Lifting weights doesn't use much energy because it's mostly controlled lowering and long breaks between sets.
Scientific Claim
Resistance training is energetically inefficient in terms of total caloric expenditure due to predominant eccentric muscle actions and prolonged inter-set rest periods.
Original Statement
“Strength training simply doesn't burn that much energy. It relies heavily on eccentric muscle actions, which are very energy efficient, and there are very long rest periods in between your sets.”
Context Details
Domain
exercise
Population
human
Subject
resistance training
Action
is energetically inefficient due to
Target
predominant eccentric muscle actions and prolonged inter-set rest periods
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (3)
EPOC Comparison Between Isocaloric Bouts of Steady-State Aerobic, Intermittent Aerobic, and Resistance Training
The study found that weight training burned just as many calories overall as cardio — and kept your body burning more calories for hours afterward. So, it’s not inefficient, as the claim says.
The study didn’t test the kind of weightlifting described in the claim—it tested a fast, intense workout with special machines. Even regular weightlifting in the study burned fewer calories than the intense version, but that doesn’t prove regular weightlifting is inefficient due to slow movements or long breaks.
The study found that eccentric movements (like lowering a weight) use less energy, not more, so they don’t make workouts inefficient — which directly contradicts the claim.