How Many Calories Do You Burn Doing A Push Up? | Fast Facts

How Push-Up Calories Are Estimated

Energy burn for a push-up session comes from intensity and time. Researchers use metabolic equivalents (METs) to grade effort. A moderate calisthenics block that includes push-ups is ~3.8 MET, while vigorous calisthenics is ~7.5 MET. Those values map to steady, rhythmic sets or fast, breathy sets with short rests. The standard equation is: calories per minute = MET × 3.5 × body weight (kg) ÷ 200.

Quick Reference Table: Calories Per Minute

The numbers below assume continuous work with the usual short pauses to shake out the arms between reps.

Body Weight	Moderate (3.8 MET)	Vigorous (7.5 MET)
120 lb (54.4 kg)	~3.6 kcal/min	~7.1 kcal/min
150 lb (68.0 kg)	~4.5 kcal/min	~8.9 kcal/min
180 lb (81.6 kg)	~5.4 kcal/min	~10.7 kcal/min
210 lb (95.3 kg)	~6.3 kcal/min	~12.5 kcal/min

These MET figures come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, and the burn per minute aligns with the Harvard Health calorie tables for calisthenics.

Calories Per Push-Up: The Practical Math

Per-rep burn depends on your cadence. If you do 20 controlled reps in a minute at a steady pace, you can divide the per-minute number by 20 to get a per-rep estimate. Heavier lifters burn more, and speed raises the MET value.

Pick Your Pace

Slow sets (10–12 per minute) fit the 3.8 MET line. Brisk sets (18–25 per minute) land between 6 and 7.5 METs. Power sets that chase short time caps sit near the 7.5–8 MET ceiling listed for vigorous calisthenics.

Worked Example At 150 Pounds

A 150-lb lifter (68 kg) at 3.8 MET burns ~4.5 kcal/min. With 20 reps in that minute, that’s about 0.23 kcal per push-up. At 7.5 MET with 25 reps in a minute, the same lifter burns ~8.9 kcal/min, or ~0.36 kcal per push-up. If you’re 180 lb and moving fast, the math pushes closer to ~0.45–0.55 kcal per rep.

Once you set your daily calorie needs, you can place push-ups in your day as a compact burn that stacks neatly with steps and short strength blocks.

Close Variation: How Many Calories Are Burned Per Push-Up Set?

This variant of the question looks at full sets rather than single reps. Use the same formula and plug in time: 2 minutes of steady sets at 150 lb and 3.8 MET yields ~9 calories; push the pace to 7.5 MET for 2 minutes and you’re near ~18 calories. That’s small on its own, yet it adds up fast across a workout built on supersets.

Table #2: Per-Rep Estimates By Pace

To keep things simple, the table below assumes a 70-kg (154-lb) adult. You can scale linearly by your weight in kilograms.

Cadence (per min)	Moderate MET (3.8)	Vigorous MET (7.5)
12 reps/min	~0.19 kcal/rep	~0.37 kcal/rep
20 reps/min	~0.11 kcal/rep	~0.22 kcal/rep
30 reps/min	~0.08 kcal/rep	~0.15 kcal/rep

Counting Reps And Tempo Without Guesswork

Use a metronome at 60 beats per minute and move down on one beat, up on the next. That cadence gives 30 reps in a minute. If that’s too spicy, use a 2-count down and a 1-count up to target 20 reps. Track sets as “reps per minute” in your training log so your estimates stay consistent week to week.

Common Mistakes That Skew The Math

• Letting the hips sag, which shortens the range and lowers effort.
• Stopping at 80% lockout, which cuts time under tension.
• Holding long rests inside the minute, which drops average burn.
• Counting partials as full reps, which inflates “calories per rep.”

How Many Push-Ups To Burn 100 Calories?

Pick the line that best matches your setup and pace. At 150 lb, moderate work at ~4.5 kcal/min needs about 22 minutes to reach 100 calories. Hit a vigorous pace near ~8.9 kcal/min and you need around 11 minutes. If your cadence averages 20 per minute at that faster pace, you’ll do roughly 220 reps in that window. Heavier lifters will finish sooner; lighter lifters will need more time.

Make The Math Yours

Weigh yourself in kilograms, choose a MET that matches your pace, then run the equation. Log the result and stick with the same method across the month. Consistency beats rough guesses taken at random times.

Push-Up Types And Estimated Impact

Incline Push-Ups

Hands on a bench or wall shift load away from the arms. Expect fewer calories per minute than the tables above, since less mass moves each rep. Use this version for volume work or active recovery.

Standard Push-Ups

Hands under shoulders and a firm plank give a clean baseline. Most people will live in the 3.8–6 MET band here, depending on speed and rest.

Decline Or Weighted

Feet on a box or a light vest lengthen the lever and add load. Your cadence may drop, yet the intensity rises, which can keep the per-minute burn near the top of the 7.5 MET range.

Safety, Scaling, And Progressions

Warm the wrists and shoulders with circles and a light plank hold. If your elbows ache, shift to a slight incline and keep forearms vertical at the bottom. For scaling up, add small waves: a week with more total reps, then a week with fewer reps but tighter tempo. Pain in the front of the shoulder or sharp wrist pain is a hard stop; swap to neutral-grip dumbbell push-ups or handle push-up bars to keep wrists neutral.

Turn It Into A Simple Routine

Pick a time cap and rotate push-ups with a pull or leg move. One tidy block is an EMOM: minute 1 push-ups, minute 2 rows, minute 3 air squats. Keep reps steady across 12 minutes. You’ll bank upper-body work while holding a steady calorie trickle.

Set, Rep, And Rest Guide

• Beginners: 6 rounds of 8–12 reps, 60–90 seconds rest.
• Intermediates: 8 rounds of 12–18 reps, 45–60 seconds rest.
• Advanced: 10 rounds of 15–25 reps, 30–45 seconds rest.

Technique Pointers That Matter

• Wrists under shoulders, ribs down, glutes tight.
• Elbows at ~45°, not flared wide.
• Chest touches the floor or a target every rep.
• Lock out the top with a straight line from head to heel.
• Breathe out on the press; sip air at the top.

Where Push-Ups Fit In Weight Loss

Push-ups don’t torch hundreds of calories by themselves, yet they support lean mass, which helps maintain daily energy use. They also slot into short home workouts that pair well with walks, light cycling, or short jogs. That blend is easier to keep than long daily cardio blocks.

Pair With Steps And Protein

Aim for a daily step target, keep protein steady across meals, and fold push-ups into most days. The scale moves by balancing intake with activity over weeks, not by chasing huge burns in single moves. If you like structure, our calorie deficit guide walks through the math, meal moves, and tracking ideas that get results.

FAQ-Free Bottom Line

You burn a small number of calories per push-up—often about a quarter to a half a calorie per rep for most adults at common paces. The count rises with higher cadence, cleaner lockouts, longer sets, and more body weight. Treat push-ups as a high-value strength move that also nudges daily burn, then build a routine that you can repeat all week.