Calories Burned During 45 Minutes of Light Weightlifting

Weightlifting increases your muscle mass, improves your bone density, revs up your metabolism, and helps you burn calories. The number of calories you burn in 45 minutes, however, depends on a number of factors that are largely within your realm of control. While you cannot control your gender and age, which both contribute to how quickly your body burns the calories you consume, you can control how you train. Approach your weekly workouts with a plan so that you make the most of each 45-minute weightlifting session.

  1. Less Reps More Muscle

    • Weightlifting is an effective form of exercise that can really crank up the number of calories you burn if you do it correctly. The amount of weight you lift needs to be heavy enough to fatigue your muscles to maximize your weightlifting result. The appropriate amount of weight for you may be only your body weight, a set of 5-lb. dumbbells, or a light medicine ball. Regardless of the amount of weight you use, make sure that it is heavy enough so that your muscles feel fatigue after each set of only eight to 12 repetitions.

    Increase Muscle to Increase Burn

    • When you regularly lift weights you will get stronger; this will allow you to lift more weight. Lifting more weight burns more calories during the lift and afterwards. That's because weightlifting improves your muscle-to-fat body composition, and muscle burns more calories than fat -- even when you are not working out. When you can easily do more than 12 repetitions with the weight you are using, add a little more so that you continue to get stronger and burn more calories.

    Mix Up Your Minutes

    • The American College of Sports Medicine recommends you strength train each major muscle group two to three days each week. You can easily target these muscles with two to four sets of weightlifting exercises in less than 45 minutes. Mix up your minutes by alternating between one set of weightlifting and one set of cardiovascular exercise like jumping jacks, jumping rope, running or cycling. This type of circuit training burns twice as many calories as weightlifting alone.

    Calories Count -- In and Out

    • If you weigh 125 pounds, 155 pounds or 185 pounds, you can expect to burn 135, 168, or 200 calories respectively when you lift weights for 45 minutes. Exercise with lighter weights and less intensity and you will burn less calories or choose heavier weights and higher intensity to burn more. A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Keep tabs on the number of calories you consume and the ones you burn to reach or maintain the weight you desire. Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to healthfully fuel and refuel your body before and after your calorie-burning workouts.