100 Pull-Ups Calories: The Century Challenge Breakdown
100 pull-ups burn approximately 133–200 calories depending on body weight and pace. Complete breakdown including Murph workout context, how long it takes, and calorie tables.
100 pull-ups burn approximately 133 to 200 calories depending on body weight — about 156 calories for a 70 kg person at moderate pace (6 reps/min).
This is a significant calorie burn for a bodyweight-only upper body exercise. Use our Pull-Up Calorie Calculator for your exact number.
Calories Burned Doing 100 Pull-Ups by Body Weight
At moderate pace (6 reps/min), MET 8.0:
| Body Weight | Active Time | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 122 cal |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 133 cal |
| 65 kg (143 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 144 cal |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 156 cal |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 167 cal |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 178 cal |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 200 cal |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 16 min 40 sec | 222 cal |
How Long Does It Take to Do 100 Pull-Ups?
The answer depends heavily on your current fitness level:
| Approach | Total Time | Rest Included |
|---|---|---|
| Elite (continuous sets of 20+) | ~20–30 min | Minimal |
| Advanced (sets of 10–15) | ~30–45 min | Yes |
| Intermediate (sets of 5–10) | ~45–75 min | Yes |
| Beginner (sets of 2–5, frequent rest) | ~90–120 min | Yes |
Active pull-up time at 6 reps/min is always ~16 minutes 40 seconds regardless of total session length. Rest periods between sets burn resting metabolic calories (~1–1.5 cal/min) that are not included in the rep-based calculation.
100 Pull-Ups in Sets: Common Approaches
Very few people can do 100 pull-ups in one go. Here are the most common set structures:
| Structure | Sets | Reps Each |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 20 sets | 5 reps |
| Intermediate | 10 sets | 10 reps |
| Advanced | 5 sets | 20 reps |
| Grease the Groove | Throughout the day | 10 reps × 10 sessions |
| Murph (partitioned) | 20 sets | 5 reps (in super sets with push-ups/squats) |
The Grease the Groove (GTG) method — doing small sets frequently throughout the day — is one of the most effective ways to accumulate 100 pull-ups while minimising fatigue per set.
The Murph Workout and 100 Pull-Ups
The famous Murph CrossFit workout includes 100 pull-ups as part of:
- 1-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 air squats
- 1-mile run
Total estimated calorie burn for the full Murph workout (70 kg person):
| Component | Calories |
|---|---|
| 2-mile run | ~190 cal |
| 100 pull-ups | ~156 cal |
| 200 push-ups | ~88 cal |
| 300 air squats | ~140 cal |
| Total (approx) | ~574 cal |
The pull-ups alone account for roughly 27% of the total Murph calorie burn.
100 Pull-Ups by Pace: Calorie Comparison
| Pace | Active Time | Calories (70 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Slow (4/min) | 25 min | 233 cal |
| Moderate (6/min) | 16 min 40 sec | 156 cal |
| Fast / Kipping (10/min) | 10 min | 93 cal |
Strict, slow pull-ups burn more calories per rep but take longer. Kipping pull-ups burn fewer calories per rep but allow higher volume in less time. For pure calorie-burning, a moderate controlled pace optimises both intensity and duration.
Is 100 Pull-Ups a Realistic Goal?
Here's an honest progression timeline for reaching 100 total pull-ups in a session:
| Starting Point | Time to 100 Pull-Ups in Session |
|---|---|
| Can't do 1 pull-up | 3–6 months |
| Can do 3–5 pull-ups | 2–4 months |
| Can do 8–10 pull-ups | 4–8 weeks |
| Can do 15+ pull-ups | 2–4 weeks |
The key training principles:
- Frequency over volume per session — 3–4 sessions per week works better than one mega-session
- Undergrip rest — hanging and stretching between sets maintains shoulder health
- Progressive overload — add 2–5 total reps per session when previous volume feels manageable
- Recovery — lats, biceps, and forearms need 48 hours between pull-up sessions
100 Pull-Ups Daily: Long-Term Calorie Impact
| Timeframe | 70 kg (cal) | 90 kg (cal) |
|---|---|---|
| Per session | 156 | 200 |
| Per week (5 days) | 780 | 1,000 |
| Per month | 3,360 | 4,300 |
| Per year | 40,560 | 51,800 |
A daily 100-pull-up practice burns the equivalent of approximately 5–7 kg of body fat per year from this activity alone — a meaningful contribution to a fat-loss program.
100 Pull-Ups vs. Other Centurion Challenges
| Challenge | Calories (70 kg, moderate pace) |
|---|---|
| 100 pull-ups | 156 cal |
| 100 push-ups | 44 cal |
| 100 sit-ups | 41 cal |
| 100 burpees | ~155 cal |
| 100 jumping jacks | ~44 cal |
| 100 squats | ~55 cal |
Pull-ups and burpees deliver by far the highest calorie burn per rep at the 100-rep milestone. The difference is that most people can do 100 jumping jacks continuously; 100 pull-ups requires either elite strength or breaking into sets with rest.
Related Guides
- Pull-Up Calorie Calculator — Your personalised result
- How Many Calories Do 10 Pull-Ups Burn?
- Pull-Up Calorie Formula Explained
- Pull-Ups vs Chin-Ups: Which Burns More?
- 100 Push-Ups Calories — Push-up century comparison
- 100 Burpees Calories — The most brutal 100-rep challenge