Last updated on March 1st, 2024 at 12:45 pm
A person weighing 150lbs would burn 119 calories per 100 burpees, whereas a person weighing 180lbs would burn 143 calories, and a person weighing 210lbs would burn 167 calories. The number of calories burned during 100 burpees will vary based on weight, intensity, metabolism, and level of physical conditioning.
Calories Burned Per Burpee According to Body Weight
| Body Weight (in lbs) | Calories Per Burpee |
| 120 | 0.95 |
| 130 | 1.03 |
| 140 | 1.11 |
| 150 | 1.19 |
| 160 | 1.27 |
| 170 | 1.35 |
| 180 | 1.43 |
| 190 | 1.51 |
| 200 | 1.59 |
| 210 | 1.67 |
The Main Factors That Affect Calories Burned By Burpees
Funnily enough, a quick Google search to find the answer to this question will reveal an EXACT number of calories burned.
I’m sorry, but this is WRONG!
Okay, this is all well-and-good until you realise that we as individuals don’t burn calories at the same rate.
Therefore, what may be a correct number for one individual will be way off for another.
Much the same as most things in life, the answer to how many calories you can expect to burn from performing 100 burpees will vary from individual-to-individual.
So, let’s take a closer look at the factors that can affect your “score”.
Weight
The most obvious determining factor is weight.
And this is clearly why Dr. Jeff Godin conducted his burpees research based on the weight of an individual.
Basically, the more you weigh, the more calories you will need to consume to maintain your weight.
And by the same token, the more calories you will naturally burn throughout the day.
So, as an example, a 140lbs man will require approximately 2,180 calories per day to maintain his weight.
However, a 250lbs man will require 3,090 to maintain his weight.
And based on Dr. Godin’s research, our 140lbs man would burn 111 calories from 100 burpees, whereas our 250lbs man would burn 199 calories.
So, you can clearly see that providing an EXACT figure for calories burned for 100 calories for every human being is pretty pointless.
It’s fine if we all weighed exactly the same, but clearly we don’t.
Intensity
Now, this is something else that I found somewhat strange when seeing what some of the results on Google had to say about burpees and calories burned.
In fact, I’ve noticed that a few articles are stating that on average it takes 3 seconds to perform a burpee, and therefore you should be performing 20 burpees per minute.
Clearly, this information is being provided by someone who potentially has never performed a burpee in their life.
I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of people are unable to perform 20 burpees in a row, never mind doing them in a minute.
Okay, this will depend on your overall fitness and conditioning levels, which I’ll get to in a minute.
However, I would say that with an exercise like burpees, unless you’re proficient at performing burpees, you’re going to struggle to hit 20 per minute.
Basically, the more often you perform burpees, the better (and faster) you’ll become at doing them.
For me, I would guess that most “untrained-burpee individuals” will probably get to somewhere between 5-20 reps before needing at least a minute’s rest.
However, someone who performs burpees on a daily basis, and has done for years, could probably crank out 100 burpees in under 5 minutes.
And it is this intensity with which you can perform burpees that will determine how many calories you’re burning.
In effect, the more intensity you perform burpees with, the more calories you will burn in TOTAL.
This includes the time during exercise, and those additional calories burned through the “afterburn effect”.
Metabolism
A person’s metabolism will also play a huge role in the number of calories burned.
In fact, this also proves why Dr. Godin’s results based on a person’s body weight can also differ.
Basically, the faster and more efficient your metabolism, the more calories you will burn during exercise and while at rest.
Plus, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn when exercising or when simply going about your normal daily tasks.
Therefore, you could have two people who weigh exactly 200lbs, but one person is extremely muscular, whereas the other is overweight and is carrying a lot of excess body fat.
The more muscular person is going to burn more calories from performing 100 burpees.
Level of Physical Conditioning
I guess this ties in with exactly what I’ve just said.
As I’ve mentioned, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the day, whether you’re exercising or not.
However, I used an example above of two people weighing the same, but one person being overweight and the other being muscular.
It works exactly the same for two people weighing the same, but one being extremely muscular, and the other person simply considered to be in “decent shape”.
As an example, a person who’s only form of exercise is jogging may not actually look that great in person.
The main reason for this is that excessive cardio can actually start to “burn muscle”.
When performing cardio (or any exercise for that matter), the body is initially “fuelled” through your carbohydrate stores.
Once your carb stores have been depleted your body then uses fat stores for energy.
However, there will come a time, especially with steady-state cardio, where the body will want to hold onto fat stores for energy.
This typically happens by around the 45-60 minute mark, but will also depend on your prior food intake, plus your levels of fitness and conditioning.
But, if this does happen, there is a chance that your body will start “burning” lean muscle for exercise energy.
And this means that your body holds onto fat just in case it’s needed for energy at a later time.
Basically, your brain and body is unsure of what is happening, so it therefore goes into “starvation mode”.
This will also explain why many joggers actually look overweight and out of shape.
Essentially, they would be better off focusing on building lean muscle.
As I’ve said many times now, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you can expect to burn.
Burpees – Guinness World Records
100 Burpees in 3 Minutes 33 Seconds
Key Takeaway Points
- There is no EXACT number of calories burned for performing 100 burpees.
- The number of calories you burn will mainly be determined by how much you weigh.
- The “average” weight in North America is 177.9lbs and therefore a person weighing this much could expect to burn 143 calories from 100 burpees.
- Your metabolism, level of conditioning, and the intensity at which you perform burpees can ALL alter this figure.
- Not everyone will perform burpees at the same intensity or speed.
- The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn during exercise and while at rest.
Are you looking to get stronger, more muscular, more conditioned, and burn body fat with bodyweight exercises just like burpees? Then check out the Warrior Zero Bodyweight Challenge.
Hi, I’m Partha, owner and founder of My Bodyweight Exercises. I am a Level 3 Personal Trainer and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the Register of Exercise Professionals, United Kingdom. I have been a regular gym-goer since 2000 and coaching clients since 2012. My aim is to help you achieve your body composition goals.
Partha, burpees bring me back to my Army days and I hated them, mind you when you are forced to do anything you have a tendancy to hate even though you benefitted in the long run.
Using barbells with this workout wasn’t something we got around to doing as the burbees were always done on a force march.
I can’t recall how many we used to do but I know it was no where near 500 burpees which is some going.
How long did it take to achieve 500 burpees?
Watching the women in the video and they seem to of cracked them.
Thank you for sharing another great post
Hi Mick,
LOL, I think most people have a hate-hate relationship with burpees, but some of the burpee training in the army can probably be quite soul-destroying (or character building as I’m sure it’s referred to).
I agree that if you are forced to do something then you won’t typically like or enjoy it, and I’m sure throwing in a few burpees every few hundred yards on a force march would only heighten your distaste for them.
With that said, I’m glad to see that you appreciate that the burpees did benefit you in some way.
Confession time for me, the days of 500 burpees during lockdown were never done in one hit. If I’m being completely honest, there were days when I just didn’t feel like working out at all, but I had got so used to doing 100 burpees minimum a day that performing 50 quick burpees didn’t really bother me.
So, in reality my 500 burpee days were spread out over the entire day. A quick 50 here, 40 there, 60 here, and so on.
However, you have given me an idea for a great workout, LOL, thanks.
Yes, I completely agree, the ladies have burpees absolutely sorted in that video.
Partha
Wow, burpees look tough to me. I have never done them in my life, but I can relate that some people may not be looking forward to doing that exercise 😉 I think that my head is going to pound after a few burpees, since my physical exercise is limited to walking and lifting heavy stuff around my property 😉 And I am just trying to imagine you doing 500 burpees in a day. Wow! I’m impressed!
Hi Christine,
Thanks for your comments.
Well as I always say, exercise is a subjective thing, what’s good for one person may not be any good for another.
However, I’m glad you’re still active and if I’m honest, irrespective of how much I train and work out, I still believe there is no better exercise than walking.
LOL, you can probably count yourself lucky that you’ve never performed burpees – for some reason most people absolutely detest them (not me).
Thanks again for your comments.
Partha
I am always lauging out loud when I read your articles. I love your sense of humour. But that’s also off-topic 😀
Because of my back condition I can’t do burpees, but I do an adjusted form of mountain climber, I hope that counts too? For the calorie amount I rely on my apple watch and Oura ring. LOL, come to think of it, why did I read your article anyway, I am not going to calculate my calories. I read it because it always interests me what different approaches one can has to topics, like exercise, that are part of my life.
Hi Hannie,
Always lovely to hear from you.
Yes, I wouldn’t ever recommend burpees for any one with back issues, but if you are able to perform mountain climbers that’s also a great cardio workout.
Admittedly, you won’t get the potential strength and muscle building qualities that burpees offer, but as for conditioning, mountain climbers are right up there with the best of them.
Well, I’m glad you found the article of interest and I applaud you for looking to further your knowledge on subjects that interest you.
Thanks
Partha
Hey Partha,
I have tried burpees before and they are not easy. I haven’t done them in ages and since I still haven’t gone back to the gym, maybe this can be one of my home exercises. I’ve been doing quite a few situps, skipping rope, free weights, plank push ups, squats, chin ups, and maybe burpees can become involved.
I’ll let you know what happens and if I can sustain them in my home workout.
Would you be able to recommend anything else that I should add to my home workout? Like, what am I missing?
Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Great to hear from you as always.
Well it sounds as though you’ve got a great home workout going there.
The only additions I would make would be to include some unilateral leg exercises, i.e. single leg exercises, such as lunges, Bulgarian split squats (in the lunge position with the back foot on a raised plaform, e.g. sofa, chair, etc.), step ups (just as it sounds, step up onto a platform one leg at a time and then step back down again), lunges with front foot raised, perhaps some side lunges, and depending on the free weights you have, some Romanian deadlifts.
Basically, working the lower body is essential and is actually the best way to boost your metabolism and produce the EPOC (Excess Post-Exerise Oxygen Consumption) effect. This basically means that your body continues burning fat, often for 24-72 hours, after you’ve finished your workout.
I can pretty much guarantee that every guy who has a lean, muscular body with their abs showing, works their lower just as much (if not more) than the upper body. Plus working your legs is known to have a knock-on effect on the muscularity of the upper body as well.
Obviously, you don’t have to throw in all the additional exercises into the same workout, but just remember to work the lower body as much as the upper body.
It’s great for your all-round physique and your health in general.
Partha
It is amazing how Calistenics exercises like the Burpees can burn calories and not only that, also build muscle! And these techniques that are used by the Marines and soldiers all over the world, are so underrated on the society, and thanks to posts like this they are becoming more and more a recovered discipline.
Thanks for sharing this information and so many variations as well, really great, I will put some of them in practice!
Hi Pablo,
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, I 100% agree.
When you consider that the burpee is a staple exercise in the armed forces it just goes to show how great an exercise it is.
I honestly believe that burpees are one of the very best exercises when it comes to muscle, strength and conditioning, It’s basically an all-round, whole body all-in-one fitness tool.
I guess many people have a love/hate relationship with burpees (probably more “hate” I should think), but as I always say, “The exercises that you hate doing are probably the ones you should be doing more of”.
Thanks
Partha
Hi Partha,
This is a great article. I like how you describe different types of burpees and how you can make it more fun by adding other elements to them.
I personally hated burpees in my workout as they were so much hard work and avoided them at all costs before.
However, before the pandemic I had a membership for kickboxing workout and it always involved one round of burpees. I started to enjoy them more and more when I saw how my heart rate was high and calories burnt even higher.
Many thanks for this article, such a great reminder that I should start including burpees in my workout.
Hi Yoana,
Great to hear from you.
Yes, a lot of fighting disciplines, such as kickboxing, will involve performing burpees as a great conditioning tool.
LOL, I’m sure you’re not alone in hating burpees, as it seems to be a fairly popular opinion.
However, just as you’ve noticed yourself, once you actually start doing them, not only are you reaping the benefits of the exercise, but they also start to become slightly more enjoyable.
Thanks
Partha
Just recently, I saw a video where a few guys and girls were doing burpees with a medical ball (10kg). They were going down in a squat position with a ball in their hands, pressed to their chest, and then throwing a ball up to the wall while going in upright position, and repeating the exercise for 50 times per cycle. I haven’t tried this exercise myself yet, but I’m sure it burs tons of calories and I’m sure I would faint after the first round LOL. Thanks for sharing this list. I’ll try some of these exercises very soon.
Hi Ivan,
Thanks for your comments.
Great shout, another wonderful way to incorporate burpees.
The use of a medicinal ball, especially when it incorporates throws or slams, is a great way to work the upper back muscles, as well as the traps and the rhomboids.
Sadly, with bodyweight training people often find it difficult to work the upper back without the use of a bar for chin ups, pull ups, or inverted rows.
However, this is a great way to activate these muscles. Also using an additional weight adds resistance to the exercise, thus making it more demanding. More strength, muscle building and conditioning going on here.
Sounds like you may have been watching a Crossfit video. Performing 50 reps of burpees with a medicine ball to include wall throws is pretty hardcore, and something that many Crossfitters regularly do.
A great workout indeed, although I tend to stick to the Crossfit Murph Workout if I’m looking for a Crossfit challenge. But, you’ve definitely given me some food for thought.
Thanks
Partha
The good old burpees!
I used to do many of these a few years ago and totally agree with you that these are one of the best exercises out there! The versatility of the exercise is great and like you said can be incorporated with many other exercises.
For me I used to carry out the exercise at the end of at least 2 exercises a week. This used to really push me and ensure that was using up all that energy and putting those muscles under a good workout. I’m not going to lie I smashed my face on the floor many times after a classic chest workout.
Through these in at the end of a workout and see how many you can do.
Great exercise, great post.
Damon
Hahaha,
Oh Damon, what can I say? LOL.
I feel your pain, nothing worse than trying to do any type of push with your arms after a big chest workout, so the old “smash your face into the ground” is always on the cards when doing burpees at the end of your workout.
Yep, I like your style, I think performing finishers at the end of any workout is a great way to raise the metabolism and start burning even more fat once your workout’s over.
Although I would say that burpees are going to be a lot harder as a finisher after an upper body push day (as you’ve found out) and they may even feel laboured and heavy after a leg day.
However, finishers are a wonderful way to burn even more calories.
Thanks for your comment and cheers for the laugh as well.
Partha
Great article on how many calories does 100 burpees burn? I didn’t know there are so many facts about burpees. I’m going to try them!!
Are there any supplements you recommend to take during workouts?
Hi Alyse,
Thanks for your comment.
I think supplements is a very subjective matter, and it really does depend on how much someone is working out and the type of exercise they are doing.
For the vast majority of bodyweight exercises I’m not sure I’d recommend anything.
However, we can take me as an example – I currently take a Vitamin D and Omega-3 supplement (due to previous deficiencies), I’ll take a pre-workout drink before my gym workout, and then a protein shake with a spoonful of creatine straight after my workout.
With that said, on a typical day, I’ll go for a 45-60 minute walk first thing in the morning (more for the mind and relaxation than exercise, but I’m still walking about 3-4 miles). I then do a session at the gym a few hours later, which will usually focus initially on one of the big lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, military press) and I’ll go very heavy, and then I’ll do some hypertrophy work, circuits, and HIIT.
I also usually throw in some beodyweight work while I’m at home (squats, push ups, pull ups, etc.) and do these throughout the day, which can accumulate to quite a lot.
This probably sounds excessive to most, but I have been training for many, many years, my body’s used to it, and I enjoy it.
This also means that I can take a complete week off every couple of months will no ill-effects to my body or my health.
Realistically, I take far less supplements than some people who probably exercise less than me, so as I say, it really is down to the individual and what they are trying to achieve.
Thanks
Partha
I have just tried doing this exercise and it is so tough! I literally did 10 and feel like dying!! so how you manage 500 is beyond impressive Partha, but I can definitely see how burpees are a really great exercise for improving fitness.
I am determined now to keep practicing them now as I really need to improve mine.
Really great article , can’t wait to read your next one.
LOL Amy, fair play to you, but yes a lot of people feel like that after trying burpees.
It’s much the same with anything I guess when building up to big numbers, it’s simply about starting out small, being consistent, and pushing yourself.
I still remember a time when I did a couple of sets of 10 burpees and I too “felt like I was dying”, but I guess it’s just about doing them regularly.
Thank you ever so much for your kind comments as well. I’ll keep writing, so hopefully you’ll keep reading.
Partha
Between me and burpees its a weird relation : I hate this exercise as much as my body need it … It’s terrible when you know that it’s the exercise working for you, but that’s it’s so painful that you avoid doing it at all cost. At least now that I know how many calories it burn, it confirm what I thought : I need to do more…. sadly!
Hey Maria,
I guess most people have a love-hate relationship with burpees.
That being said, in my mind, they’re the same as any other exercise – the more you do them, the better you get, and the easier they become.
I was once told many years ago that, “The exercises you hate the most are the ones you should be doing more of”.
It’s a principle that I’ve followed ever since.
In the end, you do get better, and it does you the world of good.
Keep going, you’ll thank yourself in the end.
Partha