MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is the ratio of exercise intensity to rest, where rest equals 1. Weight training is about 5-6 METs and running is about 10 METs.

How do you calculate the calories burned in weight training?

Calories burned (kcal) = MET value x body weight (kg) x exercise time (hours). This value includes your resting metabolism, so it is your total energy expenditure.

How many kcal does it take to burn 1 kg of fat?

1 kg of body fat is equivalent to about 7,200 kcal. Creating a 500 kcal daily deficit works out to losing about 1 kg in roughly two weeks.

Calories Burned Calculator — Free Workout Calorie Calculator

Enter your numbers

Body weight

Exercise time

min

Exercise category (MET value)

Total calories burned, incl. rest (estimate)

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kcal

Calculated as MET × body weight × time (includes resting metabolism)

Your input is calculated on your device only — nothing is sent externally

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How to Use the Calorie Burn Calculator

The energy you burn during exercise can be estimated from the activity’s MET value (how many times your resting metabolism the activity uses) together with your body weight and duration. This tool uses the formula calories(kcal) = MET × weight(kg) × time(h) × 1.05.

How to use this tool

Choose the type of exercise and enter your body weight and how long you trained (in minutes). Because intensity changes the result even for the same activity, pick the option closest to how hard it felt for a more realistic figure.

Reading the result

The value shown is your total expenditure, including the energy you would have burned at rest. To isolate the “extra” burned by exercise, subtract roughly 1 MET worth for the same duration. Note that losing 1 kg of body fat requires about a 7,200 kcal deficit, so exercise alone is slow—combining it with diet is more practical.

Tips

Calories burned are only one side of the energy balance. Use the TDEE calculator to find your total daily expenditure and the PFC calculator to organize what you eat for the full picture.

Terms & FAQ

What is a MET value?

MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) is the ratio of exercise intensity relative to your resting energy expenditure, where rest is set to "1".

For example, an exercise at MET 5.0 means you burn "5 times the energy of being at rest".

Approximate MET values for common activities
・Stretching: 2.5–3.5
・Weight training (moderate): 5.0
・Weight training (high intensity): 6.0
・Jogging: 7.0
・Running: 10.0

Reference: Ainsworth BE, et al. (2011). Compendium of Physical Activities.

What is the formula?

Calories burned (kcal) = MET value × body weight (kg) × exercise time (hours)

Example: body weight 70 kg, MET 5.0, 60 minutes
5.0 × 70 × (60÷60) = 350 kcal

This value is your total energy expenditure, including resting metabolism. To get the calories burned purely from the exercise, subtract the resting portion (about 70 kcal/hour) from this figure.

How many kcal does it take to lose 1 kg of body fat?

1 kg of body fat is equivalent to about 7,200 kcal.

If you can cut your daily intake by 500 kcal, in theory you can lose 1 kg in about two weeks.

In practice, changes in metabolism, water balance and muscle mass all have an effect, so treat this as a rough guide only. Drastic restriction causes muscle breakdown, so a gradual pace of 0.5–1 kg per week is recommended.

Which burns more calories, weight training or running?

During the activity itself, running tends to burn more calories (because it has a higher MET value).

However, weight training has the effect of building muscle, which raises your basal metabolism and increases the calories you burn over the long term.

For weight-loss goals, a combination of weight training plus cardio is considered the most effective.

Formula & references
・Ainsworth BE, et al. (2011). 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(8), 1575–1581.
・Formula: calories burned = MET × body weight (kg) × time (h) (total expenditure incl. resting metabolism, per Ainsworth 2011)

Before you use this tool
The results of this tool are an estimate based on MET values and do not guarantee your actual calories burned. The figure shown is total expenditure including resting metabolism. Your actual value will vary with body composition, exercise intensity and metabolism. If you have a pre-existing condition or are pregnant, please consult a doctor before use. For weight loss and meal management, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian. This service is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or nutritional advice.

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