Enter your body weight, number of sets, reps per set, and workout duration to find out how many calories you burn doing push-ups. Results include total calories burned, estimated calories per minute, and a breakdown by effort level — all based on your personal stats.
Total Calories Burned
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Calories per Minute
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Total Reps Completed
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Calories per Rep
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MET Value Used
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The calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) method, which is the standard used by exercise scientists. Your body weight in kilograms is multiplied by the MET value for push-ups and the duration in hours to estimate total calories burned. Intensity adjustments modify the MET value to reflect light, moderate, or vigorous effort.
On average, push-ups burn roughly 7–10 calories per minute depending on your body weight and intensity. A heavier person burns more calories per minute than a lighter person doing the same exercise, since moving more mass requires more energy.
Yes, significantly. Body weight is one of the most important variables in calorie calculations. A 200 lb person doing the same push-up routine as a 130 lb person will burn roughly 50% more calories, because their body must exert more force to complete each rep.
Push-ups have a MET value of approximately 3.8 for light effort, 8.0 for moderate effort, and 10.0 for vigorous effort, based on the Compendium of Physical Activities. These values reflect the energy expenditure relative to sitting at rest.
Push-ups contribute to weight loss both by burning calories during the workout and by building lean muscle mass, which raises your resting metabolic rate over time. However, they are most effective as part of a broader fitness routine combined with a caloric deficit through diet.
For a 165 lb person at moderate intensity, roughly 200–300 push-ups are needed to burn approximately 100 calories. The exact number depends on your body weight, pace, and rest periods between sets. Use this calculator to find your personalized number.
Sets and reps help estimate your total rep volume and verify your workout duration is realistic, but the primary driver of calorie burn is total active time under load, your body weight, and intensity. More reps in the same time means higher intensity, which increases your MET value.
MET-based calculators provide a reasonable estimate, but individual metabolism, fitness level, muscle efficiency, and form all introduce variation. Studies suggest MET-based estimates are accurate within 10–20% for most people. For precise tracking, a heart rate monitor is a useful complement.