Medical Disclaimer: This calculator provides a general estimate based on established research and is for educational purposes only, not a substitute for medical advice. Individual results can vary based on health conditions, so consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet, exercise, or health routine. Read our full Medical Disclaimer.
How Calories Burned Doing Squats Are Calculated
Calories burned doing squats is the energy your body uses while you lower and raise your hips, counted in kilocalories (kcal). It is estimated from your body weight, the time you spend squatting and the type of squat. Each squat type has a MET value, which shows how hard an activity is compared with sitting still.
What the Estimate Measures
It shows the energy used during your working sets, with the energy your body would burn at rest left in (a gross value). It does not count rest between sets or any extra burn after you stop. It is an average for adults, not a reading of your own body.
The Formula
Calories (kcal) = MET x body weight (kg) x active squatting time (hours)
Active time (reps mode) = sets x reps per set x seconds per rep
Body weight (kg) = body weight (lb) x 0.45359237
One MET is about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, and the MET values come from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities¹.
How This Calculator Computes Your Result
Enter your weight in pounds or kilograms, your age group and a squat type. Then enter either your squatting time per set, or your reps per set and how many seconds one rep takes, plus your number of sets. The tool never assumes a pace. To find yours, time 10 reps and divide by 10.
Results under 50 kcal are shown to the nearest 1 kcal, larger ones to the nearest 5 kcal. You also see calories per minute, per rep (reps mode) and above resting, plus every squat type at your weight. Adults 60 and over get the adult result with a note that values may be lower; under 18 there is no result.
What Your Result Means
The squat type you pick makes the biggest difference. These figures are for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult.
Squat type | Compendium code | MET | Per minute | 10 minutes |
Bodyweight squats, general effort | 02056 | 3.0 | 3.5 kcal | 35 kcal |
Bodyweight squats, high intensity | 02057 | 6.5 | 7.6 kcal | 75 kcal |
Weighted squats | 02052 | 5.0 | 5.8 kcal | 60 kcal |
Jump squats, vigorous intervals | 02214 | 11.0 | 12.8 kcal | 130 kcal |
All four rows name squats, but none measures squats alone: the bodyweight rows also cover lunges, push-ups and crunches, the weighted row covers deadlifts, and the jump squat row is a HIIT row shared with burpees². There is no light weighted-squat row, so weighted squats have one option².
Why Rest Between Sets Is Not Counted
This tool counts only the time you are squatting. Rest between sets is mostly standing still, so counting a 2 minute rest at a squat value would inflate the result. Your result is labeled "active time only".
That makes the number cautious. Lab studies of working time alone found higher rates: trained men doing 4 minutes of nonstop half squats with a light load (24% of their one rep max) at 15 reps a minute used about 11.7 kcal per minute, roughly 9 METs for their average weight of 79 kg⁴. Our Calories Burned Weight Lifting Calculator works differently, using whole session time with rests included.
Why Rep-Based Estimates Are Rough
A MET value is a rate per minute, not per rep. So the tool turns your reps into minutes using the seconds per rep you enter, and a slower rep gets more calories. At 70 kg, 100 bodyweight squats at general effort come to about 12 kcal at 2 seconds per rep but 23 kcal at 4 seconds per rep.
The lab picture is different. In a study of 15 young men (66 kg on average) doing parallel squats with a 3 second lowering and 3 second rise, energy use rose by about 0.50 kcal above resting for each extra rep, across rep rates from 1 to 6 a minute³. For a 66 kg person at that tempo, this tool gives 0.22 kcal above resting (general) or 0.61 (high intensity), so for slow, deep squats the high intensity option may fit better.
This also answers the "100 squats a day" challenge: about 9 to 50 kcal at 70 kg by this tool, or about 50 kcal above resting by the lab figure³. That is a small share of a day's calories.
What Changes Your Burn During Squats
Body weight: you lift most of your own mass every rep.
Load: among eight weight machine and free weight exercises, the half squat cost the most energy at every load tested⁴.
Speed of the lift: in 9 men doing loaded squats, explosive reps at 60% of their one rep max used 7.27 kcal per minute during exercise, compared with 6.43 for slow reps and 6.25 for heavier explosive sets at 80%⁵.
Rep rate and pauses: more reps per minute means more energy per minute, because each rep has a fairly fixed cost³.
Depth: the studies above used parallel or half squats, so very shallow reps likely cost less.
Squats Compared With Similar Exercises
For 10 minutes of active time, based on 2024 compendium values². Rows marked stand-in do not name squats.
Activity | MET | 70 kg (154 lb) | 90 kg (198 lb) |
Bodyweight squats, general | 3.0 | 35 kcal | 45 kcal |
Bodyweight squats, high intensity | 6.5 | 75 kcal | 100 kcal |
Weighted squats | 5.0 | 60 kcal | 75 kcal |
Jump squats (HIIT row) | 11.0 | 130 kcal | 165 kcal |
Sit to stand, 18-24 times per minute (stand-in) | 4.0 | 47 kcal | 60 kcal |
Calisthenics with lunges, moderate (stand-in) | 3.8 | 44 kcal | 55 kcal |
Weight lifting, vigorous (stand-in) | 6.0 | 70 kcal | 90 kcal |
Sit to stand is the closest squat-like movement listed by pace: 2.8 METs at 6 to 12 times a minute, close to general bodyweight squats, and 4.0 METs at 18 to 24².
Calories for 100 Squats by Seconds per Rep
At 70 kg (154 lb). The same 100 squats count for more when each rep takes longer, because the calculator turns reps into minutes.
- General effort
- High intensity
Show data table
| Seconds per rep | General effort (kcal) | High intensity (kcal) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 seconds per rep | 9 | 19 |
| 2 seconds per rep | 12 | 25 |
| 3 seconds per rep | 18 | 38 |
| 4 seconds per rep | 23 | 50 |
A Note on Accuracy
No compendium row measures squats on their own, so every option borrows a value shared with other exercises. Your result also depends on the seconds per rep you enter, and a small timing error changes it in step. Lab studies suggest working squat time can cost more than these rows show, so treat your number as a fair, slightly cautious estimate, not an exact count³ ⁴.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories do 100 squats burn?
For a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, this calculator gives about 9 to 50 kcal for 100 bodyweight squats at 1.5 to 4 seconds a rep, depending on your pace and effort. A lab study of slow, deep bodyweight squats found about 0.50 kcal per rep above resting, or about 50 kcal per 100³.
How many calories does one squat burn?
Well under 1 kcal: at 70 kg this tool gives about 0.1 to 0.5 kcal per bodyweight squat at common paces, and a lab study found about 0.5 kcal above resting for slow, deep reps³. Weighted and jump squats cost more per rep.
How many calories do you burn doing squats for 10 minutes?
At 70 kg, 10 minutes of nonstop squatting burns about 35 kcal at a general effort, 60 kcal with weights, 75 kcal at high intensity and 130 kcal doing jump squats². Heavier people burn more.
Is a squat calorie calculator accurate?
It gives a fair average, not an exact count, because the compendium has no squat-only value and per-rep results depend on the pace you enter. For slow, deep reps the real figure is likely a little higher³.
Sources
2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, Herrmann et al., 2024
Compendium of Physical Activities, Conditioning Exercise, Compendium of Physical Activities
Estimating Energy Cost of Body Weight Resistance Exercise, Nakagata et al., 2022
Energy Cost of Isolated Resistance Exercises Across Low- to High-Intensities, Reis et al., 2017
Effect of Explosive Versus Slow Contractions on Energy Expenditure, Mazzetti et al., 2007