Activity calories · 2024 Compendium METs

Calories burned lifting weights

Quick answer

A 70 kg (154 lb) person burns about 123 kcal in 30 minutes of lifting weights (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps), and about 245 kcal in an hour. That is 3.5 METs.

30 minutes: 123kcal; 70 kg (154 lb)
1 hour: 245kcal; 70 kg (154 lb)
1 hour: 210kcal; 60 kg (132 lb)
1 hour: 280kcal; 80 kg (176 lb)

Strength training burns fewer calories per minute than steady cardio because much of a session is rest between sets. The Compendium rates it by the style of session, from multiple exercises at moderate reps to vigorous free-weight lifting, so the time that counts is the whole session, rests included.

Calculate calories burned lifting weights

Starts at 70 kg (154 lb) for 30 minutes of lifting weights at 3.5 METs; enter your own weight and time.

Calories burned lifting weights by weight and time

Kilocalories for lifting weights at 3.5 METs (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps), by body weight and minutes. Read across from your weight; the pace table below shows the other rows.

Calories burned lifting weights at 3.5 METs, by body weight and duration
Body weight	15 min	30 min	45 min	1 hour	1.5 hours	2 hours
50 kg (110 lb)	44	88	131	175	263	350
60 kg (132 lb)	53	105	158	210	315	420
70 kg (154 lb)	61	123	184	245	368	490
80 kg (176 lb)	70	140	210	280	420	560
90 kg (198 lb)	79	158	236	315	473	630
100 kg (220 lb)	88	175	263	350	525	700
110 kg (243 lb)	96	193	289	385	578	770

Lifting weights: calories by pace or effort

The Compendium rates lifting weights on 5 lines, from 3.5 METs (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps) up to 6 METs (Free weights, vigorous). Each row below is one of those codes with the calories it works out to.

Calories burned lifting weights by pace or effort
Pace or effort	Compendium code	METs	30 min, 60 kg (132 lb)	30 min, 70 kg (154 lb)	30 min, 80 kg (176 lb)	1 hour, 70 kg (154 lb)
Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps	02054	3.5	105	123	140	245
Squats and deadlifts, slow or explosive	02052	5	150	175	200	350
Health club class, gym and weights	02061	5	150	175	200	350
Circuit with supersets	02055	5.8	174	203	232	406
Free weights, vigorous	02050	6	180	210	240	420

The Compendium’s own wording for each code: 02054, “Resistance (weight) training, multiple exercises, 8-15 reps at varied resistance”; 02052, “Resistance (weight) training, squats, deadlift, slow or explosive effort”; 02061, “Health club exercise classes, general, gym/weight training combined in one visit”; 02055, “Resistance Training, circuit, reciprocal supersets, peripheral heart action training”; 02050, “Resistance (weight lifting - free weight, nautilus or universal-type), power lifting or body building, vigorous effort”.

What changes the number for lifting weights

Pace is the biggest lever. The hardest listed way of lifting weights (Free weights, vigorous) is rated at 6 METs, 1.7 times the 3.5 METs of the gentlest (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps). For a 70 kg (154 lb) person that is 420 kcal an hour against 245 kcal.

Body weight is the second: the same 3.5 METs of lifting weights for 30 minutes comes to 88 kcal at 50 kg (110 lb) and 193 kcal at 110 kg (243 lb). To reach 100 kcal at 70 kg (154 lb) takes about 24 minutes at the starting pace.

Laid out in half-hour terms for 70 kg (154 lb): multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps is 123 kcal; squats and deadlifts, slow or explosive is 175 kcal; health club class, gym and weights is 175 kcal; circuit with supersets is 203 kcal; free weights, vigorous is 210 kcal.

How the calories are worked out

The formula is calories = MET × body weight in kg × hours. A MET compares an activity with sitting quietly, which is 1 MET and is taken as roughly 1 kcal per kilogram per hour. That equivalence is an approximation, which is why every figure is rounded and called about.

For lifting weights at 3.5 METs, a 70 kg (154 lb) person for 30 minutes: 3.5 × 70 × 0.5 = 123 kcal. This is a gross figure: it includes the energy your body would spend at rest in the same time.

The MET values are those of the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al., J Sport Health Sci 2024), read from its activity list on 2026-10-23 and copied with their codes. They are averages for adults; see how we calculate.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does a 70 kg person burn lifting weights in 30 minutes?

About 123 kcal at 3.5 METs (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps). The whole range for lifting weights on this page runs from 123 kcal (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps) to 210 kcal (Free weights, vigorous) in the same half hour.

How many calories does lifting weights burn in an hour?

At 3.5 METs, about 210 kcal for a 60 kg (132 lb) person, 245 kcal at 70 kg (154 lb) and 280 kcal at 80 kg (176 lb). Heavier people burn more because they move more mass.

How long does lifting weights take to burn 100 calories?

For a 70 kg (154 lb) person, about 24 minutes at 3.5 METs (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps). At the gentlest listed pace (Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps, 3.5 METs) it takes 24 minutes, and at the hardest (Free weights, vigorous, 6 METs) about 14.

Does the number for lifting weights include the calories I would burn anyway?

Yes. Of the 3.5 METs, 1 is the resting cost, about 29% of the total here, so the activity itself adds about 88 of the 123 kcal in 30 minutes at 70 kg (154 lb).

Why would my watch show a different number for lifting weights?

A watch uses its own model, often with heart rate, age and sex, while this page uses the Compendium’s average. For lifting weights that average already spans 5 entries from 3.5 to 6 METs, a 1.7-fold range, so a gap between the two is normal.

Which line in the table should I choose for lifting weights?

Pick the row that best describes how you did it: this page starts from “Multiple exercises, 8 to 15 reps”, about 0% of the way up the 3.5 to 6 MET range. The rows are separate Compendium entries (02054, 02052, 02061, 02055, 02050).

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These are estimates for healthy adults from average MET values. How much you actually burn varies with your fitness, body composition, technique, terrain and conditions, so use the figures as a guide, not a measurement. This is not medical advice.