Calories Burned Per Jumping Jack: The Per-Rep Breakdown
How many calories does one jumping jack burn? About 0.15 cal per rep for a 70 kg adult at 60 reps per minute. See the per-rep math, a table by body weight, and reps per 100 calories.
One jumping jack burns approximately 0.15 calories for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult at a moderate 60 reps per minute, ranging from about 0.1 to 0.2 calories per rep depending on your body weight and pace. That tiny number adds up fast: at a steady pace, a few hundred reps becomes a meaningful chunk of your daily burn.
Calories Per Jumping Jack
A single jumping jack is a small movement, so the per-rep calorie cost is small too. For most people it lands around 0.1–0.2 calories per rep.
The exact figure shifts with three things:
- Body weight — heavier bodies move more mass, so they burn more per rep.
- Pace — the per-minute burn stays about the same, so the faster you go, the less each rep costs.
- Range of motion — full overhead arm extension and a wide jump recruit more muscle.
A lighter person doing fast jacks might burn closer to 0.1 cal per rep, while a heavier person at a steady 60 per minute gets to about 0.2 cal per rep. About 0.15 is a reliable average to plan around.
Calories Per Jumping Jack By Body Weight
Because per-rep burn scales almost directly with body weight, here's a quick reference at a typical moderate pace (roughly 60 reps per minute):
| Body Weight | Calories Per Rep | Per 50 Reps | Per 100 Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 0.11 kcal | 6 kcal | 11 kcal |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 0.13 kcal | 7 kcal | 13 kcal |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 0.16 kcal | 8 kcal | 16 kcal |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 0.18 kcal | 9 kcal | 18 kcal |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 0.20 kcal | 10 kcal | 20 kcal |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 0.22 kcal | 11 kcal | 22 kcal |
Notice the per-rep number at this pace is simply your weight in kilograms divided by 450. A 70 kg adult sits right at the ~0.15 average that headlines this article.
The Per-Rep Math (METs)
The number isn't a guess — it comes from a standard formula built on METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task). One MET is the energy you burn sitting still. The Compendium of Physical Activities rates jumping jacks at 8.0 METs (code 02020, vigorous calisthenics).
The calorie-burn formula is:
Calories per minute = MET × body weight (kg) ÷ 60
Let's run it for a 70 kg adult (8.0 METs):
- 8.0 × 70 ÷ 60 = 9.3 calories per minute
Now convert that to a single rep. At a moderate pace of about 60 reps per minute:
- 9.3 cal/min ÷ 60 reps = 0.16 cal per rep
At a brisker 80 reps per minute the same person burns about 0.12 cal per rep: the per-minute burn stays the same, it is just spread over more reps. So for calories, time spent moving matters more than rep speed.
You don't have to do this math by hand. Our Jumping Jack Calorie Calculator runs the MET formula for your exact weight, pace, and rep count.
Putting It in Context: Reps for 100 Calories
The per-rep number feels trivial until you stack it up. Here's how many jumping jacks it takes to burn 100 calories at moderate intensity:
| Body Weight | Cal Per Rep | Reps for 100 kcal | Approx. Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 0.11 kcal | ~900 reps | ~15 min |
| 70 kg | 0.16 kcal | ~645 reps | ~11 min |
| 90 kg | 0.20 kcal | ~500 reps | ~8 min |
So for an average adult, roughly 650 jumping jacks (about 11 minutes) burns about 100 calories. That's very achievable across a few sets in a single workout, and it's why jacks are such a popular finisher for fat-loss circuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories is one jumping jack? About 0.15 calories for a 70 kg adult at 60 reps per minute. The realistic range is 0.1 to 0.2 calories per rep, scaling up with body weight and down with faster pace.
How many jumping jacks burn 100 calories? Roughly 650 reps for a 70 kg adult at 60 reps per minute. Lighter people need more (around 900 at 50 kg), heavier people fewer (around 500 at 90 kg).
Do heavier people burn more per jumping jack? Yes. Per-rep burn scales almost directly with body weight because you're moving more mass through the same range of motion. A 100 kg person burns nearly double per rep what a 50 kg person does.
Does doing jumping jacks faster burn more per rep? No. The Compendium gives jumping jacks one value (8.0 METs) per minute of effort, so faster reps spread the same per-minute burn over more reps: about 0.16 cal per rep at 60 per minute and 0.12 at 80 per minute for a 70 kg adult. Time spent moving is what raises your total.
Calculate Your Exact Per-Rep Burn
Want a number tuned to your weight, pace, and rep count instead of an average? Plug in your details:
Jumping Jack Calorie Calculator →
Related Guides
- Jumping Jacks Calories Per Minute — Per-minute burn rates by weight and pace