How Many Calories Does CrossFit Burn?

Calories Burned CrossFit Calculator

During a 30-minute CrossFit session, you can burn between 200 to 400 calories, while a 1-hour session can result in a calorie burn of approximately 300 to 600 or more. This range accounts for variables such as individual weight and workout intensity using typical CrossFit exercise such as pull ups, push-ups, squats and sweat with cindy .

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The creators of CrossFit truly believe that it’s a lifestyle that is characterized by safe and effective exercise programs and sound nutrition. But are they just saying these things to line their pockets with their customer’s hard-earned cash?

While some question the legitimacy and safety of the CrossFit brand, there is no denying that they have a loyal fan base and a community of fitness enthusiasts that think they get a lot out of their CrossFit workouts. There’s nothing better than being part of a tight-knit community of people around the world that you can share your wins and losses with.

With CrossFit gyms popping up nearly everywhere you look, you may wonder if this style of workout is right for you. Well, you’re in luck. This article will break down everything CrossFit is and isn’t while showing you an estimate of how many calories you can expect to burn.

In fact, depending on your weight and exercise intensity, you’ll burn about 7.8 calories per minute when you do CrossFit, equaling 468 calories per hour.

Calories Burned in Group Fitness Classes (Weight: 175lbs)

	MET	15 mins.	30 mins.	45 mins.	60 mins.
Aerobics	6.6	138	275	413	550
Pilates	3	63	125	188	250
Spinning	7	146	292	438	583
Tai Chi	3	63	125	188	250
Zumba	6.5	135	271	406	542
Yoga	3	63	125	188	250
Martial Arts	10.3	215	429	644	858
CrossFit	5.6	117	233	350	467
Bootcamp	10.1	210	421	631	842
Circuit Training	7.2	150	300	450	600
Aqua Aerobics	3.2	67	133	200	267

Read on to find out everything you need to know about CrossFit and how to do it correctly to get the most benefits.

How the Calculator Works

Our calculator uses MET values to give you an accurate estimate of how many calories you can expect to burn while doing CrossFit and other activities. Generally speaking, the higher the MET value means the more calories you will burn.

What is a MET Value?

MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task, and the MET values allow us to estimate the number of calories that you’ll burn when doing a specific activity.

MET values are a ratio between the working metabolic rate and the resting metabolic rate [1], which is the rate of energy that is used relative to the duration of time spent doing activities such as CrossFit.

So a MET value of 1 is the equivalent of the amount of energy you expend while at rest, and a MET value of 5 means you are expending 5 times as much energy than at rest.

Almost any activity you can think of has a MET value assigned to it. Some activities like push-ups and pull-ups are common, while others like skydiving, hunting, and meditating are not typically common ways that you can burn calories.

Most activities come with varying levels of intensity and have different MET values assigned to them, but CrossFit has one MET value of 5.6.

Formula

The formula that our CrossFit calculator uses to determine the number of calories burned per minute is (body weight in Kg   x   MET   x   3.5) ÷ 200.

Examples

A person weighing 175 pounds will burn approximately 468 calories per hour from doing CrossFit. This activity has a MET of 5.6, which means that it burns over 5 times as many calories compared to being at rest.

This is what the formula for calculating the calories burned doing CrossFit will look like for a 175-pound individual at a MET value of 5.6.

• Calories burned (per minute) = (body weight in kg   x   MET   x   3.5) ÷ 200
• Calories burned (per minute) = ( 79.3   x   5.6   x   3.5 ) ÷ 200
• Calories burned (per minute) = 7.8 calories   x   60
• Calories burned (per hour) = 468 calories per hour

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that uses exercises focusing on strength and conditioning with functional movements. Functional movements used in CrossFit are generally similar to movements you do throughout your daily life.

When doing CrossFit, you should expect to participate in exercises that make use of movements like squatting, pushing, pulling, and more.

CrossFit is different from traditional exercise since the exercises last for a predetermined amount of time as opposed to doing exercises for a certain number of reps.

CrossFit exercises also use certain types of equipment in a typical workout. The equipment that most CrossFit gyms use includes:

• Medicine balls
• Kettlebells
• Rowers
• Bikes
• Rings
• Speed ropes

While you may have a stereotypical view of someone that does CrossFit (jacked, young, attractive, etc.), devotees emphasize that anyone can and should do CrossFit. The exercises are beneficial for nearly all ages and fitness levels starting with those in their teens.

Benefits

Since CrossFit exercises are so demanding and burn plenty of calories, there are certainly some benefits to participating in this style of workout, including:

Improved physical strength

The high-intensity CrossFit exercises emphasize muscle strength and increasing stamina. The longer you do CrossFit exercises, the more muscle you’ll build and you’ll see that you can do the exercises for longer durations as you keep progressing.

The workout of the day (WOD)

CrossFit is great for those that want to mix up their workouts each day while still targeting all the muscles you need to target. That’s why CrossFit is designed to have a workout of the day (WOD for short) for everyone that participates.

The goal of the WOD is to complete as many reps as you possibly can in a predetermined amount of time. Each day a new set of exercises is published by CrossFit, which helps people stay on track and stay accountable each day.

Improved balance, agility, and flexibility

Since CrossFit uses plenty of functional exercises, you can expect your balance, agility, and flexibility will be greatly improved. Using functional fitness exercises can help your bones and joints stay healthy and reduce the risk of injuries down the line.

Maintain a healthy weight

CrossFit exercises burn lots of calories when done correctly, which means that you can expect to lose weight if you stay in a caloric deficit and eat healthy foods. If you add in some steady-state cardio in addition to the CrossFit workouts, you should see drastic results in the mirror and on the scale.

Types of CrossFit Exercises

While there are many different exercises that you’ll do if you start with CrossFit, we will highlight the most common ones:

Barbell deadlift

The barbell deadlift is a popular exercise that helps to strengthen and grow your back while also improving your grip strength and hamstring strength. Barbell deadlifts should only be done with heavy weight once you have perfected your form, as doing deadlifts improperly will likely lead to injury.

Overhead kettlebell swing

Kettlebells are a common piece of equipment that many CrossFit members use in their workouts. The overhead kettlebell swing is great for fat loss and conditioning while also working the hamstrings and glutes.

The overhead kettlebell swing involves you violently thrusting your hips to propel the kettlebell forward and above your head with your arms perpendicular to the floor. You should ensure that you don’t hyperextend your back by squeezing the glutes and core muscles tight.

Box jumps

Box jumps are a great way to improve your agility, balance, and lower body strength. While this exercise isn’t exactly cutting-edge, CrossFit members have been using it for years and find many benefits with box jumps.

Box jumps force you to use explosive movements to jump each time on top of the box. The best part about this exercise is you can adjust the height of the box to meet your level of fitness. If you’re struggling to reach tall box jumps, simply grab a box that is lower to meet your needs.

Is CrossFit Safe?

As with any exercise program, there will always be a risk of injury, and CrossFit is no exception. Since CrossFit became popular in the early 2000s, the risk of injury with this type of exercise has been a hot topic of debate.

Some accusations that critics of CrossFit have made in the past include allowing underqualified trainers the ability to teach CrossFit as well as using dangerous movements and extremely high levels of intensity.

However, the vast majority of CrossFit instructors are qualified and CrossFit is generally safe to do. If you feel that any of the movements are uncomfortable for you or your intensity is too high, you should tell your trainer and listen to your instincts.

The Bottom Line

CrossFit can be a great way to become part of a community of people that share the same love for fitness and making progress as you do and there are plenty of benefits that you’ll experience if you practice CrossFit properly.

While there are plenty of different CrossFit exercises you’ll be exposed to, the most common movements are functional, meaning they mimic many of the movements you do each day in your daily life.

Use this calculator to get an idea of how many calories you can expect to burn while doing CrossFit, and be sure to check out all the other calculators that we have to offer at Fitness Volt!

References:

1. Jetté, M., Sidney, K., & Blümchen, G. (1990). Metabolic equivalents (METS) in exercise testing, exercise prescription, and evaluation of functional capacity. Clinical cardiology, 13(8), 555–565. https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.4960130809

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