Calories Burned by Lifting Weights

How many calories are burned by weightlifting? Approximately 180 and 500 calories an hour by lifting weights, for an average adult is a straight answer. But have you wondered why and how? One of the most common questions that is asked by the gym goers to their trainers is that, how many calories are burned by lifting weights? Calories burned vary on the basis of several factors such as your weight, consumption of food or amount of exercise, etc.

Calories
From the point of view of physics, calories can be simply defined as the amount of energy, that if burnt, is capable of raising the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade. The similar concept of calorie can be also applied in medical sciences. The amount of food energy and nutrition that is thus generated is known as 1 calorie. Most of the food and health ministries of different countries all around the world have set some standard values in terms of calories for different foods and food items. Some nations even use advanced units like kilo calorie or joules in order to derive the calorific value of a specific food item. After the consumption of food, your body stores up a specific amount of 'calories' or rather 'energy'. According to the 1200 calorie diet menu plan your body needs at least 1200 calories to keep functioning smoothly. The concept of 'burning of calories' is derived from the rate of metabolism of the body. Many different parts of the body, that range from the different systems to simple cells play an important role in the process of metabolism. This is the reason for inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide.

Fats and Muscles
Medical practitioners use the theory of fats and muscles, when it comes to burning of calories. According to many proven medical results, an average human body requires 2 calories worth of heat per pound of fat, to maintain all the bodily functions. In the same manner, the body also requires 6 calories per pound for muscles every day. Hence, logically by just sitting on the couch for the whole day, a person with more muscles burns more calories than a person with more fats.

Muscles in the Body
The key to burn more calories is to increase the exercise of the muscles. Very few calories are burnt while lifting weights. Calories burned by weightlifting are very less due to the fact that when we lift weights, we only employ the muscles in our chest, back and arms. Due to this, you develop your muscles and burn a good amount of calories. However, you would not become lean and trim. You are only concentrating on the muscles in the torso, while lifting weights. Calories burnt by weightlifting are thus pretty limited, as you are ignoring a lot of muscles in the body. Activities like running, cycling and swimming employ a lot many muscles within the body, such as the muscles in the legs, abdomen and the cardiovascular muscles. These exercises thus burn almost twice the amount of calories.

The amount of calories burned by lifting weights cannot be derived by any mathematical formula. But have you ever wondered why are swimmers and athletes slimmer and leaner than most of hefty wrestlers and weightlifters? You can choose the body shape and exercise that you like, as both of them are equally healthy.