Estimate gross energy during circuit training using body weight, a documented activity description, and total duration or timed work and rest rounds. Gross energy includes resting metabolism; the interval model uses explicit simplifying assumptions.

Estimate gross energy from a sourced activity category and total duration. The result includes resting energy.

Changing units converts your value. Maximum supported weight: 1,500 kg; this is a software limit, not an accuracy range.

Default: moderate circuit at 5 MET. Match the activity description; effort labels alone do not establish your energy use.

Include the activity category’s usual pauses. Maximum total duration: 1,440 minutes.

Related Calculators

Calories Burned Circuit Training Formula

Total-duration mode uses body weight in kilograms, total workout minutes, and the MET value of the selected activity description.

C = BW × M × (MET × 3.5 ÷ 200)

Timed-round mode separately estimates work and rest energy: C = 0.0175 × BW × (work MET × work minutes + rest MET × rest minutes). Work minutes = N × W ÷ 60; rest minutes = I × R ÷ 60. Blank rest duration means zero, and blank rest MET uses a 1-MET quiet-sitting baseline rather than measured postexercise recovery. The final rest is excluded by default.

M = ((N × W) + (I × R)) ÷ 60

The calculator converts pounds to kilograms automatically when needed.

  • C = calories burned
  • BW = body weight in kilograms
  • M = total workout time in minutes
  • MET = selected activity’s metabolic equivalent; multiplying by 3.5 ÷ 200 gives the oxygen-based kcal/kg/min factor
  • N = number of rounds
  • W = work seconds per round
  • I = N − 1 rest intervals by default, or N when final rest is included
  • R = rest seconds per interval

Circuit Training Energy by Activity

For 150 lb (68.0388555 kg), the oxygen-based convention gives these illustrative gross-energy rates from the 2024 Adult Compendium. These are activity categories, not measured personal pace tiers:

  • Light circuit (3.5 MET): about 4.2 kcal per minute
  • Moderate circuit (5 MET): about 6.0 kcal per minute
  • Vigorous circuit with kettlebells, aerobic movement and minimal rest (7.5 MET): about 8.9 kcal per minute
  • Vigorous HIIT with burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps or Tabata (11 MET): about 13.1 kcal per minute

What Counts as Circuit Training?

Circuit training combines exercises performed in sequence, often with short rest periods. Choose the activity description that matches the session. The Compendium categories are population references for adults aged 19–59 and may already include typical pauses. Splitting them into separate work and rest phases is a simplifying assumption; energy during recovery may exceed the quiet-sitting baseline. This estimate does not predict afterburn or weight loss.

How to Use the Calculator

  1. Enter your body weight and choose pounds or kilograms.
  2. Select the matching activity description, or enter a documented custom MET assumption.
  3. Choose Total workout duration for elapsed workout time, or Rounds with work and rest for timed intervals. In round mode, review rest timing, final-rest inclusion and the rest MET assumption.
  4. Select Calculate to see estimated gross energy, total time and average kcal per minute. Round mode also shows work and rest energy separately.

Example

For 150 lb and 30 minutes, the moderate circuit category (5 MET) gives approximately 178.6 kcal, while the described vigorous circuit category (7.5 MET) gives approximately 267.9 kcal. These gross estimates include resting energy. For 70 kg, six 45-second work rounds at 5 MET with five 15-second rests at 1 MET give 5.75 total minutes and approximately 29.09 kcal; including the final rest gives 6 minutes and 29.4 kcal.