RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

How accurate are Apple Watch calories for weight lifting?

Published November 7, 2026

Apple Watch estimates the calories of a lifting session from your heart rate, motion and personal details such as height and weight, so the number is an estimate, and Apple says rhythmic activity like running gives steadier heart-rate data than stop-and-start movement. Active calories are what the workout itself burned; total calories add the resting energy you would have burned in that time anyway. Use the number to compare your own sessions, and judge the training by the weights you log.

  1. Barbell Deadlift Glutes, Lower Back
  2. Barbell Back Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  3. Flat Dumbbell Press Chest
  4. One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lats, Upper Back
  5. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  6. Leg Press Quads, Glutes

Heavy lifts with long rests

A few hard reps, then three minutes of rest: the session's calorie number stays modest while the bar weight climbs. Track the bar.

Hamstrings, glutes and back, barbell pull

Barbell Deadlift

Glutes, Lower Back

Five hard reps and a long rest: little time with a raised heart rate, a lot of work for the back and legs. The weight on the bar is the record that matters.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the bar over your mid-foot and grip it just outside your legs.
  2. Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, flatten your back, and pull the slack out.
  3. Push the floor away and stand up tall, then lower the bar the same way.

Cues

  • Bar against the legs
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the bar off the floor: take the slack out first on every set.

Swap for: Trap Bar Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Rack Pull

Build a session with Barbell Deadlift
Log it in RIRLift

Quads and glutes, barbell squat

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

The lift to watch on a cut. If the squat holds while bodyweight drops, the diet is taking fat, not strength.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar across your upper back, grip it firmly, and step out with feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Take a big breath into your belly and brace.
  3. Sit down between your heels until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
  4. Drive up, keeping your chest and hips rising together.

Cues

  • Brace before every rep
  • Knees track over toes
  • Stand up fast

Common mistakes

  • Cutting depth as the weight rises: keep the same depth and load what you can hit there.
  • Folding forward out of the bottom: keep the chest up and drive your upper back into the bar.

Swap for: Front Squat, Goblet Squat

Build a session with Barbell Back Squat
Log it in RIRLift

Shoulders and triceps, standing press

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

A heavy press for the long-rest day. Its weight moves in small steps, so the log shows progress the calorie number never will.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at collarbone height and grip it just outside your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows.
  2. Unrack it onto your upper chest, take one step back and set your feet about hip width apart.
  3. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs so your ribs stay down, and take a big breath.
  4. Press straight up, pulling your chin back so the bar clears your face.
  5. Once the bar passes your forehead, push your head through until the bar sits over the middle of your foot with your arms locked.
  6. Lower it along the same line to your upper chest and re-brace before the next rep.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Chin back, bar straight up
  • Head through at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish reps, which turns the lift into an incline press: lower the weight until your torso stays vertical for the whole set.
  • Pressing the bar forward around your face: pull your chin back and keep the bar close enough to brush your nose.
  • Stopping short of lockout: finish every rep with the bar over your mid-foot and your arms straight, or the rep doesn't count in your log.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Landmine Press, Seated Barbell Overhead Press

Build a session with Barbell Overhead Press
Log it in RIRLift

Upper back and lats, barbell row

Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

The pull that balances the press on the heavy day.

How to do it

  1. Hinge forward with the bar in an overhand grip, torso about 45 degrees or lower, back flat.
  2. Let the bar hang under your shoulders with straight arms.
  3. Pull it to your lower ribs, driving your elbows back.
  4. Lower it under control without standing up.

Cues

  • Torso angle stays fixed
  • Elbows back, not up
  • Pause at the ribs

Common mistakes

  • Standing up more each rep: lighten the bar and keep your torso still.
  • Jerking the weight with your hips: the back pulls, the legs only hold position.

Swap for: One-Arm Dumbbell Row, T-Bar Row

Build a session with Barbell Row
Log it in RIRLift

Paired dumbbell lifts for a denser session

Two lifts back to back with one rest after the pair. The 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities rates this kind of session at 5.8 METs against 3.5 for typical lifting.

Chest and triceps, dumbbell press

Flat Dumbbell Press

Chest

First lift of the press-and-row superset. Go straight to the row after it; the rest comes after the pair.

How to do it

  1. Lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbbells above your chest.
  2. Lower the bells to the sides of your chest with elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press them back up over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades pinched
  • Control the lowering

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out: keep them at about 45 degrees from your sides.

Swap for: Push-Up, Barbell Bench Press

Build a session with Flat Dumbbell Press
Log it in RIRLift

Lats and upper back, one-arm row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

The row half of the first superset. It uses the same bench as the press, so the pair runs without walking the gym.

How to do it

  1. Brace one hand and knee on a bench with a flat back.
  2. Hold the dumbbell at arm's length under your shoulder.
  3. Row the elbow back to your hip.
  4. Lower to a full stretch.

Cues

  • Elbow to the hip
  • Shoulder blade moves
  • Torso still

Common mistakes

  • Twisting the torso: keep the shoulders square.
  • Shrugging: lead with the elbow.

Swap for: Seal Row, Single-Arm Cable Row, Inverted Row

Build a session with One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Log it in RIRLift

Quads and glutes, dumbbell squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

First half of the leg superset. One dumbbell at the chest, then straight into the Romanian deadlift.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom
  • Chest stays up behind the weight

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward: hold it tight to your chest and sit between your heels.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat
Log it in RIRLift

Hamstrings and glutes, dumbbell hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The hinge half of the leg superset, with the same dumbbells you squatted.

How to do it

  1. Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of your thighs, palms facing you.
  2. Push your hips straight back and let your torso fold forward, knees softly bent, the dumbbells brushing your legs.
  3. Lower until the dumbbells pass your knees and you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, with your back still flat.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top, and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips back, not down
  • Dumbbells slide down your legs
  • Flat back, chin tucked

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat so the dumbbells go lower: the depth comes from the hips, and most people stop just past the knees.
  • Rounding the lower back at the bottom: end the rep where your back stays flat, and lighten the load if that is high.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Good Morning, Kettlebell Deadlift

Build a session with Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Log it in RIRLift

Machines while you are cutting

Machine lifts make it plain whether strength holds while bodyweight drops.

Quads and glutes, machine press

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

A leg lift you can load heavy on a cut without a spotter, and one of the clearest signs that strength is holding.

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine with your whole back against the pad and your feet hip-width on the platform.
  2. Release the safety handles and bend your knees, bringing the platform toward you under control.
  3. Lower until your knees are bent to about 90 degrees or a little deeper, without your lower back curling off the pad.
  4. Press the platform away until your legs are nearly straight, and repeat.

Cues

  • Lower back stays on the pad
  • Whole foot pushes
  • Stop just short of locking out

Common mistakes

  • Going so deep that your hips roll up off the seat: stop where your back stays flat.
  • Snapping the knees straight at the top: keep a soft bend.

Swap for: 45-Degree Leg Press, Hack Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Leg Press
Log it in RIRLift

Lats and upper back, cable pull

Lat Pulldown

Lats

The back lift on the cutting day. The pin makes a held weight easy to see from one week to the next.

How to do it

  1. Set the thigh pad so your legs are locked under it, then stand up and take the bar a little wider than your shoulders, palms forward.
  2. Sit down with your arms fully stretched overhead and lean back only slightly.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your hips.
  4. Let the bar rise until your arms are straight and your shoulders lift toward your ears, then pull again.

Cues

  • Elbows to your back pockets
  • Bar to the top of the chest
  • Let the stack lift you at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back and rowing the bar to your stomach: stay nearly upright so it remains a vertical pull.
  • Stopping with the arms still bent at the top: the stretch overhead is half of what makes the pulldown work.

Swap for: Pull-Up, Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

Build a session with Lat Pulldown
Log it in RIRLift

Side delts, cable raise

Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders

Two light sets to finish. Shoulder width is one of the first things a cut shows.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys of a crossover at the bottom and stand between them, feet about shoulder width.
  2. Cross your arms low in front of your thighs: your right hand holds the left handle, your left hand the right one.
  3. Stand tall and raise both arms out to the sides, elbows slightly bent, until your hands reach shoulder height.
  4. Lower slowly until the handles cross again in front of your thighs. On a single pulley, do the same one arm at a time.

Cues

  • Lead with the elbow
  • Push the handle out, not up
  • Shoulder height and stop

Common mistakes

  • Heaving the weight up with a lean and a shrug: if your torso moves, drop the pin a step.
  • Raising past shoulder height: the traps take over above that point.

Swap for: Leaning Cable Lateral Raise, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Cable Y Raise

Build a session with Cable Lateral Raise
Log it in RIRLift

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Heavy barbell day, 3-minute rests

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentBarbells

You lift heavy twice a week, and the calorie number after a session looks small for how hard it felt.

Deadlifts, presses and rows for low reps with long rests: 9 working sets in which the load does the work, not minutes of raised heart rate.

Heavy day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 3 × 3–5 2 3 min
Barbell Overhead Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 5–8 2 2:30 min
Barbell Row 3 × 6–8 2 2 min
How to run it
Twice a week with two days between. During the session, the Watch shows the active calories Apple Health has counted so far, and again once the workout saves. Log the bar weight on every set; next week's numbers are built on it.
How to progress
Deadlift at 315 lb for 5, 5, 5 tops the 3 to 5 range: next time 320 lb for 3. Row at 165 lb for 7, 7, 6 against a target of 6: the weakest set hit it, so 165 lb stays and the target goes to 7.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Supersets to fit 45 minutes

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets36 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You have 45 minutes and want the session to do more work in that time.

Two dumbbell supersets, a press with a row and a squat with a hinge, and one rest after each pair: 12 working sets. Pairing the lifts is what moves the Compendium's estimate from 3.5 to 5.8 METs.

Superset session
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
A1 Flat Dumbbell Press 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
A2 One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
B1 Goblet Squat 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
B2 Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
How to run it
Three times a week. On the Watch, log the press and it moves you to the row; the rest timer starts after the row. Then round 2.
How to progress
Press with 55 lb dumbbells for 10, 10, 10 tops the 8 to 10 range: next time 60 lb for 8. Row with 55 lb for 10, 9, 9 against a target of 10: the weakest set fell short, so the weight and the target hold.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

On a cut: watch the weights

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Leg Press, Lat Pulldown, Adjustable Cable

You are eating less to lose fat and want to keep the strength you have, without chasing a calorie number on your wrist.

A squat and three machine lifts, 11 working sets kept close to failure. Food sets the calorie deficit; the log shows whether strength is holding.

Cutting day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets first 3 × 4–6 1 3 min
Leg Press 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Cable Lateral Raise 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week. Keep the rep targets and RIR as they are through the cut; a weight that holds while bodyweight drops is the result you want.
How to progress
Squat at 245 lb for 5, 5, 4 against a target of 5: the weakest set fell short of it but stayed inside 4 to 6, so 245 lb and the target both hold. Leg press at 400 lb for 10, 10, 10 tops the 8 to 10 range: next time 405 lb for 8.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is the difference between active and total calories on Apple Watch?

Active calories are the energy burned by the activity itself. Total calories add the resting energy your body burns in that time anyway. The Move ring counts active calories only.

Does Apple Watch track calories burned while lifting weights?

Yes, as an estimate from heart rate, motion and your personal details. In RIRLift the Watch shows the active calories Apple Health has counted while you lift, and the session is saved to Health as Traditional Strength Training.

How accurate is the Apple Watch calorie count?

Empirical Health's review of the research puts Apple Watch within 18 to 40% of the true figure about 95% of the time, depending on the activity. Apple says stop-and-start movement gives less reliable heart-rate data than rhythmic activity like running.