How Many Calories Do You Burn Deadlifting? | Lift Math

How Many Calories Do You Burn Deadlifting? By Weight And Pace

Deadlifts sit in a special spot: big muscles, short bursts, steady rests. The energy cost swings with load, rest, and how heavy you go. The clean way to estimate it uses METs, a standard that tags effort by how many times above rest you’re working. The math converts that tag into calories with a simple line: kcal per minute = MET × 3.5 × body weight(kg) ÷ 200. Then you multiply by minutes you’re actually lifting and resting inside the session window.

What MET should you use? For light to moderate deadlifting, the Compendium lists values around 3–3.5 METs. With heavy work and tighter rests, 6 METs fits real-world sets. That range matches how your breathing and heart rate feel on the platform and lines up with research-used tables.

30-Minute Estimates By Body Weight

The table below shows ballpark calories for a 30-minute deadlift block. Numbers assume either a steady moderate pace or a demanding block with short rests.

Body Weight	Moderate (3.5 METs)	Hard (6.0 METs)
60 kg (132 lb)	110 kcal	189 kcal
75 kg (165 lb)	138 kcal	236 kcal
90 kg (198 lb)	165 kcal	284 kcal
105 kg (231 lb)	193 kcal	331 kcal

That’s session energy, not just bar-in-hands time. If you wear a monitor, you’ll see spikes during sets and slower drift in rests. Setting a calorie deficit then turns that burn into steady progress across the week.

How The Formula Works

Start with the MET tag for the effort you plan to run. Multiply by 3.5 to convert to oxygen use per kilogram per minute, then scale by body weight to get total oxygen use per minute. Divide by 200 to turn milliliters of oxygen into kilocalories. That gives you a per-minute burn you can scale by session length.

Per-Minute Numbers You Can Use

• 60 kg lifter: ~3.7 kcal/min at 3.5 METs; ~6.3 kcal/min at 6 METs.
• 75 kg lifter: ~4.6 kcal/min at 3.5 METs; ~7.9 kcal/min at 6 METs.
• 90 kg lifter: ~5.5 kcal/min at 3.5 METs; ~9.4 kcal/min at 6 METs.

Plug your own body weight into the same line and you’ll match the first table. If your block runs longer or shorter than 30 minutes, scale the minutes.

What Changes The Number

Body Weight

Heavier lifters move more mass and breathe harder at a given MET. The formula scales linearly with kilograms, so two lifters using the same plan will see different totals.

Intensity And Load

Pulling near five-rep max, running heavy singles, or using short rests lifts the MET. Technique work keeps the tag lower. The lift stays the same; the dose changes the cost.

Set Density And Rest

Shorter breaks mean more minutes working inside the half hour. That bumps the session number even with the same weight on the bar.

Range Of Motion And Setup

Deficit pulls, tempo work, or pausing add time under tension. Sumo with a tight setup trims total bar travel for some lifters. Small differences add up across sets.

Experience And Technique

Efficient pulling reduces wasted effort. If your brace and bar path stay tight, you’ll spend less energy on drift and more on moving the load.

Accessories In The Same Block

Row variations, hip hinges, or back extensions added between sets nudge MET upward. A pure deadlift block with longer rests lands on the low end.

Do Deadlifts Burn More Than Cardio?

Not minute for minute. A steady jog at 8 METs beats most strength blocks for raw burn. Deadlifts shine by stacking strength, muscle, and a moderate calorie hit in one session. Many lifters prefer that return.

Sample Sessions And Estimated Burn

These presets show how the math plays out for a 75 kg lifter. Swap in your weight and minutes to personalize the line.

Session Type	Time	Estimated Calories
Technique block, submax sets (3.5 METs)	30 min	~138 kcal
Strength work, 5×5 plus accessories (~5 METs)	45 min	~295 kcal
Heavy singles, short rests (6 METs)	60 min	~472 kcal

How To Nudge Burn Up Or Down

Shorten Rests

Trim 30–60 seconds from each break. Keep bar speed snappy. Stop if form slips.

Add A Density Set

Run a 10-minute EMOM with light triples after your main work. Extra volume without mindless fatigue.

Pair With Simple Accessories

Hip hinge or vertical pull between sets raises breathing without crushing the next pull.

Extend The Block

Another 10 minutes at the same MET scales the total. If you feel cooked, save it for next time.

How This Aligns With Public Guidance

Deadlifting counts toward the two days of weekly muscle-strengthening recommended for adults. If you also chase aerobic minutes, pace your week so the next pull still moves cleanly. The CDC’s talk test can help you judge intensity for your cardio work while your heavy sessions cover strength.

Method, Sources, And Limits

MET values come from research-backed references used by exercise scientists and health agencies. The MET-to-kcal equation is a standard conversion that ties oxygen use to calories. Wearables estimate energy with their own sensors and models, so your watch may differ from MET math during short, stop-start work. Treat the tables as a grounded estimate, then track your own sessions for a tighter number. You can also confirm intensity ranges with the CDC page linked in the card above, and look up activity codes in the Compendium database to match your plan.

Want a step-by-step plan for intake alongside training? Try our daily calorie intake guide.