Are you wondering: how many calories do squats burn? You’re not alone. This classic exercise isn’t just for building muscles; it’s also excellent for burning calories. As a personal trainer, I’m often asked this question by clients looking to get the most out of their workouts.

The short answer? Regular bodyweight squats burn approximately eight calories per minute. But there’s more to the story. The actual number of calories burned depends on several factors, including weight added and the intensity of your squats.

Research shows that adding weight can significantly increase the calorie burn. Even half squats with light weights can burn 10–12 calories per minute. With heavier loads, this can jump to an impressive 35 calories per minute at higher intensities.

To understand this better, we’ll explore the science behind calorie burning, introducing you to the MET (metabolic equivalent of task) value. This measure helps us calculate energy use during physical activities. We’ll look at how adding weight to your squats can significantly change calorie burn and provide tips to improve your squat routine for the best results.

How Many Calories Are Burned When Doing Squats?

To calculate calories burned during squats, we use a formula based on weight, exercise intensity MET, and duration. The formula is:

Calories burned = 0.0175 x MET x weight (lbs) x duration (minutes).

For example, a person weighing 150 lbs doing moderate-intensity squats (MET 5.0) for 10 minutes burns about 61 calories. This is calculated as follows: 0.0175 x 5.0 x 150 x 10 = 61.25 calories.

Now, let’s fill out the table with calculations for different intensities and durations to help you understand even better:

How Many Calories Do Squats Burn?

These calculations are based on a person weighing approximately 150 lbs. Keep in mind that actual calorie burn can vary. Individual factors like fitness level and squat form play a significant role.

Typically, you wouldn’t perform squats for 25 minutes straight. You would take breaks between each set, which affects calorie burn. You can approximate your calorie burn based on actual working minutes.

During rest breaks, your calorie burn remains slightly elevated while your heart is slowing down after a set. Your heart rate takes time to return to resting levels. 

By the time your heart rate fully recovers, you may be ready to pick up the weight again. This means that even during breaks, your calorie burn is increased compared to complete rest.

How To Squat Properly

1. Set up for the exercise by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Posture is important for the quality of movement and injury prevention, so engage your core before you begin the first repetition.
3. For bodyweight squats, extend your arms in front of you, keeping them straight; this will help your balance.
4. Begin the squat by hinging at the hips and bending the knees simultaneously. Push your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair.
5. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
6. To return to the starting position, press through your heels and fully straighten your legs.
7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, generally around 10–12.

Tips From The Expert

• If you plan on loading your squats for the main workout, warm up by doing a couple of sets of bodyweight squats. This will help your hip and knee joints prepare for the loaded version.
• Keep your knees aligned with your toes; your knees should not cave inwards at any point of the squat. If they are, this means the load might be a bit heavy or you are not paying attention to the form.
• Listen to your body; stop and reassess your form if you feel pain. You may also need to address any possible injuries before continuing with the exercise.

Other Squat Variations To Burn More Calories

One of the main benefits of squats is that they can be modified in various ways. The intensity can be easily increased to maximize the calorie burn. 

Adding weights, changing your stance, or incorporating explosive movements can elevate the intensity of your workout. This not only helps with muscle growth but also boosts your metabolism. If you’re wondering, how many calories do squats burn, these variations can increase your calorie expenditure while improving overall fitness.

Weighted Squat

Weighted squats are a powerful variation that targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles. Adding weight increases the resistance, which can help improve strength and build muscle. 

Adding weight to your squats can significantly boost calorie burn. Studies have shown that up to 35 calories per minute were burnt during loaded squats. This benefit makes incorporating weights into your squat routine a no-brainer if you can. By loading your squats, you can maximize the effectiveness of your workout.

You can perform weighted squats using a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell. When using a barbell, place it across your upper back for added resistance. You can also do front-loaded barbell squats if you prefer.

If you opt for a dumbbell or kettlebell, hold it at chest level or let it hang between your legs. Each variation allows you to adjust the weight to match your fitness level and goals effectively.

How To Do

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest level or a barbell across your upper back.
2. Engage your core and keep your chest up while avoiding curvature in your lower back.
3. Lower into a squat by hinging at the hips and knees simultaneously.
4. Keep your knees aligned with your toes as you lower down to prevent your knees from caving inwards.
5. Push through your heels as you breathe out and return to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 8–12 repetitions if you aim for muscle gain, or at least 15 if endurance is your main goal.

Split Squat

The split squat is a unilateral exercise, meaning it targets one leg at a time. Working your muscles in such a way can help improve performance in sports involving jumping, sprinting, and even swimming. 

Split squats can help address any strength imbalances between your legs, ensuring that each side gets its fair share of attention. By focusing on individual leg movement, you can improve balance and stability, which is essential for athletic performance.

This exercise effectively targets most of the lower body. Since you’re working one leg at a time, you often double the effort. Consequently, this would increase the calorie burn compared to traditional squats. 

How To Do

1. Stand tall with one foot forward and the other foot back to create a stable stance.
2. Bend both knees as you lower your body, aiming for a 90-degree angle in each leg.
3. Ensure your front knee stays directly above your ankle, avoiding any forward movement past your toes.
4. Drive through your front foot to lift yourself back to the starting position.
5. After completing your desired repetitions on one leg, switch to the other side and repeat.

Jump Squat

Jump squats are a high-intensity plyometric exercise that takes the traditional squat to explosive new heights. This dynamic movement targets the quadriceps, glutes, and calves while also engaging your core for balance. 

Plyometric exercises such as jump squats are often incorporated into high-intensity interval workouts. Plyometrics involve explosive movements that increase power and speed, often using body weight for resistance. 

The research indicated that high-intensity exercises stimulate the release of lipolytic hormones, promoting fat mobilization. Lipolytic hormones are chemicals in your body that help break down fat. When you exercise intensely, like during plyometric exercises, your body releases more of these hormones.

How To Do

1. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, standing tall and ready to engage your core.
2. Lower your body into a squat, push your hips back as if sitting in a chair, and keep your chest lifted.
3. As you reach the bottom of the squat, explode upward with force, using your arms to help propel yourself higher.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet, bending your knees to absorb the impact and transition smoothly back into the squat position.
5. Immediately go into the next jump squat, maintaining a steady rhythm for the desired number of repetitions.

Sumo Squat

The sumo squat is a unique squat variation targeting the inner thighs, glutes, and quadriceps with a wide stance. This exercise emphasizes adductor muscles (inner thighs), improving hip mobility and inner thigh strength effectively. 

So, how many calories do you burn doing squats in a wide stance? Well, the stance doesn’t make a big difference when it comes to calorie burn. But it simply can be a more comfortable stance for many individuals. 

Sumo squats burn calories at a similar intensity to regular squats and are also dependent on load. The heavier you load the sumo squats, the more calories per minute you would burn. 

How To Do

1. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, as wide as comfortably possible, toes pointed outward at 45 degrees.
2. Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, maintaining a straight back and lifted chest.
3. Descend until thighs are parallel to the ground or as low as comfortable.
4. Push through the feet and squeeze the glutes to return to the starting position.
5. Continue repeating this movement until you complete the set. 

Pulse Squat

Pulse squats are a challenging variation that adds small, pulsing movements at the bottom of the squat position. This exercise targets the same muscles as traditional squats, including the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. 

Pulse squats increase time under tension, which refers to the duration your muscles are engaged during an exercise. In pulse squats, there is no rest or muscle relaxation period between each repetition. This makes pulse squats more intense and can lead to a greater feeling of effort and burn.

How To Do

1. Begin in a standard squat position with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground or close to it. If you can go lower, it’s even better.
3. At the bottom of the squat, pulse up and down slightly, about 2–3 inches, for 10–15 repetitions or more if you can.
4. Stand back up and take a short break before doing another set of these mean thigh burners. 

Conclusion

So, to your question — how many calories do squats burn? Now you know the answer and the different factors that affect the rate of calorie burn. 

You also now understand that squats have many benefits besides calorie burn, such as building strength and lean mass. People with more muscle typically have lower fat mass and a healthier body composition.

Performing body-weight squats can burn about eight to ten calories per minute, depending on factors like body weight and intensity. But, by adding load or incorporating plyometric-style squats to your routine, you can increase this calorie burn even more. So go ahead and give the exercises we recommended a try. 

Frequently Asked Questions