If you want to burn calories and shred fat, is the leg press really a good option?
Just how many calories can you actually expect to burn during a leg press workout? Will that help you lose fat?
In this article, we'll take a closer look at the factors that can impact calorie burn potential with a leg press machine, provide an estimate of the number of calories burned based on your body weight, duration of the workout, and other key factors, as well as link this to the second-hand question, does the leg press burn fat?
Sneak Peak:
The best way to estimate the number of calories a leg press burns is the following:
Body Weight X Intensity expressed as a decimal from 0-1 = Calories per hour, Divided by 60 = Calories burned per minute.
Body weight of the user:
The more you weigh, the more calories you will likely burn during any exercise, including leg press.
Age of the user:
Metabolism tends to slow down with age, which can affect the number of calories burned during a leg press workout.
This means a younger person can likely expect to burn more calories for the exact some exercise with all other variables the same.
In a study from the National Science Foundation proved that "Older individuals showed reduced energy expenditure." compared to that of a younger individual.
Gender of the user:
Men tend to have a higher muscle mass and faster metabolism than women, which can result in higher calorie burn during an exercise, including the leg press.
Intensity level of the workout:
The more intense the leg press workout, the more calories you will burn. Its also important to note that the higher and longer you get your heart elevated, the more calories you will burn.
This can be affected by factors such as weight, number of repetitions, and rest periods between sets.
Calculating the number of calories burned during a leg press workout is extremely difficult to measure accurately, so please note that this is our best method of coming to an estimation.
However, a general estimate can be made based on your body weight, the duration of your leg press workout, and the intensity level. Here's a possible calculation method:
Here are some example calculations based on different body weights and durations of leg press workouts, assuming an average intensity level of .5:
It's also important to note that, you'll not be leg pressing for an extended period of time, like an hour.
This would also call for a non-stop exercise on the leg press, which is also unrealistic.
If you went nonstop on the leg press or other leg day machines, you could expect to burn 400 calories in an hour, but the average person spends only a few minutes on the machine.
Here is a little more detail about other things to consider.
Rest periods:
Rest periods between sets are the main part of the equation that impact the total amount of time spent performing leg press and, therefore, the total number of calories burned during a workout.
In the above calculations, it would only be accurate if the person who was leg pressing for 30 minutes or 60 minutes was performing the exercise nonstop, which is not the case 99.99% of the time.
Number of repetitions:
Performing more repetitions during a leg press workout can increase the total workload and calorie burn, while performing fewer repetitions with heavier weight can also lead to a higher calorie burn.
Range of motion:
The range of motion used during the leg press exercise can also impact the number of calories burned, with a greater range of motion resulting in a higher calorie burn.
Body composition:
Individuals with a higher muscle mass tend to burn more calories during exercise, including leg press, than those with a higher body fat percentage.
All of these factors combined with the age, weight, and gender of the user are all placing their effect on the number of calories burned.
To get a more accurate estimate of how many calories you're burning in a set of leg presses, we should scale it back to one single set.
While leg press can be an effective exercise for building lower body strength and muscle mass, it is not an efficient exercise for burning calories compared to other forms of exercise.
For example, running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can all burn more calories per minute than leg press.
According to another study from Current Biology, a 150-pound person can expect to burn approximately 10.2 calories per minute during running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace and 9.5 calories per minute during cycling at a moderate intensity.
However, it's important to remember that the number of calories burned during any exercise depends on individual factors, as mentioned above.
Additionally, incorporating various exercises into your fitness routine can help maximize calorie burn and overall health benefits.
While leg press may not be the most efficient exercise for burning calories, it can still be a valuable addition to a well-rounded fitness routine focused on building strength and muscle mass.
While the leg press can be effective for building lower body strength and muscle mass, it is not the best exercise for burning fat. Since the leg press does not burn as many calories as other forms of exercise, it may not be the most effective way to burn fat on its own.
To burn fat, a calorie deficit must be achieved through a combination of diet and exercise.
The leg press muscles worked certainly undergo the process of hypertrophy, which can increase metabolic rate and aid in fat loss, it is important to pair it with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise to achieve optimal fat burning results.
So, while the leg press can be a valuable addition to a well-rounded fitness routine focused on building strength and muscle mass, it may not be the best exercise for burning fat on its own.
In summary, the number of calories burned during a leg press workout can vary widely depending on individual factors and workout variables such as body weight, age, gender, intensity level, and rest periods.
For the best guess, apply this formula and plug in the variables based on your personal information: Body Weight x Intensity Level (Decimal from 0-1) = C calories burned per hour, ÷ 60 = Calories burned per minute of leg press exercise.
While leg press can be an effective exercise for building lower body strength and muscle mass, it may not be the most efficient exercise for burning calories compared to other forms of exercise such as running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
It's also important to note that the leg press may not be the best exercise for burning fat on its own, and it should be combined with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise to achieve optimal fat-burning results.
Incorporating various exercises into your fitness routine can help maximize calorie burn and overall health benefits.
If you're interested in a leg press of your own, check our guide on the best leg press machine where you're sure to find a leg press that meet your needs no matter who your are!
Matt Gemkow, the author of this content section at Select Fitness USA, boasts more than 15 years of fitness experience. He started out in sports and athletic training for many years and has since 2014 transitioned into heavy-weight training and bodybuilding. As a result, he has become one of the most experienced fitness equipment experts out there, and a valuable source of information.
