Quantifying the exact energy expenditure from resistance training is more complex than measuring calories burned during steady-state aerobic exercise. Unlike running or cycling, weightlifting involves intermittent bursts of effort separated by rest, making a single caloric value impossible to state accurately. The number of calories burned while lifting weights for one hour is highly individualized, depending on factors unique to your body and your specific workout structure. Any estimate provided only sets a benchmark for the energy used during the 60-minute session itself.
Estimated Calorie Burn During the Hour
The scientific standard for estimating energy expenditure for a specific activity is the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). One MET represents the energy consumed while sitting quietly, and activities are assigned a MET value reflecting how many times greater the energy usage is compared to rest. General resistance training is typically classified between 3.0 and 6.0 METs, depending on the intensity of the session.
For an hour of weightlifting, the actual calories burned during the activity can range widely, generally falling between 270 and 550 calories. A person weighing 150 pounds performing a moderate-intensity session might burn around 270 to 350 calories in 60 minutes. In contrast, a person weighing 200 pounds who maintains a high level of intensity throughout the hour could burn 400 to over 500 calories.
These figures represent only the active time spent lifting and do not account for the energy cost required for the body to recover afterwards. The difference in these estimates is primarily driven by the intensity of the session, which determines the specific MET value applied. Higher intensity, which utilizes more of the body’s largest muscle groups, naturally pushes the calorie expenditure toward the upper end of the range.
Variables Determining Intensity and Expenditure
The variety in resistance training protocols explains why calorie estimates are so broad. The duration of rest between sets is a powerful variable that manipulates the total energy output during the workout. Taking shorter rest periods (30 to 60 seconds) keeps the heart rate elevated and forces the body to rely more on anaerobic energy systems. This significantly increases expenditure compared to resting for two to three minutes between sets.
The structure of the workout also plays a large role in how many calories are burned in that hour. Circuit training and supersets, where exercises are performed back-to-back with minimal rest, maintain a higher metabolic rate throughout the session. This contrasts sharply with a traditional pyramid-style set structure, which often incorporates longer recovery times. Longer recovery times allow for strength maintenance but lead to a lower total calorie burn during the active hour.
Another major determinant is the total volume and load lifted throughout the session. Volume load is calculated by multiplying sets, repetitions, and the weight used; increasing this number demands greater energy from the body. Lifting heavier weights recruits a greater number of muscle fibers, and performing a higher number of sets contributes to a higher overall energy demand for the workout.
Finally, an individual’s body composition directly influences the number of calories burned. People with a greater amount of lean muscle mass require more energy to perform the same amount of work compared to individuals with less muscle. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. This means a larger, more muscular person will expend more calories during the session, even if the workout intensity is identical.
The Post-Workout Metabolic Boost
A significant portion of the energy expenditure from weightlifting occurs not during the active hour, but in the hours and days immediately following the session. This phenomenon is known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), often called the “afterburn effect.” EPOC is the increased rate of oxygen intake required to restore the body to its pre-exercise state of rest.
This recovery process demands extra energy to repair microscopic muscle damage, replenish depleted energy stores like muscle glycogen, and re-oxygenate the blood. The calories burned through EPOC are not included in the estimates for the active hour of weightlifting. The effect is greatest immediately after the workout and can keep the body’s metabolism elevated for up to 48 hours, though the magnitude decreases over time.
High-intensity resistance training is effective at generating a substantial EPOC response, which can add an extra 6 to 15 percent to the total calories burned from the exercise session. For example, a heavy resistance workout focusing on large, compound movements creates a greater and more prolonged afterburn compared to a lower-intensity session. The magnitude and duration of this metabolic boost are directly linked to the intensity and overall volume of the workout performed in that initial hour.