Calories Burned Squats
Calorie Calculator
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About squats
An unloaded squat is 3.0 METs under code 02056, the same code that covers push-ups and lunges done without weight. Put a barbell on your back and the Compendium moves you to code 02052 at 5.0. The distance between those two ratings is most of what this page has to say: a squat is cheap in calories and expensive in leg strength, and load is the lever that changes the first number. For a 155 lb person, 100 air squats comes to 14 calories and half an hour of barbell work comes to 176.
Calories Burned by Body Weight
Calories burned per 30 minutes of squats at moderate intensity (MET 3)
| Body Weight | Calories Burned |
|---|---|
| 120 lbs (54 kg) | 82 cal |
| 140 lbs (64 kg) | 95 cal |
| 155 lbs (70 kg)Reference | 105 cal |
| 170 lbs (77 kg) | 116 cal |
| 185 lbs (84 kg) | 126 cal |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 136 cal |
| 220 lbs (100 kg) | 150 cal |
Calories Burned by Duration
Calories burned at 155 lbs body weight, moderate intensity
| Duration | Calories Burned |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 53 cal |
| 30 minutesReference | 105 cal |
| 45 minutes | 158 cal |
| 60 minutes | 211 cal |
| 90 minutes | 316 cal |
Calories by Intensity
Different intensities burn different calories. MET (Metabolic Equivalent) measures exercise intensity.
Food Equivalent
30 minutes of squats burns enough calories to offset:
Based on 105 calories burned (30 min at 155 lbs)
Tips for Squats
- Push your knees out over your middle toes on the way down, letting them fall inward is the common fault and the one that hurts
- Sit back and down rather than straight down, the hips move first and the knees follow
- Depth beats reps, a set of 20 to parallel does more than 50 quarter squats
- Keep your heels flat, and if they lift, work on ankle mobility or squat with a small wedge under them
- Once bodyweight sets pass 30 reps, add load or slow the tempo instead of counting higher