How Many Calories Do Leg Curls Burn? Complete Calorie Calculator

How many calories do leg curls burn? Leg curls typically burn 2-4 calories per minute or 8-15 calories per set depending on your body weight, workout intensity, and exercise duration.

Understanding how many calories do leg curls burn helps you plan effective workout routines and track your fitness progress accurately. Leg curls target your hamstring muscles and provide both strength building and calorie-burning benefits. This popular isolation exercise engages your posterior chain while contributing to your daily energy expenditure and overall fitness goals.

Many fitness enthusiasts wonder about the exact calorie burn from leg curls compared to other exercises when determining how many calories do leg curls burn. The answer depends on multiple factors including your body weight, workout intensity, exercise duration, and individual metabolism. Learning how many calories do leg curls burn empowers you to make informed decisions about your training program. Whether you’re using lying leg curls, seated leg curls, or standing leg curls, each variation affects how many calories do leg curls burn differently. This knowledge helps optimize your workout sessions for maximum efficiency and results in your fitness journey while understanding exactly how many calories do leg curls burn.

How Many Calories Do Leg Curls Burn?

Determining how many calories do leg curls burn requires understanding the metabolic demands of this isolation exercise. Leg curls primarily target your hamstring muscles while engaging stabilizing muscles throughout your lower body. The calorie burn varies significantly based on individual factors and workout parameters.

Research shows that strength training exercises like leg curls typically burn between 3-6 calories per minute for an average adult. However, leg curls being an isolation exercise generally fall on the lower end of this spectrum. The metabolic equivalent task (MET) value for moderate-intensity strength training is approximately 3.5-5.0.

Body Weight (kg)	Light Intensity (2-3 cal/min)	Moderate Intensity (3-4 cal/min)	High Intensity (4-5 cal/min)
50-60 kg	100-180 calories/hour	180-240 calories/hour	240-300 calories/hour
60-70 kg	120-210 calories/hour	210-280 calories/hour	280-350 calories/hour
70-80 kg	140-240 calories/hour	240-320 calories/hour	320-400 calories/hour
80-90 kg	160-270 calories/hour	270-360 calories/hour	360-450 calories/hour
90+ kg	180-300 calories/hour	300-400 calories/hour	400-500 calories/hour

Try chest and tricep workout with dumbbells for upper body training variety.

Factors Affecting Leg Curl Calorie Burn

Multiple variables influence how many calories do leg curls burn during your workout sessions. Your body weight plays the primary role in determining energy expenditure, as heavier individuals require more energy to perform the same movements. Additionally, workout intensity significantly affects your metabolic rate during exercise.

The type of leg curl machine and exercise variation also impacts calorie burn. Lying leg curls typically engage more stabilizing muscles compared to seated versions, potentially increasing energy expenditure. Standing leg curls require additional core engagement for balance, which can further elevate calorie burn during your session.

• Body Weight Impact – Heavier individuals burn more calories performing the same exercise due to increased energy requirements
• Exercise Intensity Level – Higher resistance settings and faster repetition speeds increase metabolic demands significantly
• Workout Duration – Longer training sessions with adequate rest periods maximize total calorie expenditure
• Muscle Mass – Individuals with more muscle tissue burn calories more efficiently during strength training exercises
• Age and Gender – Younger individuals and males typically have higher metabolic rates during exercise
• Fitness Level – Well-trained individuals may burn fewer calories due to improved exercise efficiency
• Rest Periods – Shorter rest periods between sets maintain elevated heart rate and calorie burn
• Range of Motion – Full range of motion exercises typically burn more calories than partial movements

Learn about best workout to lose weight and gain muscle to optimize your training for dual benefits while understanding how many calories do leg curls burn contributes to your overall fitness goals.

Leg Curl Calories Burned Calculator

Using a leg curl calories burned calculator helps estimate your energy expenditure during hamstring training sessions. These calculators use established metabolic equations based on body weight, exercise duration, and intensity levels. Most calculators employ the standard MET formula for strength training exercises. The basic calculation formula is: Calories per minute = (MET value × 3.5 × body weight in kg) ÷ 200. For leg curls, the MET value typically ranges from 3.0 to 5.0 depending on intensity. This means a 70kg person performing moderate-intensity leg curls burns approximately 4-6 calories per minute.

Calculator Input	Example Values	Calorie Output
Body Weight	70 kg	Base metabolic rate
Exercise Duration	15 minutes	Total workout time
Intensity Level	Moderate (MET 4.0)	4-6 calories/minute
Total Sets	4 sets	8-12 calories/set
Rest Periods	60 seconds	Included in calculation
Total Calories	60-90 calories	Per 15-minute session

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Understanding MET Values

MET values provide standardized measurements for comparing energy expenditure across different activities when determining how many calories do leg curls burn. One MET equals your resting metabolic rate, making it easy to calculate how many calories do leg curls burn compared to other exercises and activities.

Explore how to burn 300 calories a day and see how leg curls fit into your daily calorie expenditure goals.

Calculation Accuracy

While calculators provide useful estimates, individual variations can affect accuracy by 10-20% when calculating how many calories do leg curls burn. Factors like muscle efficiency, exercise form, and metabolic health influence actual calorie burn during your leg curl sessions and affect how many calories do leg curls burn.

Explore calisthenics workout plan for bodyweight alternatives that complement your strength training routine.

How Many Calories Does Leg Press Burn?

Comparing how many calories does leg press burn versus leg curls reveals significant differences in energy expenditure. Leg press engages multiple large muscle groups including quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings simultaneously. This compound movement typically burns 5-8 calories per minute, making it more metabolically demanding than isolation exercises like leg curls.

The leg press burns approximately 50-100% more calories than leg curls due to greater muscle mass involvement and higher resistance capabilities. A 70kg person performing leg press can burn 300-400 calories per hour compared to 200-300 calories for leg curls. This difference makes compound exercises more efficient for calorie burning goals.

Exercise Type	Calories per Minute (70kg person)	Calories per Set	Muscle Groups
Leg Press	5-8 calories	12-20 calories	Quads, glutes, hamstrings
Leg Curls	3-4 calories	8-12 calories	Hamstrings primarily
Leg Extensions	3-4 calories	8-12 calories	Quadriceps primarily
Squats	6-10 calories	15-25 calories	Full lower body

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Compound vs Isolation Exercises

Understanding the difference between compound and isolation exercises helps explain why how many calories do leg curls burn differs from multi-joint movements. Compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously while isolation exercises target single muscle groups with focused movement patterns.

Exercise Type	Example	Muscle Groups	Calories/Min (70kg)	Energy Demand
Compound	Leg Press	Quads, glutes, hamstrings	5-8 calories	High
Compound	Squats	Full lower body	6-10 calories	Very High
Isolation	Leg Curls	Hamstrings	3-4 calories	Moderate
Isolation	Leg Extensions	Quadriceps	3-4 calories	Moderate
Compound	Deadlifts	Posterior chain	7-12 calories	Very High
Isolation	Calf Raises	Calves	2-3 calories	Low-Moderate

Compound exercises like leg press activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously, requiring more energy than isolation movements. This principle explains why how many calories does leg press burn exceeds leg curl calorie expenditure.

Training Efficiency

Understanding calorie differences helps optimize workout time. Combining both compound and isolation exercises maximizes muscle development while managing total workout duration and energy expenditure effectively.

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Leg Extension Calories Burned

Analyzing leg extension calories burned provides another comparison point for isolation exercises targeting your quadriceps muscles. Similar to how many calories do leg curls burn, leg extensions burn approximately 3-4 calories per minute for an average adult. Both exercises share similar metabolic demands due to their isolation nature.

Body Weight (kg)	Calories per Minute	Calories per Set (12 reps)	Calories per Hour
50-60 kg	2.5-3.5 calories	8-10 calories	150-210 calories
60-70 kg	3-4 calories	9-12 calories	180-240 calories
70-80 kg	3.5-4.5 calories	10-14 calories	210-270 calories
80-90 kg	4-5 calories	12-15 calories	240-300 calories
90+ kg	4.5-5.5 calories	14-16 calories	270-330 calories

Leg extension calories burned typically match how many calories do leg curls burn within 10-15% variance. A 70kg person burns roughly 180-240 calories per hour during leg extensions, comparable to hamstring curls. The slight difference comes from quadriceps being larger muscle group than hamstrings, potentially requiring marginally more energy when considering how many calories do leg curls burn.

Understanding calisthenics for triceps helps you build arm strength that supports better performance in leg exercises.

Leg Extension Calories Burned Calculator

A leg extension calories burned calculator uses identical principles to leg curl calculators, applying the same MET values and formulas. These tools help track total lower body isolation exercise calorie expenditure when combining multiple single-joint movements in your workout routine.

Most leg extension calculators use MET values between 3.0-5.0, matching leg curl calculations. Input your body weight, exercise duration, and intensity level to receive personalized calorie burn estimates. These calculations help plan balanced workout sessions targeting both hamstring and quadriceps development while maximizing how many calories do leg curls burn.

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• Input Requirements – Body weight in kg, exercise duration in minutes, and intensity level selection for accurate calculations of how many calories do leg curls burn
• MET Value Range – Typically 3.0-5.0 for different intensity levels during leg extension exercises and how many calories do leg curls burn comparisons
• Accuracy Factors – Individual metabolism, exercise form, and machine resistance settings affect results when determining how many calories do leg curls burn
• Comparison Features – Many calculators compare leg extensions with other isolation exercises like leg curls for comprehensive analysis
• Progress Tracking – Regular use helps monitor calorie burn improvements over time with training adaptations and optimization of how many calories do leg curls burn

Learn about resistance band exercises for abs to add core strengthening exercises that complement your leg training routine. 

How Many Calories Do Preacher Curls Burn?

Examining how many calories do preacher curls burn provides insight into upper body isolation exercise energy expenditure compared to how many calories do leg curls burn. Preacher curls typically burn 2-3 calories per minute, less than leg exercises due to smaller muscle mass involvement in the biceps.

Body Weight (kg)	Calories per Minute	Calories per Set (12 reps)	Calories per Hour
50-60 kg	1.5-2.5 calories	5-8 calories	90-150 calories
60-70 kg	2-3 calories	6-9 calories	120-180 calories
70-80 kg	2.5-3.5 calories	7-10 calories	150-210 calories
80-90 kg	3-4 calories	8-12 calories	180-240 calories
90+ kg	3.5-4.5 calories	9-13 calories	210-270 calories

A 70kg person performing preacher curls burns approximately 120-180 calories per hour, significantly less than how many calories do leg curls burn. This difference highlights the metabolic advantage of lower body training for calorie burning goals. However, preacher curls remain valuable for arm development and overall workout completeness when comparing how many calories do leg curls burn to upper body exercises.

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How Many Calories Do Hammer Curls Burn?

Understanding how many calories do hammer curls burn completes the arm exercise comparison with preacher curls. Hammer curls burn similar calories to preacher curls, typically 2-3 calories per minute for average individuals. Both exercises target arm muscles but engage slightly different muscle groups and movement patterns.

Hammer curls may burn marginally more calories than preacher curls due to standing position requiring core stabilization. However, the difference remains minimal compared to leg exercises when considering how many calories do leg curls burn. A 70kg person burns roughly 120-200 calories per hour during hammer curls, depending on intensity and rest periods.

Learn about best workout to lose weight and gain muscle to optimize your training approach for maximum muscle development and calorie burning efficiency.

Exercise Comparison	Calories per Minute (70kg)	Primary Muscles	Energy Demand
Leg Curls	3-4 calories	Hamstrings	Moderate
Preacher Curls	2-3 calories	Biceps	Low-Moderate
Hammer Curls	2-3 calories	Biceps, Forearms	Low-Moderate
Leg Press	5-8 calories	Multiple leg muscles	High

Lower body exercises consistently burn more calories than upper body movements due to larger muscle mass engagement. This principle explains why how many calories do leg curls burn exceeds arm exercise expenditure and why leg training is more metabolically demanding than upper body isolation work.

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Workout Programming

Combining upper and lower body exercises creates balanced routines that maximize both muscle development and calorie burn throughout your training sessions while optimizing how many calories do leg curls burn through strategic exercise selection and sequencing.

Maximizing Leg Curl Calorie Burn

Optimizing how many calories do leg curls burn requires strategic approach to exercise intensity, duration, and technique. Increasing resistance loads forces your muscles to work harder, elevating metabolic demands during each repetition. Additionally, maintaining proper form ensures maximum muscle activation and energy expenditure throughout your sets.

Incorporating tempo variations can significantly increase calorie burn during leg curls and affect how many calories do leg curls burn overall. Slower eccentric phases (lowering portion) increase time under tension, requiring more energy expenditure. Similarly, adding pause reps or partial range movements can elevate metabolic demands beyond standard repetition patterns.

Explore hack squat vs leg press to understand different compound leg exercises that burn more calories than isolation movements.

Comparison with Other Exercises

Comparing how many calories do leg curls burn against other popular exercises provides context for workout planning and helps understand relative energy expenditure. Cardiovascular exercises typically burn more calories per minute than strength training, but offer different muscle-building benefits for comprehensive fitness development.

Exercise Type	Calories per Minute (70kg)	Exercise Category	Muscle Groups	Metabolic Demand
Running (8 mph)	12-15 calories	Cardio	Full body	Very High
Cycling (moderate)	8-12 calories	Cardio	Lower body	High
Leg Curls	3-4 calories	Isolation	Hamstrings	Moderate
Leg Press	5-8 calories	Compound	Multiple leg	High
Squats	6-10 calories	Compound	Full lower body	High
Preacher Curls	2-3 calories	Isolation	Biceps	Low-Moderate
Burpees	10-15 calories	HIIT	Full body	Very High
Walking (4 mph)	5-7 calories	Cardio	Lower body	Moderate

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combining leg curls with cardio bursts can dramatically increase total calorie burn. This approach leverages both strength training and cardiovascular benefits for maximum energy expenditure during limited workout time while maximizing how many calories do leg curls burn through strategic programming.

• Cardiovascular Comparison – Running burns 10-15 calories per minute versus 3-4 for leg curls when analyzing how many calories do leg curls burn
• Compound Exercise Benefits – Squats and deadlifts burn 6-10 calories per minute with greater muscle activation than isolation movements
• HIIT Integration – Combining leg curls with cardio intervals increases total session calorie burn by 30-50% and optimizes how many calories do leg curls burn
• Circuit Training – Moving between exercises without rest elevates heart rate and metabolic demands significantly
• Supersets – Pairing leg curls with opposing muscle exercises maintains elevated calorie burn throughout workout sessions
• Progressive Overload – Gradually increasing resistance over time improves calorie burn efficiency and how many calories do leg curls burn potential
• Session Duration – Longer workouts burn more total calories but may reduce per-minute intensity when considering how many calories do leg curls burn

Understand can hiit build muscle to combine strength and cardio training effectively.

Optimizing Your Leg Curl Workout

Maximizing how many calories do leg curls burn involves strategic programming that balances intensity, volume, and recovery. Focus on progressive overload by gradually increasing resistance, repetitions, or training frequency over time. This approach ensures continued adaptation and improved calorie burning efficiency.

Consider incorporating different leg curl variations throughout your training week to optimize how many calories do leg curls burn. Lying leg curls, seated leg curls, and single-leg variations provide unique challenges that can enhance overall energy expenditure. Alternating between bilateral and unilateral movements also increases stabilization demands and calorie burn.

Discover how many burpees a day to add high-intensity full-body exercises that complement your strength training routine. Learn about calisthenics equipment for home to create effective workouts without gym access.

Benefits Beyond Calorie Burn

While understanding how many calories do leg curls burn is important, this exercise provides numerous benefits beyond energy expenditure. Leg curls strengthen hamstrings, improve posterior chain balance, and reduce injury risk during athletic activities while supporting overall lower body development and functional movement patterns.

• Hamstring Strength Development – Leg curls specifically target hamstring muscles, improving posterior chain balance and reducing muscle imbalances between quadriceps and hamstrings
• Injury Prevention – Strong hamstrings support better knee joint stability and reduce risk of ACL injuries during sports and daily activities
• Improved Athletic Performance – Enhanced hamstring strength contributes to better sprinting speed, jumping power, and overall lower body explosiveness
• Muscle Definition and Shape – Regular leg curls improve muscle definition and aesthetic appearance in posterior thigh region for visual muscle development
• Hip Extension Support – Strong hamstrings assist in hip extension movements, supporting better posture and reducing lower back strain during daily activities
• Functional Movement Enhancement – Hamstring strength improves walking, running, and climbing stairs while supporting overall movement quality and efficiency
• Balance and Stability – Strengthened hamstrings contribute to better balance during single-leg activities and dynamic movement patterns
• Pain Reduction – Balanced leg strength can reduce knee and lower back pain by improving muscle coordination and joint stability
• Sports Performance – Enhanced hamstring strength directly translates to improved performance in sports requiring running, jumping, and changing directions quickly

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Common Mistakes Affecting Calorie Burn

Several common mistakes can reduce how many calories do leg curls burn during your workout sessions. Using insufficient resistance limits muscle activation and metabolic demands, resulting in lower energy expenditure. Similarly, performing partial range of motion reduces muscle work and calorie burning potential when considering how many calories do leg curls burn.

Rushing through repetitions without proper control also decreases exercise effectiveness and impacts how many calories do leg curls burn. Focus on smooth, controlled movements that maximize muscle tension throughout the complete range of motion. Additionally, taking excessively long rest periods between sets can reduce overall workout intensity and calorie burn.

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• Insufficient Resistance – Using weights too light limits muscle activation and energy expenditure, reducing how many calories do leg curls burn
• Poor Range of Motion – Partial repetitions reduce muscle work and calorie burning potential significantly
• Excessive Rest Periods – Long breaks between sets decrease overall workout intensity and metabolic demand affecting how many calories do leg curls burn
• Incorrect Form – Poor technique reduces target muscle activation and exercise effectiveness
• Inconsistent Tempo – Rushing through reps without control limits muscle tension and energy expenditure potential
• Inadequate Warm-up – Cold muscles work less efficiently and burn fewer calories during exercise sessions
• Improper Breathing – Holding breath reduces oxygen delivery and exercise performance capabilities when determining how many calories do leg curls burn

Learn how to do jumping jacks for dynamic warm-up exercises that prepare your body for leg training sessions. Learn how to do plank exercise for core strengthening that supports better leg exercise performance.

Creating Effective Leg Workouts

Building effective leg workouts that maximize how many calories do leg curls burn requires balanced programming including both compound and isolation exercises. Strategic exercise selection, proper sequencing, and appropriate volume ensure optimal muscle development while maximizing calorie expenditure throughout your training sessions.

Workout Component	Exercise Examples	Sets x Reps	Calories Burned (70kg)	Purpose
Compound Warm-up	Bodyweight squats	2 x 15	15-20 calories	Activation
Primary Compound	Leg press, squats	3-4 x 8-12	60-100 calories	Strength/power
Secondary Compound	Romanian deadlifts	3 x 10-12	45-75 calories	Posterior chain
Isolation – Quads	Leg extensions	3 x 12-15	25-35 calories	Quad development
Isolation – Hams	Leg curls	3 x 12-15	25-35 calories	Hamstring focus
Finishing	Calf raises	2 x 15-20	10-15 calories	Lower leg
Total Workout	45-60 minutes	16-20 sets	180-280 calories	Complete development

Start with compound movements like squats or leg press when energy levels are highest, then progress to isolation exercises like leg curls for targeted muscle development. This approach enhances how many calories do leg curls burn while building comprehensive lower body strength and muscle development through strategic exercise sequencing.

Understand resistance band exercises for abs to strengthen your core for better leg exercise stability.

Recovery and Calorie Burn

Post-exercise recovery significantly impacts how many calories do leg curls burn through the afterburn effect, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Intense leg curl sessions can elevate metabolic rate for several hours after exercise completion, contributing additional calorie burn beyond the workout itself. Proper nutrition and hydration support optimal recovery and maintain elevated metabolic rates following strength training. Consuming protein within two hours post-workout helps muscle repair while requiring energy for digestion and synthesis processes.

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Tracking Progress

Monitoring how many calories do leg curls burn over time helps assess training effectiveness and make necessary adjustments. Keep detailed workout logs including resistance levels, repetition counts, and estimated calorie burn to identify trends and improvements. Consider using heart rate monitors or fitness trackers to obtain more accurate calorie burn estimates during leg curl sessions. These devices account for individual variations in heart rate response and can provide personalized feedback for optimizing workout intensity.

Explore calisthenics equipment for home to create effective training setups that complement your gym-based leg workouts. Learn how to do jumping jacks for cardio exercises that complement strength training.

Advanced Training Techniques

Advanced techniques can significantly increase how many calories do leg curls burn through enhanced workout intensity. Drop sets, where you reduce weight and continue repetitions to failure, extend muscle work time and energy expenditure. Similarly, pause reps involving holds at specific joint angles increase time under tension. Cluster sets, breaking normal sets into smaller segments with brief rest periods, can maintain higher intensities throughout your workout. These techniques challenge your muscles differently while increasing total calorie burn compared to standard training methods.

Conclusion

Understanding how many calories do leg curls burn empowers you to make informed decisions about your fitness routine and training goals. While leg curls burn fewer calories than compound exercises, they provide essential hamstring strengthening and muscle development benefits that complement overall leg training programs. Remember that calorie burn varies based on individual factors including body weight, workout intensity, and exercise duration when determining how many calories do leg curls burn. Focus on progressive overload and proper technique to maximize both calorie expenditure and muscle development from your leg curl sessions while maintaining how many calories do leg curls burn at optimal levels.

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How Many Calories Do Leg Curls Burn? – FAQs