Loading...
Loading...
Find out how many calories you burn from push-ups based on your body weight, total reps, and exercise intensity. Uses MET formula with moderate and vigorous intensity options. Includes food and exercise comparisons.
HealthLoading tool...
Calculate your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Try tool →Calculate your TDEE, BMR, and target calories for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.
Try tool →Calculate calories burned during any exercise using MET values.
Try tool →Find your best bedtime or wake-up time for full cycles.
Try tool →Find your exact age in years, months, days, and more.
Try tool →Find the number of days between any two dates.
Try tool →Quick percentage calculations for discounts and tips.
Try tool →Find your best bedtime or wake-up time for full cycles.
Try tool →Enter total reps completed in one session.
Push-ups are a compound bodyweight exercise that engages the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. While they primarily build strength, they also burn calories. The exact number depends on your body weight, the intensity of your reps, and how long you spend doing them.
A person weighing 70 kg (154 lbs) burns approximately 0.23 calories per moderate push-upand about 0.35 calories per vigorous push-up. This means 100 push-ups at a moderate pace burn roughly 23-35 calories.
While push-ups alone are not the most efficient calorie-burning exercise (compared to running or cycling), they are an excellent addition to a full-body strength routine and contribute to your overall daily energy expenditure.
This calculator uses the standard MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) formula:
Calories = MET × 3.5 × weight(kg) / 200 × time(minutes)
The MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities:
Time is estimated based on the number of reps divided by the expected reps-per-minute rate for each intensity level. Individual pace may vary based on fitness level and form.
Yes. Any muscle contraction requires energy. Push-ups are a compound movement engaging multiple large muscle groups, so they burn more calories than isolation exercises. While the per-rep burn is modest (0.2-0.4 kcal), doing high volumes (100+) contributes noticeably to daily energy expenditure.
For a 70 kg (154 lbs) person, approximately 430 moderate push-ups or 285 vigorous push-ups would burn 100 calories. While this sounds like a lot, push-ups are better used as part of a varied workout rather than a standalone calorie-burning strategy.
Plyometric variations (clapping push-ups, spiderman push-ups) have a higher MET value due to explosive muscle activation. Decline push-ups and weighted push-ups also increase the load, raising energy expenditure. Standard, wide-grip, and diamond push-ups have similar MET values.
Push-ups are primarily a strength and muscular endurance exercise. While they do burn calories, they should not be your primary calorie-burning activity. Use cardio exercises (walking, running, cycling) for calorie expenditure and push-ups for building upper body strength.
The MET formula provides a reasonable estimate, but individual factors like muscle mass, form efficiency, metabolism, and rest between reps affect actual calorie burn. Use this calculator as a general guide rather than an exact measurement.