How Many Calories Are Burned Deadlifting in One Workout?

Calories Burned Deadlifting in One Workout

The deadlift is an ultra-powerful way to transform your body from fat to fit.

And to increase your overall body strength.

You target the major muscle groups of your entire body with the deadlift.

Even without knowing how many calories you burn while doing the deadlift.

Nevertheless, to calculate the calories you burn, use the following three simple steps.

Note that this article is for informational purposes and not medical advice.

3 Simple Steps to Calculate the Number of Calories Burned Deadlifting

#1. MET – Metabolic Equivalent of a Task

The first step to calculating how many calories you burn with physical activity is knowing the METs.

The Metabolic Equivalent of a Task (METs) will tell you how many calories you burn per hour of exercise per one kilogram of body weight.

According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, the MET for strength training methods such as powerlifting, weight lifting, powerbuilding, and bodybuilding with vigorous effort is 6.0.

The METs of squats, bench presses, and deadlifting are all 6.0. Remember that number.

1993 Compendium		2000 Compendium		2011 Compendium		Conditioning Exercise
Codes	METs	Codes	METs	Codes	METs	Description

02050

6.0

02050

6.0

02050

6.0

resistance training (weight lifting – free weights, nautilus or universal-type), powerlifting, which includes strength training exercises such as the squat, bench press, and the deadlift, bodybuilding, and vigorous effort (Taylor Code 210

#2. Determine your Weight in Kilograms

The second step in calculating how many calories you burn deadlifting is to find your weight in kilograms.

All you need to do is divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.

For example, if you weigh 195.7 pounds, the average weight of a man in the US ¹, divide this number by 2.2, which leaves you with 88.95 kilograms.

Once you know your kilogram weight, you can move to the next step’s formula.

#3. Use the METs Formula to Measure Calories Burned Deadlifting

The METs formula is:

Calories burned during deadlifting (or any other physical activity) = METs x weight in kg x time in hours.

If you do not work out for an hour, express this number as .5 for 30 minutes or .25 for a 15-minute workout.

A proper deadlift workout with some warm-up will take at least 15 minutes if not 30 minutes. If you do a full powerlifting workout of squats, bench presses, and deadlifts, you can expect to spend at least one hour.

We can plug our numbers into the formula using our 180-pound (81.8 kg) individual example.

Calories burned = METs of 6.0 for powerlifting x 88.95kg x time (1 hour or .5 for 30 minutes or .25 for 15 minutes)
6.0 x 88.95 x 1 = 533.7 (assuming an hour-long powerlifting workout).
If you did a deadlift workout in 30 minutes, your formula would be 6.0 x 88.95 x .5 = 266.85.

A Sample 500-Calorie Burning Deadlift Workout

A one-hour deadlifting workout burns more than 500 calories.

Of course, this depends on your weight (see the formula above).

Besides calories, you must also consider the muscle-building value of full-body compound exercises.

Anyone who has done a full powerlifting workout knows how intense it is. For example, imagine that you start with a squat workout:

Sample Squat Workout

55 x 10 squats to warm up.
100 x 5 to warm up.
120 x 8 x 3 sets for your squat workout.
130 x 5 box squats.
135 x 5 box squats.
Note: box squats help you build strength for the upper portion of your squat.

It would help if you rested 3 to 5 minutes between sets to regain energy in the above squat workout pattern.

After squats, since you warmed up your legs, it is a good idea to move to the deadlift.

Sample Deadlift Workout

145 pounds x 5 deadlifts to warm up
175 x 3 to warm up
195 x 8 x 2 sets for your deadlift workout

Your rest between deadlift sets is also in the 3 to 5-minute range.

Your legs will feel like jello by this point in your deadlift workout.

For all these sample workouts, plug in your numbers, whether they are less or more.

The point is not how much weight you lift but that you squat, deadlift, or bench press with proper form, whether you lift light or heavy weights.

After squats and deadlifts, you end your powerlifting workout with the bench press.

Sample Bench Press Workout

55 lbs x 12 bench presses to warm up
125 x 6 to warm up
135 x 2 to warm up
155 x 8 for the first work set of your bench press workout
If you are strong enough to increase weight, do so
160 x 8 to finish the main bench press workout

A nice touch at the end of your bench press workout is to do 3-second pause bench presses.

A 3-second bench press pause helps you get stronger to explode the weight off your chest.

In the 3-second pause, you lower the weight to your chest, leave it on it for 3 seconds, and then press.

For example:

145 x 5 bench presses with a 3-second pause on your chest.
140 x 5 with a 3-second delay on your chest.

As in the above example, you might have to lower the weight at this point in your bench press workout.

Why?

Just try the above powerlifting workout yourself and see.

Remember to take a deep breath and hold it before and while the weight lowers to your chest.

Otherwise, you might not have sufficient core stability to push the weight off your chest.

Also, NEVER do 3-second pauses without a spotter.

Number of Calories You Burn Deadlifting is Not Critical

Do you need to track the calories you burn deadlifting for weight loss?

The answer is no; you do not need to know how many calories you eat or burn to transform your body.

That might sound like heresy in our calorie-counting culture, but it is true.

You do not need a calorie calculator to get fit.

Yes, counting calories is a good start when you have no clue why you are fat, even if you think you do not eat that much.

And counting calories comes into play if you are working on gaining weight as muscle mass.

For example, if you are preparing for a powerlifting or wrestling competition, you must register for a weight class.

However, the secrets to body transformation are not only about calculating calories.

The key is consistency in your meals, quality of food you eat, learning great form, and sticking to your strength training workouts.

If you want to lose weight and get fit, you need a plan.

Every significant goal starts with a plan.

Deadlifting is a tremendous asset for gaining lean muscle and improving mental health.

Deadlifts may not burn as many calories per hour as running, but deadlifting and all intense compound movements have a significant long-term effect on the number of calories burned.

The reason is that deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and other resistance exercises increase lean muscle tissue.

When you build lean muscle tissue, you increase your metabolism, resulting in more calories burned, even when you are not in the gym!

How great is that?

The following video will help you understand why lifting weights generally builds muscle and burns more body fat than traditional cardio.

Which is the best way to burn fat? Weight training or Cardio?

Calories Burned Deadlifting – Wrapping Up

You now know how to calculate the number of calories you burn deadlifting and the calories burned in any other physical activity with a Metabolic Equivalent Task (METs).

You also have a simple deadlift workout routine that will take you at least an hour, if not more. And you now know that deadlifts are a great way to burn up to 500 calories in an hour.

Use this beginner deadlift workout routine for your 12-week beginner deadlift program.

The bottom line is if you want to know, “How many calories do I burn deadlifting?” The answer is that the number of calories burned depends on:

your weight,
the time spent on strength training and
the intensity of your workout

For example, if you are a 180-pound man, the answer is:

6.0 x 88.95 x 1 = 533.7 calories burned (assuming an hour-long deadlift workout)

While you learned that the METs of deadlifting are 6.0, the METs of circuit training are 8.0.

How to Increase Intensity

To increase the intensity, you can reduce your rest time between sets or increase the weight.

However, my suggestion is to be cautious when raising the intensity of a deadlift workout because it is already an exercise that requires full concentration.

Otherwise, you could lose your form, and only one careless deadlift can result in any one of the common deadlift injuries.

Furthermore, a deadlift workout with 5 minutes of rest between 3 work sets at 75 percent of your one-rep max can be quite intense.

Therefore, even though some fitness experts propose doing 15 to 20 reps of deadlifts to raise the EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), the number of calories you burn after a deadlifting workout, I do not recommend going beyond 10 – 12 reps.

Especially if you’re over 50!

Instead, try out this 5×5 Workout for Over 50, built around a workout using 5 sets of 5 reps, or the 3×5 Workout: The Only Strength Training Program You’ll Ever Need.

However, everybody is different, and you will find what works best.

Remember, the best workout for you will be the one you stick with consistently, week after week, and year after year.

For additional weight training tips after 50, see Strength Training for Men Over 50 + Full-Body Workout.

Do Deadlifts Burn Belly Fat?

For fat loss, you can often turn to many different exercises, such as aerobic exercises like brisk walking or anaerobic workouts like weight lifting.

However, while aerobic exercise burns energy during the activity, anaerobic exercise, like lifting weights, continues to burn energy even after you complete your resistance training workout, the phenomenon known as EPOC mentioned above.

Even better, weight training fuels muscle growth, and because more muscle burns calories, weight lifting is an excellent weight-loss method.

When it comes to resistance exercise selection, the standard deadlift is one of the best exercises for building muscle, increasing energy expenditure, and burning fat simultaneously.

Use this knowledge of the calories burned by the deadlift to motivate yourself to plan and stick to your deadlift workouts, week in and week out.

Also, as mentioned above, deadlifts are a great way to burn belly fat because of the large number of muscle groups worked by conventional deadlifts.

If anyone can testify to the fat-blasting power of this type of deadlift, it is me.

At 55, I lost 18 inches of belly fat in 6 months by deadlifting two to three times a week.

Do Deadlifts Burn Belly Fat? You Bet! — Can the deadlift reduce belly fat? You bet! Six Months Before & After Deadlift Results. Image Credit – HashiMashi.com

Consistency in deadlift training is the key to seeing results in building muscle mass, fat loss, overall strength, and even mental health.

What’s Next

You now know that deadlifting burns a ton of calories.

Knowing why deadlifting is the Best Exercise for Overweight Beginners will be helpful!

So, see these important guides for your deadlift journey:

The above articles will get you started on an excellent deadlift program.

Lose 20lbs in 3 Months PDF

Even with the deadlift, you might still struggle to hit your ideal weight for your height, also known as a healthy BMI (body mass index), if you don’t have an excellent food plan and eating lifestyle.

This is the exact plan I have used for the last ten years to maintain my escape from obesity, which started with dropping 75 pounds in 6 months.

3-Month Weight Loss Plan PDF

My new ebook contains three essential articles for achieving your ideal weight in PDF format:

While these articles are available online for free, they are a long read at 90+ pages.

If you prefer, you can purchase the Hashi Mashi Diet Plan for $10.

This way, you can refer to or read this 3-month weight loss plan anytime you want without ads, in print, or on a device.

Plus, included in this 98-page PDF, you also get these exclusive features:

Food/Grocery list printables,
Suggested meal printables,
Monthly weight loss tracker printable,
Unlimited future updates

I truly appreciate your support to help others achieve their ideal body weight, many thanks!

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Footnotes:

¹ What is the Average Weight of a Man in the United States?

Weightlifting vs. Cardio, which will burn calories the most?

Calories Burned Deadlifting: A Simple Guide to Calculate

Calories Burned Deadlifting in One Workout