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💪 Workout Calories Calculator

Build your full workout session by adding multiple exercises and durations. See total calories burned, active time, rest calories, and a per-exercise breakdown — all in one place.

Exercises Exercise · Duration

MET Calorie Formula

Calories (per exercise) = MET × weight (kg) × duration (hours)
Rest calories = 1.3 × weight (kg) × rest time (hours)
Total = Sum of all exercise calories + rest calories

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) represents how much energy an activity uses relative to sitting at rest (1 MET = 1 kcal/kg/hour). A seated rest MET of 1.3 accounts for light energy use during recovery. MET values are from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011).

Example Calculation

A 70 kg person with 2 min rest between sets does three exercises:

Running 6 mph (MET 9.8) × 20 min → 9.8 × 70 × (20/60) = 229 kcal
Weight training (MET 3.5) × 20 min → 3.5 × 70 × (20/60) = 82 kcal
Cycling moderate (MET 8.0) × 10 min → 8.0 × 70 × (10/60) = 93 kcal
Active subtotal = 404 kcal
Rest = 1.3 × 70 × (2/60) = 3 kcal
Total = 407 kcal in 52 min session

How to Use the Workout Calories Calculator

  1. 1
    Enter Your Weight
    Enter your body weight in kg or lbs. Heavier individuals burn more calories for the same activity at the same MET value.
  2. 2
    Set Rest Time
    Enter your typical rest between sets (0–10 minutes). Rest calories are calculated at MET 1.3 (seated recovery) and added to your total.
  3. 3
    Build Your Exercise List
    Start with the default two rows. Choose an exercise from the dropdown and enter its duration in minutes. Click "Add Exercise" to include more exercises.
  4. 4
    Calculate
    Hit "Calculate Total" to see your total calories, active time, session time, and a full per-exercise breakdown. Results update automatically as you change inputs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Calories Burned Calculator is designed for a single activity — you pick one exercise, enter a duration, and get a result. The Workout Calories Calculator lets you build a complete session with multiple exercises, each with its own duration. It also accounts for rest periods between sets and gives you a per-exercise breakdown, making it more suited to gym sessions, circuit training, or mixed-activity workouts.

Rest time is optional but gives you a more accurate total session calorie count. During rest your body continues to burn energy at a low rate (MET ~1.3, equivalent to seated rest). For a 70 kg person taking 2-minute rests between 3 exercises, this adds roughly 3–6 kcal — a small but real contribution. Set rest time to 0 if you want active calories only.

MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities represent averages across a wide population. Actual calorie burn varies by fitness level, age, body composition, and exercise form. Well-trained individuals tend to be more efficient and burn fewer calories for the same activity. Estimates can vary ±15–25% from measured expenditure. Use the results as a guide rather than an exact figure.

High-intensity cardio activities have the highest MET values and burn the most calories per minute. Running at 8 mph (MET 11.8), vigorous swimming (MET 9.8), HIIT (MET 8.0), and circuit training (MET 8.0) are among the top calorie burners. Strength training has a moderate MET (~3.5–6.0) but contributes to increased resting metabolism over time. A combination of cardio and strength training generally produces the best long-term results.

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