How Many Calories Does a Bench Press Burn?
If you're bench pressing, you're burning calories, but not quite the way most people think. On average, it burns between 3 to 7 calories per minute, given your body weight, intensity of lift, rest time, and structure of workout. The standard bench press workout could burn 90 to 180 calories in 30 minutes, sometimes more when combined with smart programming.
Here, you will know how many calories does a bench press burn, compared with other exercises, and how you can still benefit from bench pressing to shed some pounds, gain strength, and keep your metabolism working. It doesn't matter if you train for fun or are part of the serious lifters; this blog explains it in a straightforward and truthful manner.
Factors Affecting How Many Calories You Can Burn Bench Pressing
Your calorie burn during bench presses varies because your body reacts differently to each workout. Your workout performance can change based on recovery, sleep quality, and decisions like should you workout when sick with a cold.
Body weight and muscle mass
A heavier person will naturally burn more calories bench pressing simply because it takes more energy to move a bigger body. Good muscle mass also increases oxygen demand during the various sets to greater calorie burn and consumes more energy while functioning. Hence, a 200-pound lifter burning significantly more calories than a 140-pound lifter doing the same bench press workout is quite a reasonable assumption.
Weight lifted and Intensity
The heavier the dumbbell you bench, the more energy your body must generate to perform each rep. High-intensity sets taken close to muscular failure raise your heart rate and oxygen use, which accounts for the total calorie burn being increased. Light bench pressing at minimal effort doesn't make enough metabolic demand for the same effect. A combination of long breaks and low exertion level greatly decreases the number of calories you burn in the session.
Volume: Sets, Reps, and Time Under Tension
Your total training volume is one of the main factors that determine your calorie burn during a bench press workout. The more working sets you do, the more energy you use over the entire session.
In addition, by slowing the lowering phase of each rep, you increase the time under tension which in turn causes your muscles to work for a longer time. When your volume is high, 10 hard sets will surely consume more calories than 5 easy ones.
Rest periods between sets
The duration of your rest strongly determines how many calories you can burn bench pressing. When you take long breaks your heart rate can completely drop, thus reducing the total amount of energy spent.
However, shorter rests give your cardiovascular system the chance to stay engaged and in this way, you can increase your total calorie burn even if the exercises remain unchanged.
Calories Burned Bench Press by Body Weight (Estimates)
Calories that will be used up in doing bench press workout depend greatly on your body weight and how intensely you overall train. The below accuracies reflect the actual energy use with resistance training MET values under normal gym conditions.
| Body Weight | Estimated Calories Burned (30-Minute Bench Session) |
|---|---|
| 125 lbs | 90-120 calories |
| 155 lbs | 110-150 calories |
| 185 lbs | 130-170 calories |
| 205 lbs or more | 150-200+ calories |
Comparing Bench Press with Other Exercises: How it Stands
When you compare bench press with other exercises, it is easier for you to see how it is placed for calorie burning, muscle building, and getting results in the long run:
Bench Press vs Push-Ups
Continuously doing push-ups keeps the heart rate elevated, which helps burn slightly more calories per minute in the short term. This happens because the exercise engages stabilizing muscles that work to maintain balance throughout each repetition. However, bench pressing provides the opportunity to use heavier weights, resulting in greater strength improvement and muscle growth as time goes by.
Bench Press vs Squats and Deadlifts
Squats and deadlifts burn higher calories as they engage larger muscles of the body, such as the legs, glutes, and lower back. These exercises demand more energy from the body in each set. Regardless, bench press can still be a good source of calories if you intersperse it in your upper-body or full-body workout routine.
Bench Press vs Cardio
Cardio exercises like running tend to burn more calories during the actual workout because they involve constant movement. Due to the breaks in between sets, bench pressing does not burn that many calories at the moment. Nevertheless, the muscle that you gain from the bench press will help increase your resting metabolism, and burn more calories even after the workout.
The Afterburn Effect (EPOC) and Bench Press
Heavy resistance training creates an afterburn effect, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This means your body continues burning calories for hours after training.
High-intensity bench workouts:
- Increase oxygen demand post-training
- Elevate metabolism temporarily
- Support long-term fat loss
Caloric Expenditure from Bench Presses Based on Different Fitness Goals
Depending on your goal in fitness, bench pressing serves many different purposes. Although caloric burn can be important for many people, the real worth of bench pressing is losing body fat, increasing muscle mass, or developing functional strength.
Fat Loss
Bench pressing should be included in an organized weight loss programme that has an adequate diet and a consistent exercise routine to achieve the best results. It helps maintain your lean body mass while dieting (this helps prevent your metabolism from slowing down as your weight decreases).
Muscle Gain
When one's purpose is to build muscle, it's not so much about how many calories you burn during a particular exercise. Bench pressing will produce great results in adding size and density to the chest, shoulder, and triceps areas and improving how your body looks and functions over time.
Strength Development
When lifting heavy for low reps, the bench press feels less like a calorie burner, and you will typically rest longer between sets. However, this does add overall physical capacity during other week-long training sessions, which will allow you higher calories burned in this overall training week.
The Bottom Line
Now is the right moment to start training with intent if you want to stop wasting time on ineffective workouts. Luckily, TempleFitness’s personalized strength training programs help you effectively burn calories and build more muscle while feeling progressively stronger each week. Take the next step and train with professionals who understand strength, fat loss, and real results in Franklin, TN.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories does bench press burn per rep?
A single bench press rep burns less than one calorie. So, calories increase only when reps and sets add up over time.
Does incline bench burn more calories?
Incline bench burns slightly more calories compared to flat bench. This is due to greater shoulder and upper chest involvement.
Is bench press better than machines?
Generally, the free-weight bench press uses more stabilizing muscles than machines. This can lead to higher energy use during the lift.
How many calories does a chest workout burn?
A full chest workout typically burns 150–300 calories. However, the exact number depends on intensity and rest time.
