# HIIT Calorie Calculator

> A 155 lb person burns about 258 calories in 20 minutes of vigorous HIIT such as burpees, squat jumps, and Tabata rounds. A moderate interval session burns about 164 in 20 minutes, and bike sprint intervals about 206. Enter the time from the first interval to the last, short recoveries included.

**Last updated:** September 2026
**URL:** https://bodyhealthcalculator.com/hiit-calorie-calculator
**Category:** Calories Burned by Exercise

## How it works

Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × hours, using 2024 Adult Compendium codes 02210 (moderate HIIT, 7.0 MET), 01305 (bicycling HIIT, 8.8 MET), and 02214 (vigorous HIIT with burpees, mountain climbers, and squat jumps, 11.0 MET). Net calories remove 1 kcal per kg per hour of resting burn.

## How many calories does HIIT burn?

A 155 lb person burns about 258 calories in 20 minutes of vigorous HIIT such as burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps, and Tabata rounds. A moderate interval session burns about 164 calories in 20 minutes, and bike sprint intervals about 206.

The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities rates vigorous bodyweight HIIT at 11.0 MET, moderate HIIT at 7.0 MET, and bike intervals at 8.8 MET. Those values average the hard bursts and the short recoveries, so enter the time from the first interval to the last.

Sources: [1]

## HIIT calories by workout type and body weight

Each value is a 20-minute total with short recoveries included. Multiply by 1.5 for a 30-minute session.

*Calories burned in 20 minutes of HIIT (2024 Compendium METs)*

| Workout | MET | 125 lb | 155 lb | 185 lb |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Moderate intervals | 7.0 | 132 | 164 | 196 |
| Bike sprint intervals | 8.8 | 166 | 206 | 246 |
| Vigorous bodyweight HIIT | 11.0 | 208 | 258 | 308 |

## HIIT versus steady cardio

Per minute, intervals win.

In a lab study, 9 men each did 30 minutes of intervals (20 seconds all-out, 40 seconds rest) on a resistance machine, 30 minutes of steady treadmill running and cycling at 70% of maximum heart rate, and 30 minutes of weight training. Intervals burned 12.6 kcal per minute, against 9.5 for running, 9.2 for cycling, and 8.8 for weights.

Bodyweight HIIT feels harder than bike intervals. In 14 inactive adults, 12 bursts of 30 seconds of calisthenics raised blood lactate to 7.2 mmol/L, against 5.1 for the same bursts on a bike and 3.1 for 30 minutes of steady cycling. Average heart rate and effort ratings were similar across all three, and participants enjoyed the bodyweight session more than steady cycling.

Sources: [2] [3]

## How the calculator works

Calories = MET × body weight in kg × hours. A MET is the energy cost of an activity as a multiple of resting burn, which is about 1 kcal per kg per hour. Net calories subtract that resting burn to show what the session added. Worked example: a 150 lb person (68.0 kg) does 24 minutes of Tabata-style bodyweight intervals. Calories = 11.0 × 68.0 × 0.4 = about 299 kcal, and net calories are about 272 kcal.

Those 24 minutes are vigorous activity, so they count as 48 minutes toward the weekly target of 150 minutes of moderate activity.

Sources: [1] [8]

## HIIT and fat loss

A 2017 meta-analysis of 13 trials in adults with overweight or obesity found HIIT and moderate continuous training both cut fat mass and waist size, with no difference between them. HIIT took about 40% less training time. Running produced large drops in fat mass, and cycling did not.

A 2019 review of 36 trials found interval training cut about 28.5% more absolute fat mass than moderate training, with sprint intervals showing the largest effect. A 2018 meta-analysis of 39 studies found HIIT reduced total, abdominal, and visceral fat, and running again beat cycling.

Sources: [4] [5] [6]

## Health gains in less time

In a 12-week trial, sedentary men did 3 weekly sessions of either 10 minutes of cycling with three 20-second all-out sprints or 50 minutes of steady cycling. Peak oxygen uptake rose 19% in both groups, and insulin sensitivity and muscle mitochondrial content improved by similar amounts, with a fifth of the time commitment for the sprint group.

Short sessions count toward the guidelines as vigorous minutes. People with heart disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, or joint problems should check with a clinician before all-out efforts.

Sources: [7] [8]

## FAQ

### How many calories does a 20-minute HIIT workout burn?

For a 155 lb (70 kg) person: about 164 kcal at a moderate effort, 206 kcal for bike sprints, and 258 kcal for vigorous bodyweight intervals. At 125 lb the vigorous figure is about 208 kcal and at 185 lb about 308 kcal.

### How many calories does 30 minutes of HIIT burn?

About 387 kcal for a 155 lb person doing vigorous bodyweight intervals and about 246 kcal at a moderate effort. Few people can keep a true all-out effort for 30 minutes, so most long sessions land nearer the moderate figure.

### Does HIIT burn more calories than steady cardio?

Per minute, yes. In a lab study of 9 men who each trained for 30 minutes, intervals of 20 seconds all-out and 40 seconds rest burned 12.6 kcal per minute. Steady treadmill running at 70% of maximum heart rate burned 9.5 and steady cycling 9.2.

### Is HIIT better than cardio for fat loss?

The results are close. A meta-analysis of trials in adults with overweight found HIIT and moderate continuous training cut fat mass and waist size by similar amounts, with HIIT taking about 40% less time. Another review found interval training cut about 28.5% more absolute fat mass.

### How many minutes of HIIT count toward the weekly target?

Vigorous minutes count double. A 20-minute HIIT session 3 times a week gives 60 vigorous minutes, which equals 120 of the 150 moderate minutes adults are advised to get each week.

### How often should you do HIIT?

Most trials use 3 sessions a week. In a 12-week study, 3 weekly sessions of 10 minutes with 1 minute of sprinting improved fitness and insulin sensitivity as much as 3 weekly sessions of 50 minutes of steady cycling.

## References

1. Herrmann SD, et al. J Sport Health Sci 2024. [2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010)
2. Falcone PH, et al. J Strength Cond Res 2015. [Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25162652/)
3. Poon ET, et al. J Sports Sci Med 2023. [Acute physiological and perceptual responses to whole-body high-intensity interval training compared with equipment-based interval and continuous training](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37711706/)
4. Wewege M, et al. Obes Rev 2017. [The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401638/)
5. Viana RB, et al. Br J Sports Med 2019. [Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30765340/)
6. Maillard F, et al. Sports Med 2018. [Effect of high-intensity interval training on total, abdominal and visceral fat mass: a meta-analysis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29127602/)
7. Gillen JB, et al. PLoS One 2016. [Twelve weeks of sprint interval training improves indices of cardiometabolic health similar to traditional endurance training despite a five-fold lower exercise volume and time commitment](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27115137/)
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition](https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines)

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