Pull-ups are an excellent strength training exercise that work multiple muscle groups in the upper body. When trying to lose weight and burn calories, many people wonder how effective pull-ups really are.
Calories Burned Per Pull-up
The number of calories burned doing pull-ups depends on a few key factors:
- Body weight – Heavier people burn more calories performing pull-ups.
- Intensity – The more intense the pull-up, the more calories burned.
- Muscle mass – The more muscle mass you have, the more calories burned.
On average, a 155 pound (70 kg) person will burn approximately 3.5 calories per pull-up. So for a set of 10 pull-ups, they would burn about 35 calories. This estimated calories burned is for standard pull-ups with moderate intensity.
Calories Burned Per 10 Pull-ups by Weight
| Body Weight | Calories Burned Per Pull-up | Calories Burned Per 10 Pull-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 120 lbs (54 kg) | 2.5 calories | 25 calories |
| 150 lbs (68 kg) | 3 calories | 30 calories |
| 175 lbs (79 kg) | 3.5 calories | 35 calories |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 4 calories | 40 calories |
| 225 lbs (102 kg) | 4.5 calories | 45 calories |
As shown in the table, the more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn doing pull-ups. A 120 pound person may only burn 25 calories doing 10 pull-ups, while a 225 pound person may burn up to 45 calories.
Factors That Increase Calories Burned
Certain factors can increase the calories burned doing 10 pull-ups:
Using Extra Weight
Adding extra weight, such as wearing a weighted vest or belt when performing pull-ups increases resistance. This forces the muscles to work harder, burning more calories. Each additional pound of weight adds approximately 0.75 calories per pull-up.
Doing More Reps
Increasing the total reps beyond 10 also increases the calories burned. Each extra rep beyond 10 will burn an additional 3-4 calories for most people.
Increased Intensity
Doing pull-ups more explosively and pulling yourself up faster requires greater effort and intensity. Explosive, high intensity pull-ups can burn up to 15% more calories per rep.
Different Grips/Variations
Using different grips and pull-up variations works the muscles in slightly different ways. For example, wide grip pull-ups engage the lats more. Doing a variety of grips and pull-up styles can lead to greater overall calorie burn.
Minimal Rest Between Sets
Minimizing rest time between sets keeps your heart rate elevated, increasing calories burned. With shorter rest periods, your cardiovascular system works harder in between sets.
Calorie Burn Comparison to Other Exercises
Compared to other common exercises, pull-ups burn a moderate amount of calories. Here’s how many calories are burned doing other exercises:
| Exercise | Calories Burned (for 155 lb person) |
|---|---|
| 10 Pull-Ups | 35 calories |
| 15 Push-Ups | 23 calories |
| 15 Squats | 22 calories |
| 1 Mile Run | 100 calories |
| 30 Minutes Biking (moderate pace) | 143 calories |
Running and biking burn significantly more calories per session compared to bodyweight exercises like pull-ups. However, pull-ups build more muscle than cardio, which can help increase your resting metabolic rate over time.
Benefits Beyond Calorie Burn
While pull-ups don’t burn as many total calories as cardio, they provide other key strength and muscle building benefits:
- Build upper body muscle – Pull-ups target back, shoulder, and arm muscles.
- Improve grip strength – Pull-ups involve a tough gripping motion.
- Enhance vertical pulling power – Pull-ups build powerful vertical pulling strength for sports.
- Burn calories long after your workout – The extra muscle built from pull-ups helps you burn more calories around the clock.
So while a single set of 10 pull-ups may not burn massive calories directly, the muscle building benefits lead to greater long-term fat loss and calorie burn.
Strategies to Maximize Calorie Burn
Here are some tips to burn even more calories doing pull-ups:
Do More Total Reps
To burn the most calories, aim for higher total rep counts. Shoot for 3-5 sets of 10+ reps instead of just one set of 10 reps. This increases the duration and volume of your workout, resulting in greater calorie expenditure.
Reduce Rest Times
Keeping rest periods between sets to 45-60 seconds maximizes calorie burn. Short rest times keep your heart pumping and metabolic rate high.
Use Challenging Variations
Perform wide grip pull-ups, commando pull-ups, rope pull-ups or weighted pull-ups to make them more challenging. Harder variations force more muscle fibers to activate, increasing calorie burn.
Engage Your Core
Actively bracing your core during the exercise recruits more stabilizer muscles. Tightening your abs and glutes further increases calorie expenditure.
Combine With Other Exercises
For maximum fat burn, combine pull-ups with squats, push-ups, rows, and other bodyweight moves. Circuit-style training keeps your heart rate up and calories burning.
Nutrition Is Key for Fat Loss
While calories burned during exercise are important, your nutrition plan will have the biggest impact on fat loss. To lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume on a consistent basis. Strategies include:
- Maintain a 300-500 daily calorie deficit through diet and exercise.
- Focus on protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
- Limit added sugars, refined grains and processed foods.
- Drink plenty of water.
Combined with an effective strength training program using exercises like pull-ups, this nutrition approach will have you losing weight and burning fat.
Conclusion
The number of calories burned doing 10 pull-ups depends largely on your body weight, ranging from around 25-45 calories for most people. While not a massive calorie burner, pull-ups provide valuable upper body strength and muscle building benefits. Focus on higher reps, reducing rest time, adding weight, and pairing pull-ups with other exercises to burn more calories.
But nutrition is the ultimate determiner of weight loss and fat burning. Maintain a moderate daily calorie deficit, focus on whole foods, and stay hydrated. Do this while training hard, and the fat will start coming off!
