• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Bodybuilding News » Bodybuilding Posing Can Burn as Many Calories as Jogging — Get the Details

Bodybuilding Posing Can Burn as Many Calories as Jogging — Get the Details

A new study examined the energy demands of bodybuilding poses. 

Written by Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Last updated on October 10th, 2024

You’ve been doing it for years, probably — starting around age 10 or so, bodybuilding posing wormed its way into your brain when you noticed you could flex your biceps in the bathroom mirror. 

  • For physique professionals, posing is a form of living art; it’s how they present their hard work in the gym to a panel of judges. And as any bodybuilder will tell you, posing itself is hard work, too. 

A new study from the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism took aim at the calorie demands of bodybuilding posing. The findings may stun the uninitiated, but probably wouldn’t surprise a physique pro. Posing, in some cases, can be as demanding as going for a jog. 

Let’s put bodybuilding posing under the lens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mdqyA8eLDY

[Related: Best Supplements for Bodybuilding]

Bodybuilding Posing as Exercise: The Science

The paper in question was published in July 2024 and is succinctly titled, “A quasi-experimental study on the energy expenditure, exercise intensity, and rating of perceived exertion of a male bodybuilding posing training,” by authors Peixoto et al. (1)

What They Did

  • 15 male, steroid-using bodybuilders with an average body fat of roughly 7% were recruited by the authors.
  • Researchers measured their oxygen consumption, metabolic equivalents (METs), and total estimated energy expenditure. 
  • Subjects performed several rounds of 12 bodybuilding poses. After each round, they provided an estimate of their rate of perceived exertion (RPE).

Going Deeper: All participants were in the middle of their own bodybuilding contest prep. They were likely low on energy and already performing a good deal of bodybuilding posing on their own time. 

[Related: Best Pre-Workout Supplements for Bodybuilding]

What They Found

  • RPE increased for the competitors between a four and six, roughly, out of 10, over the course of multiple rounds of bodybuilding posing. 
  • Participants’ average heart rate was roughly 135 beats per minute and peaked close to 160.
  • Four rounds of posing, each lasting 15 minutes, burned about 100 calories on average.
  • The participants’ maximum heart rate clocked in just shy of 77%, which is generally considered the threshold for “vigorous” physical activity. 

Going Deeper: Athletes using “stimulants,” such as the bronchodilator clenbuterol, reported higher rates of perceived exertion.

[Related: Best Creatine Supplements on the Market]

Conclusions

According to the authors, “bodybuilding posing training meets the criteria for vigorous exercise intensity and stimulant use and peak week significantly affect physiological responses and perceived exertion.”

  • The bodybuilders’ maximum heart rate fell squarely in the range of moderate to vigorous physical activity, which some experts liken to the intensity of going for a jog.

This paper contained only 15 participants, a notably small cohort and one of extremely similar characteristics. That said, it’s the first of its kind and an invaluable look into the rigors of bodybuilding posing.

Flexing isn’t hard, but posing absolutely can be. The question is: Why and how?

Bodybuilding Posing, Explained 

This paper was highlighted in the Oct. 2024 issue of the MASS Research Review. Contributing author, PhD, natural bodybuilding pro, and BarBend Expert Dr. Eric Helms had this to say: 

  • “[In a bodybuilding competition], your score is the judges’ aggregate perception from seeing you the entire time you’re on stage. Meaning, you must always display your physique to the best of your ability.”
  • “A poor poser can appear smaller, less lean, and less proportionate than they actually are … it isn’t the best physique that wins, but the best physique display.”

Dr. Helms is right. Take six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates — in 1997, Yates tore his triceps nearly off the bone in the last weeks before competing at the Olympia.

It should’ve been the end of his campaign that year, but clever posing to hide the injury and draw attention to his strengths helped Yates clinch the win. It would be his final victory at the “O.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQwrkrG0z2U

[Related: Best Fat Burners for Leaning Out]

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re a hobbyist gymgoer just trying to get big, not much. Posing or flexing can help you establish a better mind-muscle connection, so it might be a worthwhile pursuit between sets at the gym. 

If you’re prepping for a bodybuilding show, posing is or soon will be as much of a daily ritual as brushing your teeth. Just remember that it costs energy and plan accordingly.

More Bodybuilding News

  • Chris Bumstead’s “Essential” Chest Exercise
  • Dorian Yates Still Has Shredded Abs at Age 62
  • 2024 Men’s Physique Olympia Preview

References

  1. Peixoto, D. L., Nascimento, D. D. C., Moura, R. F., de Moraes, W. M. A. M., Magalhães de Castro, B., Magalhães de Castro, Lima de Sousa, L., Rolnick, N., & Prestes, J. (2024). A quasi-experimental study on the energy expenditure, exercise intensity, and rating of perceived exertion of a male bodybuilding posing training. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 10.1139/apnm-2024-0151. Advance online publication.

Featured Image: @cbum / Instagram

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap