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I think the amount of calories burned during weight lifting is probably pretty small compared to something like cardio ... but as your body goes into a repairing state after the workout it requires more calories ... so essentially your basic metabolic rate is elevated for many hours after the gym.

Also, as you build more muscle mass you also raise your baisc metabolic rate since muscle requires more cals to feed it throughout the day.

Weight lifting should be considered more of a long term effect when considered as a "calorie burner" ... or at least in my opinion.

IW

i know, but i am looking to build some musle and therefore I should eat a bit more calories than I need. In order to be able to count that I think I should know how much a approximately burn during my weight lifting session to eat enough calories in total? See what I mean?

I do see what you mean. However, I think you're trying to be too accurate in prediciting how many calories you will burn. These calculations can only get your a "guesstimate" because everyone's body is a bit different. Start with what you think is a reasonble amount of calories for your goals and track your results using body fat % and body weight. Adjust your diet according to your results after each week (or 2) of sticking to your meal plan. This will allow you to "hone in" on the right amount of cals for your body at the time.

It's the results that matter not the predictions.

IW

because muscles use a lot of energy to sustain themselves, for every 3 pounds of muscle you build, your body will burn an additional 120 calories per day.

but if the goal is to gain muscle, you have to eat. Lots. So worrying about how many calories you might burn (because you're counting calories and trying to lose weight) sounds counterproductive.