From a health standpoint, there is strong evidence that you should walk more and take at least 7,000 steps. Now, at this point, being healthy and living a long life may be a distant goal behind being connected and lifting heavy weights. But you’ll appreciate being healthier while having an amazing body as you age.
Do you have to use the intra-workout steps strategy to get to 7,000 steps per day? No. Is it more effective to accumulate a large part of your steps during training than at other times of the day? No, but it’s no less effective either. And for people with busy lives, it makes it so much easier.
If you’re not yet at the age where you’re thinking about longevity, then do it for fat loss. The number of calories you “burn” depends on your body weight: the heavier you are, the more energy you need to move your body. But this table can give you a good approximation:
| Body weight | 125 pounds | 150 pounds | 200 pounds | 250 pounds | 300 pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 steps | 90 calories | 120 calories | 150 calories | 190 calories | 225 calories |
| 5,000 steps | 150 calories | 200 calories | 250 calories | 310 calories | 370 calories |
| 7,000 steps | 200 calories | 280 calories | 350 calories | 435 calories | 520 calories |
| 10,000 steps | 280 calories | 395 calories | 495 calories | 625 calories | 745 calories |
These numbers are subject to individual variation, depending on metabolic rate and efficiency.
Assuming the average male T Nation reader weighs between 180 and 220 pounds, our 7,000 daily steps would increase caloric expenditure by between 300 and 400 calories. The 3,500 to 4,000 steps you take while walking during rest periods equals an additional 200 to 240 calories. Not huge, but significant. And it adds up.
And consider this: taking a muscle-building drug like clenbuterol for fat loss increases resting energy expenditure by about 21% (2). It is a strong pharmaceutical agent with many potentially serious side effects and zero beneficial health effects. However, for a 180-pound man, that’s only 420 calories per day. That’s equivalent to what you’d get from walking 10,000 steps a day.
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