Burning calories can be done in many ways. Lifting weights is one of those ways, but how exactly does calorie-burning work when it comes to weight lifting? And which weight lifting activities will give you the most benefit? Read on to find out more about how weight lifting can help you lose calories and how to do it right!
Does Weight Lifting Burn Fat?
Some activities, like cardio, can burn both fat and muscle. Weight lifting burns mainly fat alone. This makes it an excellent technique for those who are looking to lose unwanted body fat and bulk up, as well.
Weight lifting can also help you lose fat all day long. This is because your muscles continue to burn fat throughout the day, even after you have finished your workout.
How Many Calories Burned Lifting Weights?
Lifting weights can burn loads of calories. It’s a high-intensity exercise that helps build lean muscle and burns fat away. The number of calories will depend on a variety of factors, including:
- Types of weight lifting activities
- Amount of weight lifted
- Age, gender, and weight
- Diet
- Intensity and frequency of weight lifting exercises
So, how many calories does weight lifting burn? It can vary quite a bit based on the above-factors, but experts estimate weight lifting burns anywhere from 200 to 400 calories per hour.
If you want to estimate how many calories you can burn lifting weights based on your body type, you can try an online Calories-Burned Weight Lifting Calculator.
How Many Calories Should I Burn in a Workout?
How many calories you should burn in a workout isn’t always the equivalent to how many calories you are capable of burning. Your body has limitations, especially if you are a beginner. For example, if you are new to lifting weights, you should not force yourself too hard in order to burn more calories.
Instead, stick to a workout plan you can maintain without causing injury. As you get used to it, your body will burn calories faster and more efficiently.
How Different Weight Lifting Exercises Burn Fat
All weight lifting exercises vary in how many calories they help you burn. This is because different activities use different muscles, and some burn fat more easily than others. Here is a breakdown of some common weight lifting exercises and how they help you burn fat:
- Lunges With Weights: This activity makes use of very large muscles in the quads and glutes. This type of weight lifting exercise can help you stimulate fat loss all over your body since most of your body is in use.
- Bicep Curls: This activity won’t help you burn fat on your arms per se, but it will help you burn fat on your body in general. The more you contract your biceps, the more fat your body is burning.
- Russian Twists: While holding a medicine ball or other weight, this type of abdominal exercise gets your entire core working hard. This can help burn stubborn body fat as working larger muscles is always more beneficial. Plus, you can target that stubborn waist flab, too!
How to Maximize Weight Lifting Calories Burned
Burning calories is actually a complicated process that depends on a lot more than just one type of exercise. There are a few things you can do to make sure you are burning as much fat as possible.
Bring The Weight Lifting Home With Fitness Factory!
Eat a Balanced Diet
You can’t possibly burn away enough calories if you are restocking those calories with unhealthy foods. A healthy diet – which includes taking in fewer calories than you are expending – is essential to your fat-burning goals.
Add Some Cardio to Your Workout
Weight Lifting can help you burn fat, but cardio can, too. Plus, it’s also great to help your muscles recover from your workouts better. Regular cardio can also help you develop even more stamina so that you can lift even more weight.
Lift a Weight You Can Handle
More weight can mean more calories burned, but that doesn’t mean you should pack on more weight than you can handle. What you should focus on is selecting a weight that is challenging but not impossible. You should be able to lift the weight to complete 10 quality reps of your activity.
You can always work your way up as you get used to it. The key is to do your personal best, not your trainer’s personal best!
Take a Break
You should not be lifting weights every day, and if you are, you should definitely be working out different muscle areas. Your muscles need a solid 2 to 4 days of rest before you stimulate them again. To get the best results, devote one day to one muscle area and move on. Allow your muscles to heal and repair themselves before you head back in.
Up Your Protein
Burning calories is great, but you also want your muscles to build up and become stronger. Taking in more protein – either through high-protein foods or shakes – after a workout is crucial to your muscle’s recovery. Plus, it will help your body build muscle faster.
Hire a Trainer
It can be costly, but hiring a personal trainer with experience can be beneficial to your health. He or she can help you define weight lifting exercises that work for you. Plus, they can show you how to complete these exercises safely.
There is a lot of room for injury when it comes to weight lifting. If you are not keeping a safe posture or moving correctly, you run the risk of hurting yourself and derailing your fitness efforts. Instead, learn how to complete each exercise properly and zero in on the exercises that work for your individual needs.
The Bottom Line
Using weight lifting to burn calories can have a huge payoff. But the trick is knowing how to do it right. Make sure you are working out more than one or two muscle groups and be sure to complete each movement carefully. Following up with a healthy, balanced diet can also help you achieve your calorie-burning goals.
