Quick answer
Calories = MET × weight (kg) × hours. General body-weight resistance exercise, including push-ups (3 MET), for 30 minutes at 70 kg burns 105 kcal.
Choose the effort level for push-ups or similar bodyweight exercise, your weight and the time. The calculator returns calories.
Related tools: Calorie Calculator: Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight. Calories Burned Standing Calculator: Calories burned while standing, from Compendium MET values. Calories Burned Hiking Calculator: Calories burned hiking for a given body weight, pace and time.
How to use the Push-Up Calorie Calculator
- Choose effort level: Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET), Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort (3.8 MET), Body weight resistance exercises, high intensity (6.5 MET) and Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, burpees), vigorous effort (7.5 MET).
- Enter body weight (between 20 and 500).
- Choose weight unit: Kilograms and Pounds.
- Enter duration (minutes) (between 0.1 and 1440).
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Effort level | Choose one: Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET); Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort (3.8 MET); Body weight resistance exercises, high intensity (6.5 MET); Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, burpees), vigorous effort (7.5 MET) | Starts at Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET) |
| Body weight | A number | ≥ 20, ≤ 500 |
| Weight unit | Choose one: Kilograms; Pounds | Starts at Kilograms |
| Duration (minutes) | A number | ≥ 0.1, ≤ 1440 |
Formula and method
Formula
calories = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours)
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to at most 6 decimal places.
Push-ups are not listed alone in the Compendium; the nearest entries are body-weight resistance exercise and calisthenics, chosen here by effort. Gross energy use (it includes the resting metabolism you would burn anyway) for an average adult. MET values are population averages: your real burn varies with fitness, body composition, pace, terrain and technique.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Effort level = Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET); Body weight = 70; Weight unit = Kilograms; Duration (minutes) = 30.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 105 kcal |
| MET value | 3.0 |
| Compendium code | 02056 |
| Per minute | 3.5 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 439 kJ |
Example 2
Inputs: Effort level = Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET); Body weight = 180; Weight unit = Pounds; Duration (minutes) = 45.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 183.7 kcal |
| MET value | 3.0 |
| Compendium code | 02056 |
| Per minute | 4.08 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 769 kJ |
Example 3
Inputs: Effort level = Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort (3.8 MET); Body weight = 70; Weight unit = Kilograms; Duration (minutes) = 30.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories burned | 133 kcal |
| MET value | 3.8 |
| Compendium code | 02022 |
| Per minute | 4.43 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 556 kJ |
The first line is the headline result (calories burned). Below it the push-Up Calorie Calculator lists mET value, compendium code, per minute and kilojoules, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; shown to at most 6 decimal places.
Minutes, not reps
The estimate uses elapsed exercise time, not repetitions. Counting 50 push-ups spread over 20 minutes of a workout should use the full 20 minutes. Vigorous effort has a higher MET in the Compendium, so choose the level that matches how hard you worked.
Why the result is small
A set of push-ups burns few calories on its own. The benefit of strength training also comes from muscle maintenance and an elevated metabolism afterwards, which this simple model cannot capture.
How the result changes with body weight
Holding every other input at the first worked example, this table changes only body weight. It shows how sensitive the answer is to that one value; each row was produced by running this calculator.
| Body weight | Calories burned | MET value | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 52.5 kcal | 3.0 | 02056 |
| 70 | 105 kcal | 3.0 | 02056 |
| 140 | 210 kcal | 3.0 | 02056 |
| 280 | 420 kcal | 3.0 | 02056 |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Body weight: left empty shows "Enter body weight." beside that field and no result.
- Duration (minutes): entering "0" shows "Duration (minutes) must be at least 0.1." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Push-Up Calorie Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [Calorie Calculator](/health/calorie-calculator/) | units, sex and weight | Maintenance calories |
| [Calories Burned Standing Calculator](/health/calories-burned-standing/) | standing posture, body weight and weight unit | Calories burned |
| [Calories Burned Hiking Calculator](/health/calories-burned-hiking-calculator/) | hiking type, body weight and weight unit | Calories burned |
| [Calorie Deficit Calculator](/health/calorie-deficit-calculator/) | units, weight to lose and time | Daily calorie deficit |
| [Calorie Density Calculator](/health/calorie-density-calculator/) | calories and weight | Calorie density |
Assumptions and limitations
- Weights are limited to 20–500 kg-equivalent inputs and durations to 24 hours
- MET values come from the Compendium and are not adjusted for age, sex or fitness
This calculator gives general information based on published formulas. It is not medical advice, and it cannot account for your health history. Talk to a qualified clinician about decisions that affect your health.
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for body weight and duration (minutes) to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does one push-up burn?
Roughly 0.3 to 0.5 kcal for an adult, depending on effort; this calculator works from time instead.
Which effort should I choose?
Pick moderate for steady sets and vigorous for fast circuits.
Does body weight matter?
Yes, heavier people burn more.
What does the Push-Up Calorie Calculator calculate?
Calories burned doing push-ups (calisthenics) for a given effort level and time. It returns Calories burned, MET value, Compendium code, Per minute and Kilojoules.
What formula does the Push-Up Calorie Calculator use?
calories = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours). Push-ups are not listed alone in the Compendium; the nearest entries are body-weight resistance exercise and calisthenics, chosen here by effort.
What do I need to enter in the push-Up Calorie Calculator?
You enter Effort level, Body weight, Weight unit and Duration (minutes).
How is the result rounded or limited?
IEEE-754 double precision; shown to at most 6 decimal places. Weights are limited to 20–500 kg-equivalent inputs and durations to 24 hours.
What are the limits of this calculator?
Weights are limited to 20–500 kg-equivalent inputs and durations to 24 hours. MET values come from the Compendium and are not adjusted for age, sex or fitness.
What does the “Effort level” option change?
It sets how the push-Up Calorie is worked out. The choices are Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET), Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, lunges), moderate effort (3.8 MET), Body weight resistance exercises, high intensity (6.5 MET) and Calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, burpees), vigorous effort (7.5 MET).
What is an example of a push-Up Calorie result?
With effort level Body weight resistance exercises (push-ups, squats, lunges), general (3 MET), body weight 70, weight unit Kilograms and duration (minutes) 30, the calories burned is 105 kcal.
Where does the method come from?
The method follows: 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, https://pacompendium.com/ (MET values used unchanged; free for educational and commercial use with citation); Energy cost: kcal = MET × body mass (kg) × hours, using 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal per kg per hour (Compendium convention).
Can I rely on this calculator for a decision?
This calculator gives general information based on published formulas. It is not medical advice, and it cannot account for your health history. Talk to a qualified clinician about decisions that affect your health. For this calculator in particular: Weights are limited to 20–500 kg-equivalent inputs and durations to 24 hours.
Related calculators
- Calorie Calculator — Daily calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.
- Calories Burned Standing Calculator — Calories burned while standing, from Compendium MET values.
- Calories Burned Hiking Calculator — Calories burned hiking for a given body weight, pace and time.
- Calorie Density Calculator — Calories per gram of a food.
Sources
- 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, https://pacompendium.com/ (MET values used unchanged; free for educational and commercial use with citation)
- Energy cost: kcal = MET × body mass (kg) × hours, using 1 MET ≈ 1 kcal per kg per hour (Compendium convention)
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.