How many calories do push-ups burn? This free push up calorie calculator estimates calories from your weight and the number of push-ups (or time), including calories per rep.
Push-ups are vigorous calisthenics (~8 METs). With a rep count we estimate active time from your pace; for total time, switch to “Time”.
A rough estimate – push-ups burn modestly because each rep is brief. Calorie burn varies with body weight, tempo, form and muscle worked. Strength benefits go well beyond calories.
How the Push Up Calorie Calculator Works
The Push Up Calorie Calculator estimates calories burned from push-ups using a fixed intensity value for vigorous calisthenics (8 MET), your body weight, and how long you were actually moving. You can enter that active time directly, or let the calculator work it out from a rep count and a pace (reps per minute).
Formula: Calories per hour = 8 MET × body weight (kg). Calories per minute = calories per hour ÷ 60. If counting by reps, active minutes = push-ups done ÷ pace (reps per minute). Total calories = calories per minute × active minutes.
- Body weight — your weight, entered in kilograms or pounds (a toggle button converts pounds to kilograms)
- Count by — whether you’re entering a number of push-ups or a block of time
- Push-ups done — the total reps completed, used only in “Number of push-ups” mode
- Pace — your rep speed: Slow (40/min), Steady (50/min), or Fast (60/min), used to convert reps into active minutes
- Time doing push-ups — minutes spent, entered directly when “Time” mode is selected instead of a rep count
Example Scenarios
| Weight | Push-ups (reps) | Pace | Estimated Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 40 | Slow (40/min) | 8.0 kcal |
| 70 kg | 50 | Steady (50/min) | 9.3 kcal |
| 75 kg | 150 | Steady (50/min) | 30 kcal |
| 80 kg | 100 | Fast (60/min) | 18 kcal |
| 90 kg | 120 | Fast (60/min) | 24 kcal |
Making the Push Up Calorie Calculator Match Your Workout
A push up calorie calculator estimates energy from body weight and effort, but the variation you do changes how much of that weight you actually lift.
- Knee and incline push-ups move a smaller share of body weight than standard ones, so treat the push up calorie calculator figure as an upper estimate for them.
- Decline, clap and weighted push-ups are harder, and the real burn may sit a little above the estimate.
- Enter moving time only. If you do sets with long rests, use the rep count so the push up calorie calculator does not count recovery.
Totals will look small next to running or cycling, and that is expected. Push-ups are a strength move; their benefit is upper-body and core strength rather than a big calorie burn. Track reps and quality over time, and use the push up calorie calculator for rough context rather than a precise count.
If you have shoulder, wrist or heart problems, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first. The push-up article on Wikipedia describes common variations, useful when choosing what to log in the push up calorie calculator.
Push Up Calorie Calculator FAQ
Why do the same number of push-ups burn different calories at different paces?
The calorie rate per minute is fixed by your weight, but pace changes how many minutes those reps take. A slower pace stretches the same rep count over more active minutes, and since calories = per-minute rate × minutes, more minutes at the same rate means a higher total, even though the reps didn’t change.Should I count by reps or by time?
Use whichever you actually tracked. If you counted push-ups, enter the rep count and pick your pace so the calculator can derive active minutes. If you timed a continuous push-up set instead, switch to “Time” mode and enter the minutes directly – both paths feed the same per-minute calorie rate.Why does calories per push-up change with pace?
Calories per rep equals the per-minute rate divided by pace. At a faster pace, more reps fit into the same active minute, so each individual rep accounts for a smaller share of that minute’s calorie burn – even though the total calories for the whole set may still be similar or higher.Does the calculator include rest breaks between sets of push-ups?
No. It only converts your reps into active minutes using the selected pace, or uses the time you enter directly – it assumes continuous movement. If your push-ups included rest periods, use “Time” mode and enter your actual clock time to reflect the full session length.How do I switch my weight entry from kilograms to pounds?
Tap the unit button next to the weight field. It toggles the label between kg and lb, and the calculator converts pounds to kilograms internally (0.453592 kg per pound) before applying the MET formula, so your calorie estimate stays consistent either way.Why is push-up calorie burn usually low compared to a full workout?
Push-ups are vigorous (about 8 MET) but each rep is brief, so a set only accumulates a modest amount of active time. The calculator reflects that reality – short bursts of even intense movement add up to fewer total calories than a longer sustained activity at the same intensity.Related Calculators
Pair push-ups with other bodyweight moves using the sit up calorie calculator or the wall sit calorie calculator, or check how your push-up strength stacks up against loaded lifts with the 1 rep max calculator.