How many caloriesdo squats burn?
Bodyweight squats burn roughly 5 to 9 calories per minute for most adults, or about 3 to 8 calories per set of 15 to 20 reps. Adding weight and moving faster pushes it higher.
Bodyweight squats burn somewhere between about 5 and 9 calories per minute for most adults, which comes out to roughly 3 to 8 calories for a set of 15 to 20 reps. Body weight is the biggest reason that range is wide, because a heavier body moves more mass through every rep.
On the standard intensity scale, bodyweight squats sit near 5 METs, a moderate effort. Loading the movement with dumbbells or a barbell, or doing fast, continuous sets, pushes intensity toward 8 METs and lifts the per-minute burn with it.
Below is the simple math, a table you can read your own weight off of, and the honest caveat that squats burn modestly compared with sustained cardio. Their real payoff is leg and glute strength, plus the muscle that keeps your resting metabolism higher over time.
The quick math
Calorie burn is usually estimated with METs, or metabolic equivalents, a standard measure of exercise intensity. Bodyweight squats sit around 5 METs; weighted or fast, continuous sets climb toward 8 METs. The per-minute formula is METs times 3.5 times your body weight in kilograms, divided by 200.
For a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, that is roughly 6 calories a minute for bodyweight squats and close to 10 when loaded or fast. A set of 15 to 20 squats usually takes 40 to 60 seconds, so a single set lands at only about 3 to 8 calories. The reps add up across a workout, not within one set.
Why your number is different from someone else’s
Two people can do the same 20 squats and burn different amounts. Body weight is the main lever, because you are lowering and raising that mass on every rep. Added load is the next big factor: holding dumbbells or a loaded bar raises the total mass you move and the intensity along with it.
Pace and depth matter too. Fast, unbroken sets to full depth keep the intensity near the high end, while slow, shallow reps with pauses drop it. Rest between sets lowers the average, since the per-minute rate only counts the time you are actually moving.
- Body weight: the largest single factor for bodyweight squats.
- Added load: dumbbells or a barbell can push intensity toward 8 METs.
- Depth and pace: full-depth, continuous reps work more muscle.
- Rest: the per-minute rate applies only to active time, not breaks.
Do squats burn many calories?
During the set, not many. Even a few hundred bodyweight squats across a workout might burn 40 to 80 calories, well below the several hundred a long walk or run adds up to. Strength moves like these are not built to keep you in continuous motion for long stretches.
The bigger win is muscle. Squats train some of the largest muscles in the body, the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and added lower-body muscle raises the calories you burn at rest. So the strongest case for squats is what they do to your body between workouts, not the burn during the set.
Where squats fit for weight loss
Squats support weight loss mostly indirectly. The direct burn is small and easy to offset with food, so what you eat still decides whether you end the day in a deficit. Their value is building and preserving lower-body muscle while you diet, which keeps your metabolism higher than cutting calories alone would.
Pair a simple squat habit with tracking what you eat and both sides of the equation work together. The strength side protects muscle; the food side creates the deficit that actually moves the scale.
| Body weight | Bodyweight, per min | Weighted or fast, per min |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg / 120 lb | ~5 cal | ~8 cal |
| 70 kg / 154 lb | ~6 cal | ~10 cal |
| 85 kg / 187 lb | ~7 cal | ~12 cal |
| 100 kg / 220 lb | ~9 cal | ~14 cal |
Estimate calories for walking and steps
Our calculator is built for walking and steps, so it estimates those. For squats, use the per-minute MET math above. Both rely on the same underlying formula.
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What this is based on.
- 01Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al.). MET values for bodyweight and resistance exercise used in the per-minute formula.
- 02Harvard Health Publishing, calories burned in physical activities. Weight-banded estimates for resistance training consistent with the table above.
- 03ACSM guidance on resistance training and energy expenditure. Supports the modest direct burn and the muscle-building role described here.
Questions, answered.
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