Burpee Calorie Calculator
Estimate calories burned doing burpees. Enter your weight (lb or kg), how many burpees you did, and your pace; you get total calories, the burn per burpee, and the answer to the classic question — how many burpees does it take you to burn 100 calories?
Example: with Body weight 170 · Weight unit lb (pounds) · Number of burpees 50 · Pace Brisk — 15 per minute → Calories burned: 36 kcal for 50 burpees.
- Per burpee≈ 0.72 kcal per burpee
- Burpees to burn 100 kcal≈ 139 burpees
- Time it takes3 min 20 sec at 15 per minute
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Burpees are scored as vigorous calisthenics: 8.0 METs (2011 Compendium of Physical Activities). kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200; pace converts your count into minutes.
What a burpee is really worth
The Compendium of Physical Activities files burpees under vigorous calisthenics at 8.0 METs — eight times resting energy burn. Run through the standard MET equation (MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200), a 170 lb person burns about 10.8 kcal per minute of continuous burpees. At a brisk 15 per minute, that is roughly 0.7 kcal per burpee, so burning 100 calories takes around 140 of them.
That number surprises people in both directions. Per rep, burpees are modest; per minute, they are among the most expensive bodyweight moves you can do — comparable to running an 11-to-12-minute mile, but with no equipment and a full-body strength stimulus layered on. The catch is sustainability: almost nobody holds 15 per minute for 10 straight minutes.
Pace changes the math less than you'd think
Faster burpees burn more per minute but the same per rep, to a first approximation — you compress the same mechanical work into less time. Where pace genuinely matters is rest: long breaks between sets drop your average intensity below 8 METs, so a drawn-out 100-burpee session burns somewhat less than the continuous math suggests. Treat the result as the cost of the working minutes.
How it’s calculated
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 with MET = 8.0 (vigorous calisthenics, 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities). Minutes = burpees ÷ pace; kcal per burpee = kcal/min ÷ pace. 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Example: 170 lb (77.1 kg) at 15/min = 10.8 kcal/min = 0.72 kcal per burpee.
MET values are population averages for continuous effort — rest breaks, form, and individual metabolism shift real burn by 10-20% either way, and afterburn (EPOC) is not counted; estimates only, not medical advice.
Burpees needed to burn 100 calories
| Body weight | kcal per burpee (15/min) | Burpees for 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | 0.55 | ≈ 182 |
| 150 lb (68 kg) | 0.64 | ≈ 157 |
| 170 lb (77 kg) | 0.72 | ≈ 139 |
| 200 lb (91 kg) | 0.85 | ≈ 118 |
Computed with 8.0 METs (2011 Compendium), kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200, at 15 burpees per minute; rounded.
Common mistakes
- Counting rest time as burn time — the 8 MET value assumes you are actually moving; long breaks dilute it.
- Expecting per-rep magic: a burpee is under 1 kcal for most people; the payoff is the per-minute rate, not the rep.
- Using your goal weight instead of current weight — burn scales with the body you are moving today.
- Comparing tracker numbers directly: wrist devices estimate burpees poorly because the wrist stops moving in the plank.
Frequently asked questions
How many burpees does it take to burn 100 calories?
Around 120-180 depending on body weight: about 157 at 150 lb and 118 at 200 lb, using the 8 MET Compendium value at 15 burpees per minute. Heavier bodies burn more per rep.
What formula does this calculator use?
The standard MET equation: kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × weight in kg ÷ 200, with burpees at 8.0 METs (vigorous calisthenics, 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities). Dividing by your pace gives calories per burpee.
Do burpees burn more than running?
Per minute they are comparable to running about 5 mph (8.3 METs) — but most people can run for 30 minutes and can't do burpees that long. Total session burn usually favors the activity you can sustain.
Does doing burpees faster burn more calories?
Per minute, yes; per burpee, roughly no — you do the same work per rep, just sooner. Speed raises the rate, your rep count sets the total.
Is it safe to do 100 burpees a day?
For healthy, conditioned people usually yes, but burpees load wrists, shoulders, and lower back at volume. Build up gradually, and check with a doctor or physical therapist first if you have joint, back, or heart issues.