Strength training calorie consumption

For a 60-minute regular strength training session with medium load (standard movements, able to complete 8-12 reps to failure), and 1-2 minutes of rest between sets, the real-time calorie consumption is in the range of 200-450 kcal, which is almost the same as 2-3 large bags of fresh meat. Excessive oxygen consumption 12-24 hours after training (also known as the "afterburn effect") can also burn an additional 50-150 kcal, which is equivalent to half a cup to a cup of full-sugar milk tea. If you can persist in regular training for more than 3 months and increase the basal metabolism caused by muscle gain, the extra calories you can consume every month is almost the same as 3 to 5 meals of ordinary hot pot - but you must also know that this number has a huge floating range, and there is no universal "standard consumption value".

The fitness circle has been arguing about this matter for almost ten years. Two groups of people have their own reasons. One group boasts about the consumption of strength training, saying that 1 hour of training can provide 3 hours of aerobic energy, and the afterburn effect can last for 3 days; In fact, there is nothing wrong with what both sides say, it's just that their standpoints are different, and the people who are watching are also different.

I have measured it several times during my squat day. I performed 10 sets of 100kg back squats, 10 times each, interspersed with lunges and leg curls. The rest between sets was limited to 1 and a half minutes without touching my phone. The medical-grade heart rate monitor I wore measured my immediate consumption of 380 calories. When I woke up the next day, my resting heart rate was higher than usual. By 8%, the calories burned after calculation is about 120 kcal, which adds up to just over 500 kcal, which is about the same as what I consume by jogging at a constant speed for 50 minutes. But that day I ate an extra bowl of rice for dinner and was hungry before I went to bed. To put it bluntly, the muscle repair process is still consuming energy, and this part cannot be measured by the watch.

If you can’t help but scroll through Douyin for five minutes between sets, the consumption will be cut in half. Last time I took a friend who was just starting to do chest training. He did two sets of bench presses and sat down to watch short videos. After one hour, the consumption measured by the watch was only 170 kcal, which was not as high in calories as the bottle of ice Coke he drank before training. If you always use 2kg dumbbells to do shoulder exercises, it is normal that the consumption is three times worse than that of someone who uses 20kg to do presses. After all, the laws of physics are like this. The more work you do, the higher the consumption will be. There is nothing good to do.

Controversy about the afterburn effect does exist. I have previously checked the research of the American College of Sports Medicine. The EPOC of high-volume and high-intensity strength training like that of professional athletes during the preparation period can indeed last for 72 hours, and the additional consumption can reach more than 300 calories. However, another experiment on ordinary fitness enthusiasts also showed that the afterburning effect disappears in most people's usual training intensity in 24 hours at most, and the additional consumption rarely exceeds 150 calories. To put it bluntly, if you haven’t practiced to the point where your legs hurt even when you go down the stairs the next day, don’t believe in the saying that you will burn for three days after practicing once, but there is no need to think that the afterburn is a lie, it is still a little bit, and it is better than sitting there scrolling through your phone for an hour.

In fact, the real advantage of strength training is not immediate consumption at all, but long-term metabolic improvement. 1kg of muscle consumes about 13 kcal per day at rest, and 1kg of fat consumes only 2 kcal. My best friend used to run 5 kilometers every day and lost 8 kilograms after running for 3 months. However, she regained 6 kilograms after stopping running for half a month. After training for half a year, she gained 4 kilograms of muscle. Now she can burn 44 kcal more than before while lying down every day. After one year, she burns more than 16,000 kcal, which is almost equivalent to the calories of 4.5 kilograms of pure fat. This is not a lot of consumption, just eat one more small egg tart, but the advantage is that the water flows smoothly, and her current weight is about the same as when she was running at her thinnest. Her waist circumference is 3cm smaller, and she does not feel tired after walking around for an afternoon. In her words, this metabolic improvement is worth it to get a body that does not rebound.

There is really no need to focus on the consumption figures on the watch every time you train. The error of that thing can be up to 30%. It is better to do the exercises in place when practicing and not to mess around when taking breaks between sets. If you are anxious to lose weight quickly, then combining it with aerobics will definitely give you faster results. However, if you want to lose weight without rebounding, you can usually deliver a package and twist a bottle cap without calling anyone, and you can also have slim lines while wearing tights. The rewards that strength training gives you are far more than what you can count by burning a few calories.