How many calories does calisthenics burn?

At 7.5 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 263 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.

What is the MET value for calisthenics?

7.5 METs, listed under Compendium code 02020. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.

Should I subtract my resting metabolism?

If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for calisthenics leaves about 87 per cent of the gross total.

Why does body weight change the answer?

A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.

How accurate is this figure?

It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.

Calories burned calisthenics

Calisthenics is rated at 7.5 METs, meaning it costs about 7.5 times as much energy per minute as sitting still. Enter your weight and duration to turn that into kilocalories.

Result

These are estimates from population-level equations, not a measurement of you and not medical advice. Individual results vary widely. Talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to how you eat or train.

The MET value and where it comes from

MET value: 7.5
Compendium code: 02020
Listed as: Calisthenics (e.g., pushups, sit ups, pull ups, jumping jacks, burpees, battling ropes), vigorous effort
Category: Gym and studio

The Compendium assigns calisthenics a value of 7.5 METs. One MET is what sitting quietly costs, so this activity is about 7.5 times that per minute of doing it.

kcal = MET × kg × h
     = 7.5 × weight × hours

net of resting:
kcal = (7.5 − 1) × weight × hours

Source: Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. "2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities." Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(1), 2024, pp. 6–12. MET values are population averages; roughly 18% of Compendium entries are estimated rather than measured.

The figure above is gross energy — everything spent during the session, including the resting metabolism you would have used anyway. Subtracting one MET-hour per hour gives what calisthenics actually added.

The 7.5 MET figure for calisthenics is a population average. The Compendium itself notes that individual energy cost varies with fitness, technique, terrain and body composition, so treat it as an order of magnitude rather than a measurement.

Calories burned by body weight and duration

Gross energy in kilocalories. Read across from your weight and down from your duration. A 70 kg person uses about 525 kcal an hour, of which roughly 455 is above what resting would have cost.

Calories burned by body weight and duration
Body weight	15 min	20 min	30 min	45 min	60 min	90 min
55 kg	103	138	206	309	413	619
65 kg	122	163	244	366	488	731
75 kg	141	188	281	422	563	844
85 kg	159	213	319	478	638	956
95 kg	178	238	356	534	713	1,069
110 kg	206	275	413	619	825	1,238

Compared with related activities

Energy used per thirty minutes at 70 kg, so the activities are directly comparable.

Comparison with related activities
Activity	METs	kcal / 30 min
Calisthenics	7.5	263
Circuit training	6	210
HIIT	11	385
Weight training	3.5	123
Jump rope	11.8	413
High-impact aerobics	8	280

Questions

How many calories does calisthenics burn?: At 7.5 METs, a 70 kg person uses about 263 kcal in thirty minutes. Energy use scales with body weight, so a 90 kg person uses roughly a third more for the same session.
What is the MET value for calisthenics?: 7.5 METs, listed under Compendium code 02020. A MET is a multiple of resting metabolic rate.
Should I subtract my resting metabolism?: If you are adding this to a maintenance figure that already includes rest, yes. The net figure removes the roughly one MET-hour per hour your body would have spent anyway, which for calisthenics leaves about 87 per cent of the gross total.
Why does body weight change the answer?: A MET value is energy per kilogram of body mass, so the same activity costs more for a heavier body. That is why weight is an input rather than an assumption, and why generic calories-burned figures without a weight are close to meaningless.
How accurate is this figure?: It is an estimate from a population average. Published comparisons against indirect calorimetry find individual discrepancies of twenty to thirty per cent, so use it to compare activities rather than as a ledger to eat back.