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How many calories does a dumbbell workout burn

A hard hour with dumbbells and other free weights burns about 440 kcal if you weigh around 70 kg.

An hour, hard, short rests
kcal burned
30 minutes, working hard220 kcal
An hour, hard, short rests440 kcal
An hour of steady sets, 8 to 15 reps255 kcal

That's about

2Croissant
2Beer

These numbers are for an adult of about 70 kg, from the Compendium of Physical Activities. It puts free weights and weight machines on the same line, so a dumbbell burns no more than a machine at the same effort. What moves the number is how hard you work and how long you rest.

Lifting hard with short rests is about 440 kcal an hour and 220 for half an hour. Steady sets of 8 to 15 reps with a proper rest in between come to about 255 an hour, which is what most sessions at home look like.

A kettlebell burns more a minute, because swings keep you moving: ten minutes is about 120 kcal. Dumbbells win on range. One pair covers presses, rows, lunges and curls, so you can train your whole body in a corner of the living room.

Tips

  1. 1Adjustable dumbbells take up less space than a rack and grow with you.
  2. 2Pair a push with a pull, a press then a row, and rest after both.
  3. 3Add a rep before you add weight, and go heavier when the last set feels easy.

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dumbbells 1 hour

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Questions

Do dumbbells burn more calories than machines?

Not at the same effort. The Compendium has one line for free weights and machines, and a hard hour is about 440 kcal either way.

Dumbbells or a kettlebell, which burns more?

The kettlebell, per minute. Ten minutes of swings is about 120 kcal, a hard half hour with dumbbells about 220.

How many calories does a 30 minute dumbbell workout burn?

About 220 kcal if you work hard with short rests, for someone of 70 kg.

How do I log a dumbbell workout in Caltype?

Type "dumbbells 1 hour" or "dumbbells 30 min" and the calories are added back to your day.

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Most calories burned per hour

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