How Many Calories Burned 100 Pushups? | Quick Math

Calories Burned From 100 Push-Ups (By Weight & Pace)

The energy cost depends on three levers: your mass, how fast you knock out the set, and how hard the set feels. The Compendium lists calisthenics like push-ups at around 8.0 MET for vigorous effort and 3.8 MET for moderate effort. Those numbers let us estimate burn with a simple equation that translates METs into kilocalories.

The Simple Formula You Can Trust

The standard approach is: kcal = MET × body weight (kg) × time (hours). One MET roughly equals 1 kcal per kilogram per hour, which is why the math scales cleanly with your mass and the minutes you spend under tension.

Fast Vs. Steady: What Changes

Race through one hundred in two to three minutes and you’re closer to the vigorous end. Stretch the set to eight to ten minutes and the effort looks moderate for many people. CDC’s talk-test cue matches this: if you can’t say more than a few words, that’s vigorous; if you can talk but not sing, that’s moderate.

Quick Estimates For Different Body Weights

Use the table to ballpark the burn for a single set. The left column assumes a brisk pace (about 2–3 minutes; vigorous, ~8.0 MET). The right column assumes a steady pace (about 8–10 minutes; moderate, ~3.8 MET). Calculations use the MET formula above with rounded minutes.

Body Weight (kg)	100 Reps In ~2–3 Min (kcal)	100 Reps In ~8–10 Min (kcal)
50	14–21	25–32
60	17–25	30–38
68	19–28	34–43
75	21–31	37–48
82	23–34	41–53
90	26–38	45–58
100	29–42	50–64

These are estimates, not lab measurements. Rep tempo, depth, and brief pauses between mini-sets change where you land.

Dialing in your set gets easier once you’ve set your daily calorie needs. That way you can put the burn from body-weight work in context with meals and the rest of your training.

How The Math Works (Step By Step)

1) Pick An Intensity That Fits Your Pace

Calisthenics covering push-ups sits near 8.0 MET for vigorous effort and around 3.8 MET for moderate effort in the Compendium. If your hundred feels like a sprint, use the higher number; if it’s controlled with breaks, use the lower one.

2) Convert Minutes To Hours

Two minutes is 0.033 h; five minutes is 0.083 h; ten minutes is 0.167 h. Small differences here matter, so be honest about how long your set takes.

3) Run The Equation

Example A (70 kg, fast 2-minute set, vigorous ~8.0 MET): 8.0 × 70 × 0.033 ≈ 18–19 kcal.

Example B (70 kg, steady 10-minute set, moderate ~3.8 MET): 3.8 × 70 × 0.167 ≈ 44–45 kcal.

Where This Model Comes From

MET values are standardized to let researchers and coaches normalize energy cost across activities. One MET equals the energy used at rest; activities are multiples of that baseline. The Compendium maintains activity codes and METs (push-ups fall under calisthenics), and CDC explains how to read intensity using simple cues like the talk test.

Form, Tempo, And Recovery Change The Burn

Rep Quality

Chest-to-floor depth and a brief pause near the bottom raise muscular demand. Half reps drop the cost. Keep a smooth path and lock out to standardize your own comparisons across weeks.

Tempo Choices

A 3-1-1-1 tempo (three-second lower, one-second pause, one-second press, one-second lockout) stretches time under tension. That bumps minutes, which bumps kilocalories in the equation. Faster cycling flips that.

Breaks And Mini-Sets

Many lifters hit 100 as 5×20 or 4×25 with ten-second shakes between clusters. Those short rests lengthen the clock and nudge the estimate toward the moderate side of the range.

When A Single Set Isn’t The Goal

Chasing Strength

If you’re chasing stronger presses, pick harder variations (feet-elevated, ring push-ups, slow eccentrics) and fewer total reps. Energy cost per minute can climb even if the total per set stays similar, because intensity stays higher and rest grows.

Chasing Conditioning

For conditioning, keep pace smooth and rest short. Pair push-ups with upright rows, jump rope, or step-ups to spread fatigue. Your per-minute burn can stay high without your triceps hitting failure too early.

Make The Estimate Yours

Pick Your Pace And Find Your Minutes

Use the guide below to match cadence to time for one hundred. If your pace lands between lines, split the difference. The right column shows which MET assumption fits most lifters at that speed, aligned with CDC’s talk-test definitions.

Reps Per Minute	Time For 100	MET Assumption
50	~2 min	~8.0 (vigorous)
30	~3.3 min	~6.0–7.0 (hard)
20	~5 min	~5.0–6.0 (moderate-hard)
12	~8.3 min	~3.8–4.5 (moderate)
10	~10 min	~3.8 (moderate)

Work It Backward From A Calorie Target

If you like round numbers, you can flip the math to plan sets. Say you want about 40 kcal from push-ups. At 75 kg and a moderate pace (~3.8 MET), you’d need roughly 75 × 3.8 × time(h) ≈ 40, so time ≈ 0.14 h (about 8–9 minutes) for the hundred.

What About Apps And Trackers?

Wearables often miss body-weight moves because there’s no steady step count or handlebar power. The MET method anchors your estimate to published values instead of step-based heuristics. If your device lets you set “calisthenics” as an activity type, check whether it uses a fixed MET for that mode and compare it to the Compendium’s values.

Push-Up Variations And Energy Cost

Variants That Trend Higher

Feet-elevated, deficit, ring, and archer reps tilt demand upward through longer ranges or stability challenges. Expect longer minutes for the same hundred, which raises the final number.

Variants That Trend Lower

Knee versions, partials, or incline sets move you toward shorter minutes. That brings the estimate down, even if the rep count stays the same.

Safe Effort And Recovery

Use the talk test during longer sets. If you can speak only a word or two, you’re in the vigorous zone—save that for when you’re fresh and keep extra rest between clusters. If you can talk in short phrases, you’re likely in the moderate zone, which fits daily practice well.

Build A Plan Around The Numbers

Pairing With Cardio

On days you want more total burn, pair push-ups with brisk walks or light jogs. That keeps your shoulders happy while your step-based work carries the energy load.

Weekly Volume

Instead of chasing one giant set, stack smaller clusters across the week. You’ll keep form tight, manage elbow stress, and still rack up meaningful work.

Nutrition Tie-In

If fat loss is on the menu, the steady way is a modest calorie deficit from food paired with consistent training. A single set of body-weight presses won’t move the needle by itself; the deficit across days will. For an easy primer, skim our guide to calorie deficit and map training into that plan.

Citations Behind These Estimates

The Compendium keeps standardized MET values for activities including calisthenics that encompass push-ups (~8.0 MET vigorous, ~3.8 MET moderate). CDC explains how to read moderate vs. vigorous in plain language with its talk-test. Together they give you a consistent, repeatable way to estimate energy cost without special gear.

Want a steady daily booster with simple tracking? Try walking for health to lift total burn without frying your arms.