How Many Calories Do 150 Push Ups Burn? | Quick Math Guide

Calories Burned By 150 Push-Ups: Realistic Range

Push-ups fall under calisthenics. The adult Compendium lists two useful entries: 3.8 MET for moderate effort and 8.0 MET for vigorous effort. Using the standard energy formula, a 70 kg person doing 150 reps at a brisk pace over about 7.5 minutes (vigorous) lands near 70 kcal. The same 150 reps spread over 10–15 minutes with longer breaks can sit in the 45–65 kcal window.

That’s why you often see different answers online. The number swings with body mass, pace, and how long the set lasts. The math below shows you where your own result will land. For definitions and context on METs, the Compendium site gives a plain description. For intensity cues that match real-world breathing and talk tests, see the CDC’s intensity guidance.

Quick Formula You Can Use

Kcal = MET × body mass (kg) × time (hours). For most push-up sessions, pick 3.8 MET for an easier, stop-and-start block; pick 8.0 MET for hard, continuous work. One MET equals about 1 kcal/kg/hour at rest, so the formula scales cleanly with time and mass.

Worked Example For A 70 Kg Person

Scenario A (vigorous): 150 reps in 7.5 minutes at 8.0 MET. Kcal = 8.0 × 70 × 0.125 = 70 kcal.

Scenario B (moderate): 150 reps in 10 minutes at 3.8 MET. Kcal = 3.8 × 70 × 0.1667 ≈ 44 kcal.

Both are valid. They reflect pacing and rest patterns.

Table: Estimated Calories For 150 Push-Ups By Body Mass

This table uses 3.8 MET for a steady session that lasts ~10 minutes, and 8.0 MET for a harder session that finishes in ~7.5 minutes.

Body Mass	Moderate 10 min (3.8 MET)	Vigorous 7.5 min (8.0 MET)
50 kg	32 kcal	50 kcal
56 kg	36 kcal	56 kcal
60 kg	38 kcal	60 kcal
65 kg	41 kcal	65 kcal
70 kg	44 kcal	70 kcal
75 kg	48 kcal	75 kcal
80 kg	51 kcal	80 kcal
85 kg	54 kcal	85 kcal
90 kg	57 kcal	90 kcal
100 kg	63 kcal	100 kcal
110 kg	70 kcal	110 kcal

Use the column that matches the way you train. If your 150 reps take less time than shown, your total will creep up. If they take longer, it will drop.

What Changes The Number

Body Mass

Heavier bodies expend more energy for the same movement pattern. The formula uses kilograms, so a small jump in mass shows up instantly in the total.

Pace And Rest

Short, intense sets push you toward the 8.0 MET end, though the shorter clock time can still keep the total modest. Longer breaks pull you toward the 3.8 MET end.

Form And Range

Full chest-to-floor reps with a steady cadence ask for more work than partial range pulses. Keep reps honest and you’ll get a cleaner estimate.

Surface And Hand Position

Mats and carpet soak a bit of force; hardwood and concrete do not. Wider hands shift more load to chest and shoulders; narrow grip increases triceps load. The calorie math won’t flip, but the feel changes.

Close Variation: Calories Burned Doing 150 Push-Ups, With Sets And Breaks

Most people don’t bang out 150 reps straight. Sets with short pauses still count. The MET method tracks total time under effort, so you can time only the blocks where you’re moving.

Smart Ways To Time Your Session

• Use a timer that starts when the first rep begins and pauses during breaks.
• Record total “work minutes” for the 150 reps.
• Pick 3.8 MET if your breathing stays steady; pick 8.0 if you’re gasping.

Table: Paces, Minutes, And A 70 Kg Example

The rows below map a few common paces to minutes needed for 150 reps, then estimate kcal for a 70 kg person.

Pace (reps/min)	Total Work Minutes	Approx Kcal
10	15.0	66.5
15	10.0	44.3
20	7.5	70.0
30	5.0	46.7
40	3.75	35.0

Shorter time doesn’t always mean more calories. You’re working harder per minute at higher paces, but there’s less time to spend energy overall. Harvard’s 30-minute chart for many activities shows the same shape across movement types.

Push-Up Energy Next To Other Moves

Think of push-ups as a strength-leaning drill with modest energy cost. Jump rope and running top the list for burn minute; air squats and planks sit lower. That doesn’t make push-ups a poor pick. They build strength and can be stacked with short bursts of cardio to lift your daily total.

Quick Comparisons For A 70 Kg Person

• Jump rope, easy pace (~8.8 MET): ~51 kcal in 5 minutes.
• Brisk walk, 3.5–4 mph (~4–4.5 MET): ~23–26 kcal in 5 minutes.
• Air squats, moderate (~5 MET): ~29 kcal in 5 minutes.
• Plank hold (~3.3 MET): ~7–8 kcal in 2 minutes.

Mix a few of these with your push-ups and the daily picture looks better.

How Many Calories For 100, 200, Or 300 Push-Ups

Use the same method. Keep your pace tag and scale time with reps. For a 70 kg person at the vigorous tag, 100 reps in ~5 minutes lands near 47 kcal, 200 reps in ~10 minutes near 93 kcal, and 300 reps in ~15 minutes near 140 kcal. If your sets are calmer and longer, switch to the 3.8 MET tag and redo the math.

What About Variations

Incline push-ups shift load to your feet and reduce the demand; that trims calories a bit. Decline push-ups, ring push-ups, weighted vests, tempo work, and slow negatives do the opposite by raising difficulty or time under tension. If breathing bumps up into the “few words at a time” zone, tag it as vigorous for your math. If you can chat in full sentences, use the moderate tag.

Trackers And Estimates

Wrist devices are handy for steps and distance, yet they struggle during floor work. Grip and pressure can throw off heart rate, and the algorithm tries to fill the gaps. Expect a swing around what the MET method gives you. If your watch reads far higher than the table and your session lasted only a few minutes, it’s probably counting post-set spikes. Time the work, run the formula, and treat the watch as a rough cross-check.

Fat Loss Context

Calories burned in a short strength block add up across the week, but the bigger driver is food intake and total daily movement. Use push-ups to anchor an active day, then stack walks, short bike rides, and a solid sleep window. Keep protein steady, fill plates with produce, and sip water between sets. That mix keeps energy steady and makes training feel better, which helps you stick with it. Small daily wins add up over weeks nicely.

How To Estimate Your Own Number

Step 1 — Weigh Yourself

Convert pounds to kilograms: divide by 2.205.

Step 2 — Time Only The Work

Count the minutes you spend actively doing reps. Skip the rest periods if you want a “pure” number.

Step 3 — Pick A MET

Use 3.8 for steady sets with regular breathing. Use 8.0 for intense blocks where speech is limited to short phrases.

Step 4 — Do The Math

Multiply MET × kg × hours. Round to the nearest whole number for a quick answer.

Safety And Form Pointers

Neutral Spine

Brace your midsection, keep ribs down, and keep your neck long. Hips shouldn’t sag or pike.

Full Range

Lower until your chest nears the floor, then press back to full elbow lockout without bouncing.

Hand Setup

Hands just outside shoulder width, fingers spread, index fingers pointing forward. Adjust if wrists grumble: use push-up bars or fists.

Set Structure

Break 150 into manageable sets: 10×15, 6×25, or 5×30. Short rests keep the heart rate up while form stays clean.

Why METs And Not “Calories Per Rep”

Per-rep values sound handy, but they mask pace and rest. METs link energy to time, which makes estimates more honest across different styles of training. You get a number that respects both intensity and duration.

Trusted References

For the MET entries used here, see the adult Compendium’s calisthenics listings (moderate 3.8 MET; vigorous 8.0 MET). For a quick primer on what counts as moderate and vigorous activity, the CDC’s intensity page lays it out in plain terms. Both links also appear in the quick facts card near the top. Harvard’s 30-minute table adds context across activities and body sizes, so you can eyeball how push-ups compare to running, rope work, or cycling quickly today.