How Many Calories Should I Burn in a Workout?

You’re probably wondering, “How many calories should I burn in a workout?” If so, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with this question. A certified personal trainer at Crunch Fitness, Rena Oliver, explained that how many calories you burn will depend on your fitness goals and body type. In general, though, you should aim to burn more calories than you consume during a workout to lose weight and build muscle.

How many calories should you burn in a workout? Well, let me answer that question with another question. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Ah, you are. I can tell by the hours in front of your computer and stray coffee cups strewn around. Wait — you have kids, too?! Okay, I’m done joking around . . . how many calories should you burn in a workout?

HIIT

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, and it’s the only form of exercise that produces this effect. During a typical workout, you can expect to burn around 12 to 22 calories per minute.

However, HIIT is much more intense, so the number of calories burned during a single session can differ depending on your own individual needs. While calorie burn in a HIIT workout is much higher than in a standard exercise routine, the amount of calories burned during a HIIT workout is dependent on your individual fitness level, workout equipment, and training style.

HIIT training

You can increase the amount of calories you burn in HIIT workouts by increasing your basal metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn every day just to breathe and digest food. During intense exercise, your heart rate increases to about 80% of its maximum, while your basal rate remains relatively constant. Moderate-intensity exercise keeps your heart rate in the 50% to 70% range.

Strength training

There are several factors that determine how many calories you burn in strength training. While cardio burns more calories, strength training builds muscle. More muscle burns more calories even while at rest. It also continues to burn calories for hours after a workout. The average person burns approximately 10 calories per minute during strength training. A person who weighs 165 pounds will burn 125 calories per hour while strength training. People with large muscle mass will burn more calories than people who weigh less than that.

Slow-paced walking

In a study published in 2005, researchers found that walking at a slower pace increased the number of calories burned. Women who were obese in the study burned more calories per minute than those who walked at a faster pace, although the researchers did not examine men and have not repeated the study. This suggests that slow-paced walking could increase the length of your walks, which could be a benefit for over-weight individuals.

METs

METs measure the amount of oxygen your body expends during physical activity. One MET equals 3.5 milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute of activity. For instance, a 70 kg person will burn approximately 1.5 calories per minute while sitting in a chair. As a result, it is important to calculate the amount of calories your workout should burn in METs.

METs are energy spent at rest

To help determine the intensity and duration of your workout, it is helpful to understand how the METs of different physical activities work. One MET is equivalent to 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute during rest. During activity, however, your body needs more oxygen, causing you to consume more calories than at rest. In order to understand how the METs of different physical activities work, you need to know what you’re consuming.

Glycogen stores

To determine how many calories you’re burning, you need to consider your entire daily calorie intake. If you’re on a diet, you’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn through exercise. In addition, the body uses stored glycogen, which is primarily made of carbohydrates, to create energy. When all of the available sugar is consumed, the body turns to fatty acids for energy. However, this calorie-burning process may be different for every person.

Resting heart rate

Your resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of beats your body makes each minute at rest. It usually ranges from 60 to 100 bpm. During a workout, your heart rate will increase and the intensity of your exercise will be determined by the maximum heart rate (maximal). This is usually reached during high-intensity workouts.

When you work out, it’s easy to think you should exercise as much as possible and burn as many calories as you can. But that’s not always beneficial. Instead of burning every last calorie you can, aim for a moderate workout. That way, you’ll have enough energy left over to build muscle and keep burning calories throughout the rest of the day.