Estimate CrossFit calories burned and calories per minute from your body weight, workout duration, and optional workout focus and effort level.
Related Calculators
CrossFit Calorie Formula
Gross calorie expenditure can be estimated from body weight, duration and an activity MET value. This is an approximate adult activity estimate, not a measurement of an individual CrossFit session.
Variables:
- C = estimated gross calories, including resting energy
- W = body weight in kilograms
- M = workout time in minutes
- MET = metabolic equivalent for the selected activity
Activity estimate mode uses published MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium. Matching a CrossFit segment to one of these activities is a proxy assumption. Custom MET mode accepts a sourced intensity estimate. The MET conversion uses MET × 3.5 × kg ÷ 200 kcal per minute. These adult reference values apply to ages 19–59 and do not precisely determine individual energy cost.
Activity Proxy MET Values
| Activity proxy | MET |
|---|---|
| Vigorous resistance | 6.0 |
| Moderate circuit | 5.0 |
| Vigorous circuit with kettlebells and minimal rest | 7.5 |
| Moderate HIIT | 7.0 |
| Vigorous HIIT (e.g., burpees/Tabata) | 11.0 |
Use intensity averaged over the entered duration, including rests. Estimate different workout segments separately when appropriate; no universal effort or competition multiplier is applied.
How to Calculate CrossFit Calories
- Enter your body weight and workout duration.
- Choose Activity estimate and the closest matching activity.
- Use Custom MET estimate for another sourced activity intensity.
- Press Calculate to see total calories and calories per minute.
Vigorous Circuit Calorie Estimate
These rounded gross kcal estimates use 7.5 MET as a vigorous-circuit proxy. They do not establish the calorie burn of every mixed WOD.
| Body Weight | 30 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 lb | 250 | 375 | 500 |
| 180 lb | 321 | 482 | 643 |
| 220 lb | 393 | 589 | 786 |
What Changes Calorie Burn in CrossFit?
- Workout style: Cardio-heavy intervals usually burn more calories per minute than heavy strength work with long rests.
- Class structure: EMOMs, AMRAPs, circuits, and short transitions keep total work high.
- Movement choice: Rowing, biking, running, burpees, box jumps, and repeated full-body movements drive calorie burn up fast.
- Body weight: Heavier athletes usually burn more calories over the same amount of time.
Example
A 75 kg adult doing 45 minutes at an assumed average of 7.5 MET has an estimated gross expenditure of:
