Kettlebell Calorie Calculator

How many calories do kettlebell swings burn?

A 155 lb person burns about 115 calories in 10 minutes of kettlebell swings and about 230 in 20 minutes. A kettlebell circuit with minimal rest burns about 88 calories in 10 minutes, and slower kettlebell squats and deadlifts about 59.

The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities rates kettlebell swings at 9.8 MET, a vigorous effort close to running at about 6 mph. That value matches a lab study in which men swinging a 16 kg bell for 12 minutes averaged an oxygen use of about 34 ml/kg/min.

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Kettlebell calories by workout and body weight

Each value is a 10-minute total of working time. Multiply by 2 for a 20-minute block.

Calories per swing

In the 12-minute study, 10 men completed an average of 265 two-hand swings, about 22 per minute. At that pace a 155 lb person burns roughly 0.5 kcal per swing, so 100 swings cost about 50 kcal.

The same study found heart rate ran higher than oxygen use: the men reached about 87% of maximum heart rate but only about 65% of maximal oxygen uptake. A heart rate monitor will tend to overstate the calories from swings.

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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 135 lb person (61.2 kg) does 12 minutes of swings, 250 in total. Calories = 9.8 × 61.2 × 0.2 = about 120 kcal, and net calories are about 108 kcal. Each swing cost about 0.48 kcal.

Those 12 minutes are vigorous activity, so they count as 24 minutes toward the weekly target of 150 minutes of moderate activity.

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How to use this calculator

Choose swings for sets of two-hand or one-hand swings.

Choose circuit when swings mix with goblet squats, presses, and carries with little rest. Choose squats and deadlifts for slower strength work with the bell.

Enter working time, short rests inside the set included. Add a swing count if you track it and the calculator will show calories per swing.

Swings versus running and walking

In 13 young adults, a 10-minute treadmill run at the same perceived effort as 10 minutes of swing intervals (35 seconds on, 25 off) burned 25% to 39% more calories than the swings. Heart rate averaged about 90% of age-predicted maximum in both. The authors still judged the swing routine hard enough to build aerobic fitness. In 10 novices, 30 minutes of swings mixed with sumo deadlifts matched the oxygen use and calories of brisk walking on a 4% grade, with higher heart rate and effort ratings. Structure matters too: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of swings with 10 seconds of rest reached 71% of peak oxygen uptake, against 58% for the same swings split into 4 sets with 90 seconds of rest.

[3][4][5]

What kettlebell training does

In a trial of 40 workers, 8 weeks of kettlebell training 3 times a week reduced neck and shoulder pain by 2.1 points and low-back pain by 1.4 points and increased trunk strength compared with controls. Aerobic fitness did not change.

In 60 men with obesity, 12 weeks of kettlebell training or bodyweight training both lowered body fat and raised aerobic fitness compared with controls. A 2019 scoping review of 99 publications judged most kettlebell studies small and of low quality, with trivial to small effects, so treat the benefits as promising rather than proven.

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How it works

Calories = MET × body weight (kg) × hours, using 2024 Adult Compendium codes 02058 (kettlebell swings, 9.8 MET), 02040 (circuit including kettlebells, 7.5 MET), and 02052 (squats and deadlifts, 5.0 MET). Net calories remove 1 kcal per kg per hour of resting burn. Calories per swing = session total ÷ swings.

Practical tips

• Drive the swing with your hips, not your arms.
• Heart rate overstates swing calories. Trust the MET estimate.
• Short rests between rounds raise the burn.
• Start light and keep your back flat.
• Swing minutes count double toward the weekly activity target.

Frequently asked questions

• How many calories do kettlebell swings burn?About 115 kcal in 10 minutes for a 155 lb (70 kg) person. At 125 lb the figure is about 93 kcal and at 185 lb about 137 kcal. The Compendium rates swings at 9.8 MET, which is vigorous.
• How many calories do 100 kettlebell swings burn?About 50 kcal for a 155 lb person. In a lab study, men swinging a 16 kg bell averaged about 22 swings per minute, so 100 swings take about 4.5 minutes. Each swing costs roughly 0.5 kcal.
• Are kettlebell swings as good as running?For calories, running wins. In a study of 13 adults, a 10-minute treadmill run at the same perceived effort as 10 minutes of swing intervals burned 25% to 39% more calories than the swings. Heart rate averaged about 90% of age-predicted maximum in both, so heart rate makes swings look harder than their calorie cost.
• Does the swing protocol change the burn?Yes. In a study of 14 adults, 8 rounds of 20 seconds of swings with 10 seconds of rest raised oxygen use to 71% of peak. The same number of swings split into 4 sets with 90 seconds of rest reached 58%.
• Can kettlebell training help with back and neck pain?One trial suggests it can. Forty workers who did 8 weeks of kettlebell training 3 times a week reported less neck, shoulder, and low-back pain and gained trunk strength. Aerobic fitness did not change.
• What weight kettlebell should I use?One lab study used a 16 kg bell for men and 8 kg for women, and a Tabata study used 8 kg and 4.5 kg. Pick a weight you can swing with a flat back and a hip snap. If the bell pulls your shoulders forward, go lighter.

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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
2. Farrar RE, et al. J Strength Cond Res 2010. Oxygen cost of kettlebell swings
3. Hulsey CR, et al. J Strength Cond Res 2012. Comparison of kettlebell swings and treadmill running at equivalent rating of perceived exertion values
4. Thomas JF, et al. J Strength Cond Res 2014. Comparison of two-hand kettlebell exercise and graded treadmill walking: effectiveness as a stimulus for cardiorespiratory fitness
5. Fortner HA, et al. Int J Exerc Sci 2014. Cardiovascular and metabolic demands of the kettlebell swing using Tabata interval versus a traditional resistance protocol
6. Jay K, et al. Scand J Work Environ Health 2011. Kettlebell training for musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health: a randomized controlled trial
7. Govindasamy K, et al. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2024. The effects of kettlebell training versus resistance training using the own body mass on physical fitness and physiological adaptations in obese adults: a randomized controlled trial
8. Meigh NJ, et al. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 2019. Kettlebell training in clinical practice: a scoping review
9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition