Calories Burned Doing Bodyweight Exercises: Chart by Weight and Calculator
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This page helps you estimate the calories you use during bodyweight exercises. The table below relies on the Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Keep in mind that these numbers are only estimates for a typical adult. Your real calorie use varies based on your current fitness, exercise technique, body composition, and how hard you actually work. Even your fitness tracker provides an estimate rather than a perfect measurement. The values here give you a practical baseline for your workouts.
Calories burned in 30 minutes
Estimated kilocalories (kcal) for 30 minutes of each activity, by body weight.
| Activity (Compendium) | MET | 120 lb 54 kg |
150 lb 68 kg |
180 lb 82 kg |
210 lb 95 kg |
240 lb 109 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up, crunch), general (code 02056) | 3.0 | 86 | 107 | 129 | 150 | 171 |
| Calisthenics (e.g., pushups, sit ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort (code 02022) | 3.8 | 109 | 136 | 163 | 190 | 217 |
| Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up, crunch), high intensity (code 02057) | 6.5 | 186 | 232 | 279 | 325 | 371 |
| Calisthenics (e.g., pushups, sit ups, pull-ups, jumping jacks, burpees, battling ropes), vigorous effort (code 02020) | 7.5 | 214 | 268 | 321 | 375 | 429 |
By duration
For the row “Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up, crunch), high intensity” (6.5 METs):
| Time | 120 lb 54 kg |
150 lb 68 kg |
180 lb 82 kg |
210 lb 95 kg |
240 lb 109 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 93 | 116 | 139 | 163 | 186 |
| 30 min | 186 | 232 | 279 | 325 | 371 |
| 45 min | 279 | 348 | 418 | 488 | 557 |
| 60 min | 371 | 464 | 557 | 650 | 743 |
Calculate your own estimate
The formula. kcal = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg ÷ 200 × minutes.
Worked example. Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up, crunch), high intensity: 6.5 × 3.5 × 68.0 kg (150 lb) ÷ 200 × 30 min = about 232 kcal.
Which row is you?
The table separates bodyweight exercises by effort level and specific movements. General resistance training like basic squats and lunges falls into the lowest category. If you perform moderate calisthenics with pull-ups and sit ups, you move to the next row. High intensity resistance work requires more effort and pushes the estimate higher. The most vigorous category includes battling ropes and burpees. To pick the right row, look closely at your actual effort. Choose the description that best matches how hard you breathe and the specific exercises you do during your workout.
What changes the real number
- Your current muscle mass and overall body composition change how much energy you use.
- Rest periods between sets reduce your average effort over the entire workout.
- Exercise technique and how deeply you perform a squat or lunge alter the demand on your muscles.
- Your baseline fitness dictates how efficiently your body moves through calisthenics.
Practical tips
- Track the time you actually spend moving rather than the time you spend resting between sets.
- Focus on strict form during pushups and pull-ups to protect your joints before trying to increase your speed.
- Record your workouts honestly by matching your breathing rate to the moderate or vigorous effort categories.
About these numbers. MET values describe the average energy cost of an activity for adults; your own burn can be noticeably higher or lower. The values include resting energy use, so the extra calories from exercise are a little lower than the total shown. A separate Older Adult Compendium exists for people aged 60 and over.
Compare with similar activities
When to stop and see a doctor
- Sharp or sudden pain in your shoulders, knees, or lower back during a movement.
- Dizziness or feeling faint when standing up quickly from a crunch or burpee.
- A racing heartbeat that does not slow down after you stop exercising.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, joint problems, are pregnant or have been inactive for a long time, talk to your doctor before starting vigorous exercise.
How this page was made. MET values: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Herrmann and colleagues, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024), pacompendium.com, used code by code without combining activities. Calories calculated by us with the formula above. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Training Desk; see how we write. Last checked October 2026.