Crunches are one of the most popular abdominal exercises that target the rectus abdominis, or the “six-pack” muscles. Many people do crunches with the goal of flattening and strengthening their midsection. A common question regarding crunches is just how many calories you can expect to burn by doing a set of crunches.
How Many Calories Does 1 Crunch Burn?
There is no simple answer to the calories burned per crunch, as many factors determine calorie burn including your body weight, intensity level, rest time and more. However, most research suggests that one crunch burns around 0.1 – 0.2 calories on average for a 125 pound person.
So if you weigh 150 pounds, you can estimate you’ll burn around 0.12 – 0.23 calories per crunch. At 200 pounds, you may burn around 0.17 – 0.33 calories. The exact amount can vary based on how intensely you perform each crunch.
Calories Burned Per 100 Crunches
Based on estimates above, here is a rough calculation for total calories burned after doing 100 crunches:
| Body Weight | Calories burned per crunch | Total for 100 crunches |
|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs | 0.1 – 0.2 cals | 10 – 20 cals |
| 150 lbs | 0.12 – 0.23 cals | 12 – 23 cals |
| 200 lbs | 0.17 – 0.33 cals | 17 – 33 cals |
As shown in the table, for a 125 pound person, 100 crunches would burn about 10-20 calories. At 150 pounds, you would burn 12-23 calories, and at 200 pounds you could burn 17-33 calories.
Keep in mind these are rough estimates. The actual amount of calories burned will depend on additional factors.
Factors That Influence Calories Burned Per Crunch
While the estimates above give a ballpark idea for calorie burn, many variables affect the actual calories used per crunch:
- Your body weight: Heavier people require more energy and therefore burn more calories per crunch.
- Exercise intensity: Crunching slowly uses less energy than crunching vigorously and explosively.
- Fitness level: Those who are less fit tend to burn more calories doing the same exercise compared to more fit individuals.
- Abdominal muscle mass: Well-trained abdominal muscles are more energy efficient at crunches compared to untrained abs.
Also, factors like age, genetics, nutrition and hydration status can alter calorie expenditure too.
How to Maximize Calories Burned During Crunches
Here are some tips to rev up your calorie burn when doing crunches:
- Use a weighted crunch machine or hold a weight plate to add resistance.
- Perform each crunch slowly and with full range of motion.
- Contract abs forcefully as you lift your shoulders off the floor.
- Limit rest between sets to keep your heart rate elevated.
- Do 3-4 sets of crunches with 15-25 reps per set.
- Incorporate crunches into a full body circuit training routine.
- Maintain proper form and avoid swinging your neck or pulling with your arms.
Full-Body Workout for Fat Burning
While crunches engage your abs, they only burn a modest amount of calories. For substantial fat burning and weight loss, you need a full-body workout to maximize calorie expenditure.
Some effective fat torching workouts include:
HIIT Workouts
High intensity interval training alternates brief bursts of intense activity with short rest periods. HIIT can boost your metabolic rate and result in greater calorie burn than steady-state cardio.
Sample HIIT crunches workout:
- 60 seconds of crunches as fast as possible
- 60 seconds of rest
- 45 seconds of crunches as fast as possible
- 45 seconds of rest
- 30 seconds of crunches as fast as possible
- 30 seconds of rest
- 15 seconds of crunches as fast as possible
- 15 seconds of rest
Kettlebell Workouts
Kettlebell training builds power while burning fat. Try alternating kettlebell swings with floor crunches for an intense calorie-torching workout.
Sample kettlebell circuit with crunches:
- 30 seconds of two-arm kettlebell swings
- 30 seconds of crunches
- 30 seconds rest
- 30 seconds of single-arm kettlebell swings
- 30 seconds of bicycle crunches
- 30 seconds rest
- 30 seconds of two-arm kettlebell swings
- 30 seconds of reverse crunches
- 1-minute rest
Bodyweight Workouts
You can build strength and burn major calories with no equipment using bodyweight moves like crunches combined with other exercises such as push-ups, lunges, squats and burpees.
Sample bodyweight circuit:
- 50 jumping jacks
- 20 push-ups
- 30 walking lunges
- 15 push-up shoulder taps
- 40 high knees
- 25 crunches
- 20 squat jumps
- 10 burpees
- 50 crunches
- 1-minute plank
Perform 2-4 circuits for an intense full-body calorie burn!
How Many Calories to Burn Per Day
To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume.
The number of calories you should burn per day to lose weight depends on factors like:
- Your maintenance calories for your weight, age, height and activity level
- Your weight loss goals (lose 1-2 pounds per week)
- Your starting weight and calorie intake
Here are general calorie deficit guidelines for weight loss:
| Weight Loss Goal | Recommended Daily Calorie Deficit |
|---|---|
| 1 pound per week | 500 calories |
| 2 pounds per week | 1000 calories |
To lose 1 pound per week, aim to burn 500 calories more each day through cardio, strength training and diet. At this rate, you would need a 3,500 weekly calorie deficit to lose 1 pound.
For 2 pounds weekly loss, aim for a 1000 daily calorie deficit. So if your maintenance is 2,000 calories, eat 1,000 calories and burn 1,000 via exercise.
Calorie Calculator
Use this calorie calculator to determine your maintenance and deficit for weight loss goals:
Input your stats to get your maintenance calories. Subtract 500-1000 calories for your deficit.
Additional Benefits of Crunches
Beyond the modest calories burned, crunches provide additional benefits including:
- Strengthen abdominal muscles: Crunches target rectus abdominis to build six-pack muscles.
- Improve posture: Strong core muscles from crunches can improve posture.
- Reduce back pain: Crunches may help stabilize spine and reduce lower back pain.
- Build core stability: Crunches improve core control, balance and stability.
- Enhance sports performance: Increased core strength from crunches can translate into better performance in athletics.
- Improve abs definition: When combined with cardio and proper nutrition, crunches help reveal toned abdominal muscles.
Better Alternatives for Fat Loss
While crunches have some value for building abdominal strength, other exercises can burn more calories and body fat.
Exercises that engage multiple large muscle groups will torch more calories than isolation moves like crunches that only work the abs.
Some better fat burning alternatives include:
- Burpees
- Kettlebell swings
- Jumping rope
- Mountain climbers
- Pull-ups
- Rowing
- Thrusters
- Squats
- Lunges
- Planks
- Jumping jacks
For best results, combine full-body compound moves like squats, lunges and burpees with targeted ab exercises like planks and crunches.
Conclusion
How many calories do 100 crunches burn? Research suggests about 10-33 calories depending on your body weight, with heavier people burning more calories.
While crunches have low calorie burn, they provide benefits like building core stability and abdominal strength.
For substantial fat loss, incorporate crunches into full-body workouts combining HIIT, kettlebells, bodyweight and strength training. Also focus on nutrition for a calorie deficit.
Aim to burn 500-1000 calories more than you eat daily based on your weight loss goals.
