Squats and squat jumps are among the most efficient lower-body exercises for building strength and burning calories. Whether you’re aiming to tone your legs or shed fat, understanding how many calories you're actually burning can help fine-tune your workout routine and stay on track with your fitness goals. In this article, we’ll break down how many calories squats and jump squats typically burn, and how you can use a squat calories calculator to get personalized estimates.
Do Squats Burn Calories?
Yes—absolutely. Squats are a compound, multi-joint movement that engages the quads, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and core. Because they recruit large muscle groups, squats naturally burn more calories than many isolation exercises. The exact number of calories burned during squats depends on several factors:
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Your body weight
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Exercise intensity
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Number of reps and sets
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Form and depth of the squat
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Rest time between sets
Let’s start with a general estimate: a person weighing 155 lbs (70 kg) doing moderate-intensity squats for 10 minutes may burn around 70 calories. Increase the intensity or add weight, and the number climbs quickly.
What About Jump Squats?
Jump squats are a high-intensity plyometric version of traditional squats. By adding a jump at the top of each rep, you’re increasing both the muscular and cardiovascular demand.
Because of that, jump squats burn more calories per minute than regular squats. A person weighing 160 lbs can burn up to 9–10 calories per minute doing vigorous jump squats. That’s roughly 30 calories in just 3 minutes of effort.
Calories Burned Squat Calculator: Why Use One?
A squat calories calculator or a jump squats calories burned calculator is a tool designed to give more accurate estimates based on your:
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Weight
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Exercise type (bodyweight squat, weighted squat, jump squat)
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Time spent or number of reps
For example:
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Doing 100 bodyweight squats may burn approximately 20–30 calories, depending on your weight and intensity.
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Adding a barbell or dumbbells increases resistance and calorie expenditure.
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Doing 100 jump squats can burn closer to 50–70 calories for most people.
Estimating Your Burn
Here's a rough guide for calories burned based on effort:
Exercise Type | Duration or Reps | Calories Burned (Avg) |
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Bodyweight Squats | 100 reps | 23–30 |
Jump Squats | 5 minutes | 45–60 |
Weighted Squats | 10 minutes (moderate) | 60–80 |
Jump Squats | 10 minutes (intense) | 90–120 |
These numbers can vary significantly based on fitness level, speed, and rest time.
Want to Burn More Calories With Squats?
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Add weight: Use a barbell, kettlebell, or dumbbells.
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Increase volume: More reps = more total work.
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Shorten rest time: Keeps heart rate elevated for more calorie burn.
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Try intervals: 30 seconds of jump squats + 30 seconds rest for 6–10 rounds.
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Focus on form: Deep, controlled squats engage more muscle.
Bottom Line
Squats and jump squats are powerful tools—not just for strength, but for calorie burn and metabolic boost. While 100 squats might burn 20–30 calories, consistently adding them to your workout (especially in combination with other movements) can play a significant role in your fitness journey.
Use a calories burned doing squats calculator to better track your output, and tailor your squat workouts to match your energy and goals. Whether you're chasing fat loss, building muscle, or just trying to move more each day, squat variations are a smart and scalable place to start.
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