Strength training is much more than just lifting weights to gain muscle; it's also an effective tool for burning calories and improving body composition. Although the immediate calorie burn may be lower than with cardiovascular exercise, its long-term impact is significant thanks to the increase in basal metabolic rate and the afterburn effect, which allows you to burn calories even after the session ends.
Factors that influence calorie burning
The number of calories burned during strength training varies depending on several factors:
- Body weight and muscle composition: People with greater muscle mass tend to burn more calories, since muscle requires more energy to maintain itself even at rest.
- Training intensity and duration: Intense sessions, with less rest time and exercises that involve large muscle groups (such as squats, deadlifts, or bench presses), increase the number of calories burned.
- Type of training: Training style can make a difference. For example, circuit training or supersets elevate your heart rate and can increase calorie expenditure during the session.
- Afterburn effect (EPOC): After an intense strength training session, the body continues to consume oxygen at a high rate to recover, which means calories continue to be burned for several hours after exercise.
How many calories can you burn?
Although numbers may vary, some studies indicate that:
- A moderate 30-minute strength training session can burn approximately 150 to 250 calories, depending on weight and intensity, while more intense workouts can exceed 300 calories in the same amount of time.
- One-hour workouts at moderate intensity can burn between 300 and 400 calories.
It's important to remember that these values are approximate and depend on individual characteristics. Furthermore, the real benefits of strength training aren't limited to the calories burned during the session; increased muscle mass contributes to a higher resting metabolism, which translates into greater calorie burning throughout the day.
How to optimize calorie burning during your workouts
- Vary the exercises: Incorporate both compound and isolation exercises to work different muscle groups.
- Reduce rest times: Decreasing rest between sets can increase intensity and increase caloric expenditure.
- Adjust the load progressively: Gradually increasing the weight or intensity of your exercises encourages your body to adapt and burn more calories.
Conclusion
Strength training is an excellent strategy not only for gaining muscle and improving your fitness, but also for helping you burn calories and lose body fat. The increase in muscle mass and the afterburn effect make this type of training the most powerful tool for improving your metabolism and achieving your health and fitness goals.