ParrotPalHow many calories does lifting weights burn? Weights vs cardio vs BJJ
An hour of weight training burns about 265 kcal for a 75 kg person at a normal gym pace, or about 450 kcal if it's hard and heavy. The same hour running at 10-minute miles burns about 700 kcal, and an hour of BJJ rolling about 775. But weights and cardio do different jobs: cardio and BJJ burn more, while weights build and keep muscle.
Your 60 minutes, side by side
at 75 kgEstimates: MET × your weight in kg × hours, from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Your real number can be higher or lower. Saved on this device only.
Calories burned in 60 minutes: weights vs cardio vs BJJ
Kilocalories (kcal) for 60 minutes of each activity. Find your weight across the top.
| 60 minutes of | 60 kg | 75 kg | 90 kg | 105 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weights, normal gym paceCode 02054 · 3.5 METs | 210 | 265 | 315 | 370 |
| Weights, hard (heavy, short rests)Code 02050 · 6.0 METs | 360 | 450 | 540 | 630 |
| Kettlebell or weights circuit, minimal restCode 02040 · 7.5 METs | 450 | 565 | 675 | 790 |
| Brisk walking, 3.5 to 3.9 mphCode 17200 · 4.8 METs | 290 | 360 | 430 | 505 |
| Rowing machine, 100 to 149 wattsCode 02072 · 7.5 METs | 450 | 565 | 675 | 790 |
| Cycling, 12 to 14 mphCode 01030 · 8.0 METs | 480 | 600 | 720 | 840 |
| Running, 10-minute milesCode 12050 · 9.3 METs | 560 | 700 | 835 | 975 |
| BJJ class (40 min drilling, 20 min rolling)Codes 15425 and 15430 | 420 | 525 | 625 | 730 |
| BJJ rolling, the full hourCode 15430 · 10.3 METs | 620 | 775 | 925 | 1,080 |
MET values and codes from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. The BJJ class row adds 40 minutes at 5.3 METs (code 15425) to 20 minutes at 10.3 METs (code 15430).
How many calories does weight lifting burn?
Less than most people expect, because most of a weights session is rest. You lift for 30 to 60 seconds, then rest for one to three minutes. The Compendium's figures:
- A normal session, several exercises of 8 to 15 reps with rests between sets: 3.5 METs, about 265 kcal an hour at 75 kg.
- Hard training, heavy lifting or bodybuilding with short rests: 6.0 METs, about 450 kcal.
- A circuit, kettlebells or weights moving from one exercise to the next with little rest: 7.5 METs, about 565 kcal.
So the calories from lifting depend mostly on how long you rest. That's fine: the rest is what lets you lift heavy enough for the work to count.
Cardio: running, cycling and rowing
Steady cardio keeps you moving the whole time, so it burns more. At 75 kg: running at 10-minute miles (9.3 METs) is about 700 kcal an hour, cycling at 12 to 14 mph (8.0 METs) about 600 kcal, a hard rowing machine session at 100 to 149 watts (7.5 METs) about 565 kcal, and brisk walking (4.8 METs) about 360 kcal.
Where BJJ fits
Brazilian jiu-jitsu sits at the top of the table. A 60-minute class with drilling first and rolling at the end is about 525 kcal at 75 kg, and a full hour of hard rolling about 775 kcal, more than running at 10-minute miles. For drilling vs rolling, gi vs no-gi and competition, see how many calories BJJ burns. If you're thinking of trying it, an app for learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu between classes, such as JitsAI, can help with the basics.
Weights vs cardio for weight loss: two different jobs
Cardio and BJJ burn more calories in an hour (about 435 kcal more for running than a normal weights session at 75 kg) and build fitness: your heart, lungs and stamina.
Weights burn fewer calories, but build and keep muscle and strength. That's the job cardio can't do as well.
When you eat less to lose weight, some of what comes off is usually lean mass, muscle included, not just fat. In the big GLP-1 trial, about 4 in every 10 kilos people lost weren't fat (STEP 1 body scans: 5.3 kg of 13.6 kg lost was lean mass; Wilding et al., 2021). Other studies vary, from 15 to 40%, about a quarter in meta-analyses.
A review of the research on keeping muscle during weight loss (Cava, Yeat and Mittendorfer, Advances in Nutrition, 2017) found that both endurance and resistance exercise help preserve muscle mass while you lose weight, and that resistance exercise also improves strength. So the best plan for most people is both: some cardio or a sport you enjoy, and some strength work.
The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines say the same for adults: 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, plus activities that build strength on at least two days.
On Mounjaro or Wegovy: why weights matter more
On a GLP-1, people usually eat a lot less, and weight can come off quickly. The scale shows how much you lose, not what. Strength work tells your body the muscle is still needed, and with enough protein it's one of the habits linked to protecting muscle while the fat comes off.
It doesn't have to be a gym. Sit-to-stands from a chair, wall press-ups, resistance bands or carrying shopping all count. Two short sessions a week is a good aim. Our guide to muscle loss on Mounjaro has more, and the protein calculator works out your daily target. If you feel weak, dizzy, very tired or unwell, talk to your prescriber, GP or pharmacist. If it feels urgent, call NHS 111.
Do weights burn more calories after you finish?
A little. Your body uses some extra energy for a while after any hard session, weights included, but it's small next to the session itself. It doesn't change the picture: weights are for muscle and strength, not for burning calories.
How we worked it out
Every number uses the same sum: MET × body weight in kg × hours. A MET is how hard an activity is compared with sitting still; one MET is roughly 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour. Weights at a normal pace, 3.5 METs, for a 75 kg person for one hour is 3.5 × 75 × 1 = 262.5, which we round to 265 kcal.
The MET values come from the Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE and colleagues, 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024. They're averages for adults, so your real number can be higher or lower, and intensity and rest periods change it a lot. Fitness watches and gym machines often get calories wrong too: in a Stanford study of seven wrist-worn devices, none estimated calories to within 20% (Shcherbina and colleagues, Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2017).
Log it in ParrotPal
Tell ParrotPal what you did, like “45 minutes of weights” or “a 5k run”, or add it by hand with how long it lasted. Workouts recorded in Apple Health can come in too. Strength sessions count towards your LeanShield™ score, which rates the habits linked to protecting muscle.
Pair your training with protein
Whatever you train, protein is what helps you keep the muscle. Work out your number in 10 seconds.
Work out my protein How many calories BJJ burns Free LeanShield scoreThe ParrotPal app: 4.7★ on the App Store · 700,000+ people · iPhone. Get it on the App Store
Questions people ask
How many calories does lifting weights burn in an hour?
For a 75 kg person, about 265 kcal for an hour at a normal gym pace, with rests between sets, and about 450 kcal if it is hard and heavy with short rests. A kettlebell or weights circuit with minimal rest is about 565 kcal. These are estimates from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
Does cardio burn more calories than weights?
Yes, minute for minute. At 75 kg, an hour of running at 10-minute miles is about 700 kcal, cycling at 12 to 14 mph about 600 kcal and a hard rowing machine session about 565 kcal, against about 265 kcal for a normal weights session.
Is weights or cardio better for weight loss?
Both help, in different ways. Cardio and sports like BJJ burn more calories in an hour. Weights do the job cardio can't: they build and keep muscle, which matters even more when you're eating less. Most people do best with some of each.
How many calories does BJJ burn compared with weights?
About twice as many or more. A 60-minute BJJ class is about 525 kcal at 75 kg and an hour of hard rolling about 775 kcal, against about 265 kcal for a normal weights session.
Should I lift weights on Mounjaro or Wegovy?
Strength work is one of the habits linked to keeping muscle while you lose weight, along with enough protein and a steady pace. It doesn't have to be a gym: resistance bands, sit-to-stands and wall press-ups count. This isn't medical advice: if you have a health condition or haven't exercised for a while, check with your GP or prescriber first.
Are gym machine and watch calorie numbers accurate?
Treat them as rough. In a Stanford study of seven wrist-worn devices, none estimated calories to within 20% (Shcherbina and colleagues, Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2017). Weights are especially hard for a watch, because your heart rate rises while you barely move.
Also from ParrotPal
Please read. This page is general information, not medical advice. It isn't tailored to you and doesn't replace advice from your prescriber, GP or dietitian. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, a history of disordered eating or any other medical condition, check with them before changing how you eat or exercise. If you have a health condition or haven’t exercised for a while, check with your GP first. Calorie figures are estimates.
Mounjaro® is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company, and Wegovy® and Ozempic® of Novo Nordisk. ParrotPal isn't affiliated with or endorsed by either company. LeanShield™ is ParrotPal's muscle protection score: it rates the habits linked to protecting muscle, is not a medical device and doesn't measure muscle.
JitsAI is a BJJ training app from the same founder as ParrotPal.