burned: How Strength Training Aids Fat Loss

The Relationship Between Weight Lifting and Calorie Burn

When it comes to losing weight and getting in shape, two of the most popular forms of exercise are cardio and strength training. Many people focus predominantly on cardio activities like running, cycling, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts to maximize calorie burn and fat loss. However, lifting weights also plays an important role for a well-rounded fitness routine and can aid weight loss efforts.

Although weight lifting tends to burn fewer calories per session compared to cardio, it can still have a meaningful impact on your daily calorie expenditure. Additionally, building muscle through resistance training comes with several other benefits like boosting your metabolism and improving your body composition.

This article will take a closer look at the relationship between weight lifting and calorie burn. Well break down how strength training impacts your energy expenditure and contributes to fat loss over time. Well also provide tips on how to maximize calorie burn through your workout routine.

Calorie Burn From Weight Lifting vs. Cardio

First, lets compare the approximate calorie burn from common weight lifting exercises versus popular cardio activities.

Here are estimates for the average calories burned in 30 minutes for a 155 pound (70 kg) individual:

• Weight lifting (general): 112 calories
• Barbell squats: 158 calories
• Bench press: 139 calories
• Deadlifts: 139 calories
• Walking (brisk pace): 185 calories
• Jogging: 295 calories
• Cycling (moderate effort): 260 calories
• HIIT cardio: 280-450 calories

As you can see, traditional steady-state cardio activities like jogging or cycling tend to burn more calories per session compared to lifting weights. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) usually tops the charts for calorie expenditure.

That said, you can burn a decent amount of calories strength training, especially when focusing on large compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses that work multiple muscle groups at once.

How Lifting Weights Impacts Your Metabolism

Cardio burns more calories during the actual workout, but lifting weights impacts your metabolism in ways that enhance calorie expenditure across the full day. Heres how strength training positively influences your metabolic rate:

Building Muscle Mass

The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. Muscle tissue is metabolically active and uses calories around the clock to maintain itself, unlike fat tissue. Therefore, putting on even a few pounds of muscle can help elevate your resting metabolic rate (RMR).

Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption

After an intense weight lifting workout, your metabolism remains elevated for hours. This post-exercise increase in calorie burn is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The effect is especially apparent after weight training sessions involving large muscle groups.

Protein Synthesis

The protein synthesis process that occurs after you strength train also requires calories. Rebuilding and repairing muscle fibers damaged during training demands significant energy expenditure.

Due to all of these factors, consistent strength training can increase your daily calorie burn by 15% or more. This boost in your metabolic rate will promote greater fat loss over time as you maintain a calorie deficit through diet and exercise.

How To Maximize Calorie Burn Through Weight Lifting

Here are some strategies to help maximize calorie expenditure during strength training sessions:

1. Focus on Compound Exercises

Compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, and pull-ups work multiple large muscle groups at once. This allows you to lift heavier weights and burn more calories per session compared to isolation movements.

2. Maintain Proper Form and Tempo

Keep good form during every rep to ensure you are efficiently using the target muscles. Control the eccentric (lowering) portion of each lift and pause briefly at the bottom. The time under tension boosts calorie burn.

3. Reduce Rest Periods

Keeping rest periods between sets short will keep your heart rate elevated and calories burning. For maximal fat loss, limit rests to 30-60 seconds.

4. Include Supersets

Supersets involve moving seamlessly between exercises that work opposing muscle groups, such as bench press to bent-over rows. This adds an element of cardio to your session while allowing minimal rest between sets.

5. Try Circuits or Complexes

Strength training circuits and complexes both involve cycling through a series of exercises with minimal rest. This could mean rotating through 6-8 whole body moves or doing a complex of multiple lifts with the same weight, like 5 deadlifts into 10 squats into 15 bench presses.

6. Finish With Metabolic Work

Add a few high-rep sets targeting individual muscle groups at the end of your workout. Try bodyweight moves like lunges, pushups, walking lunges, or fast band work to drive up excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

Weight Lifting for Fat Loss

Lifting weights is about so much more than burning calories during a workout. Making resistance training a regular part of your fitness routine provides many benefits related to fat loss and improving body composition including:

1. Building Lean Muscle Mass

The more metabolically active muscle you have, the better your daily calorie burn. Lifting helps counteract age-related muscle loss and ensures the weight you lose is coming from fat, not muscle.

2. Boosting Your Metabolism

As discussed earlier, strength training elevates your resting metabolic rate due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, protein synthesis, and increased calorie-burning muscle mass.

3. Improving Insulin Sensitivity

Research shows that lifting weights can improve how your body processes insulin. This assists with regulating blood sugar levels and promotes fat loss, especially around the midsection.

4. Changing Body Composition

The scale weight may not budge immediately with strength training. However, youll notice increased muscle definition as your body composition shifts to less fat and more lean mass.

5. Raising Your TDEE

Strength training raises your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This means you can consume more calories per day while still remaining in a deficit for ongoing fat loss.

Sample Weekly Schedule

Here is an example weekly workout schedule that incorporates both cardio and resistance training for maximum fat burning:

Monday: Upper Body

• Bench press: 3 sets x 8 reps
• Row: 3 sets x 8 reps
• Overhead press: 3 sets x 10 reps
• Pull-ups: 3 sets x max reps
• Bicep curls: 2 sets x 10 reps
• Tricep pushdowns: 2 sets x 10 reps

Tuesday: Lower Body

• Squats: 3 sets x 8 reps
• Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6 reps
• Lunges: 3 sets x 10 reps each side
• Calf raises: 3 sets x 15 reps

Wednesday: HIIT Cardio

• Warm-up: 5 minutes moderate cycling
• HIIT: 30 seconds sprint @ 90% max effort, 60 seconds recovery x 8-10 cycles
• Cooldown: 5 minutes moderate cycling

Thursday: Upper Body

• Overhead press: 3 sets x 8 reps
• Bench press: 3 sets x 10 reps
• Lat pulldowns: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
• Bent-over rows: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
• Bicep curls: 2 sets x 12 reps
• Tricep extensions: 2 sets x 12 reps

Friday: Lower Body

• Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6 reps
• Squats: 3 sets x 10 reps
• Step-ups: 3 sets x 12 reps each side
• Glute bridges: 3 sets x 15 reps

Saturday: Steady State Cardio

• Treadmill run: 30 minutes at challenging pace
• OR
• Outdoor cycle: 30 minutes at moderate-high intensity

Sunday: Rest Day

Take a full rest day from training to allow your body to recover. Go for a leisurely stroll, do light yoga/stretching, or try an active recovery workout.

Nutrition Recommendations

To lose fat most effectively, be sure you are in a calorie deficit even with the bump to your metabolism from lifting weights. Here are some diet tips that support fat loss:

• Maintain an intake of 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily to preserve and build muscle.
• Fill your diet with whole, unprocessed foods like produce, lean proteins, whole grains, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, and healthy fats.
• Limit added sugar, refined carbs, and heavily processed foods which tend to be calorie-dense but nutrient-poor.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.
• Reduce alcohol intake, as alcohol contains empty stealth calories.
• Track your calories/macros for a few weeks to gauge an appropriate deficit.

The Takeaway

Cardio and strength training are complementary exercise components for weight loss. Lifting weights may not burn as many calories per session as cardio activities. However, resistance training plays a key role in elevating your metabolism, building calorie-burning muscle, and improving body composition over time.

Aim for a weekly fitness regimen that incorporates both aerobic exercise and full-body strength training workouts focusing on compound exercises. Pair your training with a quality nutrition plan in a modest calorie deficit. Be consistent and patient with your workout and diet efforts for optimal fat loss.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.