The amount of energy burned during resistance training adds directly to the total energy burned in a day, without causing a meaningful decrease in energy burned through other activities like resting or daily movement.

We analyzed the available evidence on whether resistance training increases total daily energy expenditure without reducing other forms of energy use, and what we’ve found so far is mixed. Some studies suggest that the calories burned during resistance training add directly to your total daily energy expenditure, without causing a meaningful drop in energy spent on resting or everyday movement [1]. Others indicate that this may not be the case — that increasing resistance training could lead to reductions in other activities, like walking or fidgeting, which might offset some of the extra calories burned [2]. The evidence we’ve reviewed includes 46 studies or assertions that support the idea of a linear increase in total energy expenditure, and 40 that refute it. This means the data does not clearly point in one direction. Some people may experience a net gain in daily calorie burn from lifting weights, while others might unconsciously move less afterward, balancing out the effect. We don’t have enough detail to say whether this depends on training intensity, experience level, or individual behavior patterns. What we’ve found so far suggests that resistance training does not universally or predictably increase total daily energy expenditure without compensation elsewhere. For someone trying to manage energy balance, this means the calories burned during a workout may not translate directly into more total calories burned over the day — and your body might adjust in ways you don’t notice. The best approach may be to track how you feel and move over time, rather than assuming every rep adds up to a fixed calorie gain.