Calories Burned From Body Weight With Squats vs. Pushups

While some may exercise for improvements in health, most people exercise to lose weight or build muscle. Cardiovascular exercise is one of the most effective ways to burn calories, but body-weight exercises such as squats and pushups can also be effective, especially if performed at high intensities. When comparing body-weight squats to pushups strictly from a calorie-burning perspective, there are several factors to consider.

  1. Calorie Burning 101

    • During exercise, your body takes in oxygen to break down fats, carbohydrates and sometimes protein. The resultant calories can then be used by your body to fuel your workout. The greater your oxygen consumption during exercise, the greater the number of calories your body will burn for energy.

    Muscle Mass Activation

    • When you break down each exercise and look purely at the muscles used, squats are the clear winner. While pushups work only your anterior deltoids and the triceps, squats utilize your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. Because there are more muscles involved in squats, and these muscles are significantly larger than the arm muscles, squats will require more oxygen consumption, thereby a higher calorie burn to complete. According to Dr. Robert Robergs and Dr. Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico, the lower body is much better at tolerating increases in exercise intensity than the upper body. This allows you to perform squats at higher intensities for longer periods than pushups, providing greater potential for calorie burn.

    Body Weight Determinant for Calories Burned

    • The number of calories you burn during exercise, whether it be squats or pushups, is dependent upon your body weight. The more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn. A table published by Harvard Medical School shows that a 125-pound person performing moderate-intensity calisthenics will burn 135 calories in 30 minutes while a 155-pound and a 185-pound person will burn 167 and 200 calories, respectively.

    Intensity is King

    • Ultimately, what determines the calories burned from body-weight exercises such as squats and pushups is the intensity at which you exercise. Pushing yourself to go all out will burn significantly more calories than taking it easy and pacing yourself. To get the most bang for your buck, or calorie burn for your time, try Tabata training. Set a timer for 20 seconds and do as many squats or pushups as you can during that time. Rest for 10 seconds, then go hard for another 20 seconds. Repeat the work-rest cycle eight times for a total of four minutes.