How many calories does powerlifting burn?

At 6 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 210 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.

What is the MET value for powerlifting?

6 METs, listed under Compendium code 02050. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.

Should I subtract my resting metabolism?

If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for powerlifting leaves about 83 per cent of the gross total.

Why does body weight change the answer?

A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.

How accurate is this figure?

It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.

Calories burned powerlifting

Powerlifting is rated at 6 METs, meaning it costs about 6 times as much energy per minute as sitting still. Enter your weight and duration to turn that into kilocalories.

Result

These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.

The MET value and where it comes from

MET value: 6
Compendium code: 02050
Listed as: Resistance (weight lifting free weight, nautilus or universal type), power lifting or bodybuilding, vigorous effort
Category: Gym and studio

The Compendium assigns powerlifting a value of 6 METs. One MET is what sitting quietly costs, so this activity is about 6 times that per minute of doing it.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 6 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (6 − 1) × weight × hours

Source: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. "2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities." Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(1), 2024, pp. 6–12. MET values are population averages; roughly 18% of Compendium entries are estimated rather than measured.

The figure above is gross energy — everything spent during the session, including the resting metabolism you would have used anyway. Subtracting one MET-hour per hour gives what powerlifting actually added.

The 6 MET figure for powerlifting is a population average. The Compendium itself notes that individual energy cost varies with fitness, technique, terrain and body composition, so treat it as an order of magnitude rather than a measurement.

Calories burned by body weight and duration

Gross energy in kilocalories. Read across from your weight and down from your duration. A 70 kg person uses about 420 kcal an hour, of which roughly 350 is above what resting would have cost.

Calories burned by body weight and duration
Body weight	15 min	20 min	30 min	45 min	60 min	90 min
55 kg	83	110	165	248	330	495
65 kg	98	130	195	293	390	585
75 kg	113	150	225	338	450	675
85 kg	128	170	255	383	510	765
95 kg	143	190	285	428	570	855
110 kg	165	220	330	495	660	990

Compared with related activities

Energy used per thirty minutes at 70 kg, so the activities are directly comparable.

Comparison with related activities
Activity	METs	kcal / 30 min
Powerlifting	6	210
Weight training	3.5	123
Circuit training	6	210
Calisthenics	7.5	263
HIIT	11	385
Stationary cycling	6.8	238

Questions

How many calories does powerlifting burn?: At 6 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 210 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.
What is the MET value for powerlifting?: 6 METs, listed under Compendium code 02050. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.
Should I subtract my resting metabolism?: If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for powerlifting leaves about 83 per cent of the gross total.
Why does body weight change the answer?: A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.
How accurate is this figure?: It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.