Burpees are a popular full body exercise that provide an intense cardio and strength training workout. They involve a 4-count movement that works the legs, core, push-up muscles, and more. Burpees are commonly performed in HIIT (high intensity interval training) and metabolic circuits to spike the heart rate and burn maximum calories in a short time. But exactly how many calories do burpees burn? Let’s take a closer look.
What are Burpees?
Burpees are a 4-count bodyweight exercise that works multiple muscle groups at once. Here are the four movements involved in a burpee:
- Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Kick your feet back into a plank position.
- Do a push up.
- Jump your feet back up to the starting squat position.
Burpees seamlessly combine cardio and strength training by working the legs, core, chest, triceps, and shoulders in one fluid motion. They elevate the heart rate quickly and burn calories fast.
Calories Burned Per Burpee
The exact calories burned per burpee depends on a few factors:
- Your weight – Heavier people burn more calories per burpee.
- Burpee technique and intensity – More explosive, high intensity burpees burn more calories.
- Fitness level – Well conditioned individuals burn calories more efficiently.
According to estimates, here are the approximate calories burned per burpee based on body weight:
| Weight | Calories Burned Per Burpee |
|---|---|
| 100 lbs | 0.095 calories |
| 125 lbs | 0.118 calories |
| 150 lbs | 0.14 calories |
| 175 lbs | 0.163 calories |
| 200 lbs | 0.186 calories |
As you can see, the more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn per burpee. A 200 lb person burns around 0.186 calories per burpee, while a lighter 100 lb person only torches 0.095 calories.
Calories Burned Per Set of Burpees
Burpees are most often performed in sets of 5-10 reps with short rest periods in between. Performing multiple, consecutive sets spikes the heart rate and metabolism for maximum calorie burn.
Here’s a look at the approximate calories burned per set of burpees, based on 5 reps per set:
| Weight | Calories Burned Per 5 Burpees |
|---|---|
| 100 lbs | 0.475 calories |
| 125 lbs | 0.59 calories |
| 150 lbs | 0.7 calories |
| 175 lbs | 0.815 calories |
| 200 lbs | 0.93 calories |
Doing just one set of 5 burpees burns around 1 calorie for a 200 lb person. While a single set doesn’t burn many calories, doing multiple sets in quick succession can quickly add up to a substantial calorie burn.
How Many Calories Does 10 Burpees Burn?
Now that we know approximately how many calories are torched per individual burpee and per set, we can estimate how many calories are burned doing 10 total burpees:
| Weight | Calories Burned Per 10 Burpees |
|---|---|
| 100 lbs | 0.95 calories |
| 125 lbs | 1.18 calories |
| 150 lbs | 1.4 calories |
| 175 lbs | 1.63 calories |
| 200 lbs | 1.86 calories |
For most people, performing just 10 burpees will burn about 1-2 calories. While a single set of 10 reps doesn’t burn huge amounts of calories, the numbers can quickly add up when doing multiple sets with little rest over the course of a workout.
For example, doing 5 sets of 10 burpees with 30 seconds rest would burn around 10 calories for a 200 lb person. Doing 10 sets of 10 reps would torch nearly 20 calories.
How Many Burpees to Burn 100 Calories?
Let’s say your workout goal is to torch 100 calories doing burpees. Approximately how many burpee reps would you need to perform to hit this mark?
For a 200 lb person burning 0.186 calories per burpee, it would take about 537 total burpee reps to burn 100 calories.
For a lighter 125 lb person burning 0.118 calories per rep, it would take approximately 847 burpees to incinerate 100 calories.
So realistically, most people would need to perform 500-1,000 consecutive burpee reps to burn up to 100 calories. This would likely take 15-30 minutes of non-stop burpees to achieve this calorie burn.
While doing thousands of burpees to burn calories may sound exhausting, this type of metabolic workout is common in HIIT and CrossFit-style training programs. By grouping burpees into manageable sets with short rest, it’s possible to accumulate a large calorie burn in a short time.
Maximizing Calories Burned Doing Burpees
Here are some tips to maximize the potential calorie burn doing burpees:
- Maintain high intensity – The more explosive and high intensity you perform burpees, the more calories you’ll burn.
- Minimize rest – Keep rest periods under 30 seconds between sets.
- Go for more reps – Shoot for at least 10-20 reps per set.
- Do intervals – Mix up burpee intervals with other exercises like jump rope or sprints.
- Add weight – Wear a vest or hold dumbbells to increase resistance and calorie burn.
Burpees are already an extremely demanding full body exercise. By focusing on intensity and minimal rest, you can achieve a substantial calorie deficit in a short workout.
Sample Burpee Workout Routine
Here is a sample burpee workout routine to burn around 100 calories:
- Warm up: 3 minutes of jump rope
- Set 1: 10 burpees
- Set 2: 10 burpees
- Set 3: 10 burpees
- Set 4: 15 second sprint
- Set 5: 10 burpees
- Set 6: 10 burpees
- Set 7: 10 burpees
- Set 8: 15 second sprint
- Set 9: 10 burpees
- Set 10: 10 burpees
- Set 11: 15 second sprint
- Set 12: 10 burpees
- Set 13: 10 burpees
- Set 14: 10 burpees
- Set 15: 15 second sprint
- Set 16: 10 burpees
- Set 17: 10 burpees
- Set 18: 10 burpees
- Set 19: 15 second sprint
- Set 20: Max rep burpees in 1 minute
This high intensity metabolic circuit alternates burpee sets with short sprints to maintain an elevated heart rate and maximize calorie burn in about 15-20 minutes.
Additional Exercises Like Burpees
While burpees are excellent for burning calories, some additional full body exercises can provide similar metabolic benefits:
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climbers
- Jump squat to push up
- Skaters
- High knees
- Kettlebell swings
- Box jumps
- Broad jumps
- Plank jacks
- Tuck jumps
Mixing up these plyometric moves between your burpee sets can help maintain intensity and calorie burn.
HIIT Training for Fat Loss
One of the most effective ways to utilize burpees for fat loss is to incorporate them into a HIIT (high intensity interval training) routine. HIIT alternates short, intense intervals like burpees with periods of low intensity active recovery.
Here is a sample HIIT workout for fat loss using burpees:
Warm up: 5 minutes of jump rope
Round 1:
– 20 seconds max effort burpees
– 10 seconds rest
– 20 seconds max effort burpees
– 10 seconds rest
– 20 seconds max effort burpees
– 60 seconds rest
Round 2:
– 30 seconds max effort burpees
– 15 seconds rest
– 30 seconds max effort burpees
– 15 seconds rest
– 30 seconds max effort burpees
– 60 seconds rest
Round 3:
– 40 seconds max effort burpees
– 20 seconds rest
– 40 seconds max effort burpees
– 20 seconds rest
– 40 seconds max effort burpees
– 60 seconds rest
Round 4:
– 60 seconds max effort burpees
– 30 seconds rest
– 60 seconds max effort burpees
– 30 seconds rest
– 60 seconds max effort burpees
Research shows HIIT workouts like this burn more calories and fat compared to steady state cardio like jogging. By incorporating burpees into HIIT, you get the combined fat burning power of HIIT training and a highly metabolically demanding exercise.
Nutrition Tips to Maximize Fat Loss
Without proper nutrition habits, it will be difficult to maximize fat loss from burpees and HIIT training. Here are some key diet tips:
- Maintain a calorie deficit – Burn more calories than you consume to lose fat.
- Emphasize protein – Eat 0.5-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily.
- Limit processed carbs – Reduce intake of refined grains, sugars, and other processed carbs.
- Fill up on veggies – Eat non-starchy veggies like greens, peppers, broccoli.
- Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water, at least half your body weight in ounces.
- Avoid liquid calories – Reduce high calorie beverages like juice, soda, and alcohol.
Combining a solid nutrition plan with frequent burpee workouts and HIIT will help reveal those abs and lean muscle.
Conclusion
While a single set of 10 burpees may only burn around 1-2 calories, the calories can quickly add up when you perform multiple sets with minimal rest over the course of a metabolic workout. Most people need to perform around 500-1,000 reps to burn up to 100 calories.
By incorporating burpees into a HIIT routine and following sound nutrition principles, you can maximize fat loss results and get into amazing shape. Just be prepared to work up a serious sweat with burpees!
