How many calories does weightlifting burn?

A 125-pound person weightlifting for 30 minutes burns 90 calories. The actual number of calories burned varies from person to person depending on the intensity and duration of the activity and the weight of the person. A person weighing more or doing a more intense activity burns more calories.

Doing an hour of cardiovascular exercise actually burns more calories than weightlifting for the same duration. However, a study showed that women burned an additional 100 calories in the 24-hour period after they did their weight training. Moreover, lifting heavier weights, up to 85 percent of the person's maximum load, contributed to burning even more calories in the two hours after finishing the activity.