Why Lifting Weights Burns More Calories Than You Think

Cardio Burns Calories — But Lifting Keeps Burning for Days

We’ve all been there: drenched in sweat after a cardio session, watching our fitness trackers rack up calories. It feels like you’ve just torched a ton of fat. And you probably did — during that workout.

But here’s the truth: if you’re only focusing on how many calories you burn during a workout, you’re missing the bigger picture. Especially when it comes to lifting weights.

Cardio Burns Now. Lifting Burns Later (and Longer).

Cardio is great — it builds endurance, improves heart health, and definitely has its place. But once you step off the treadmill or bike, your calorie burn drops dramatically.

Strength training and CrossFit are different.

When you lift weights like we do in CrossFit, especially heavy ones, you’re creating tiny micro-tears in your muscle tissue. Your body now has a job to do: repair, rebuild, and come back stronger. That repair process takes energy — a lot of it — and can last for 24 to 72 hours post-workout.

This phenomenon is known as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), or more simply, the afterburn effect. Your body is literally burning calories at an elevated rate long after your lifting session ends.

Real Talk: More Muscle = Higher Metabolism

Muscle is metabolically active. That means the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn — even while you’re sitting at your desk, sleeping, or binging Netflix. Cardio alone won’t build that kind of muscle mass. But strength training will.

The Bottom Line

Yes, cardio torches calories in the moment. But lifting weights builds a body that burns calories all the time.

If you want to lose fat, build lean muscle, and boost your metabolism for the long haul — don’t just lift. Lift heavy. Then let your body do the work.