Chest Workout Calories Burned (Complete Guide)

A complete chest day workout burns approximately 150-300 calories, depending on the exercises, weight used, and workout duration. This includes all chest exercises like bench press, incline bench, flyes, and machine work.

Understanding calorie burn for each chest exercise helps you plan effective workouts and track your energy expenditure.

Quick Answer: Chest Day Calories

A typical 45-60 minute chest workout burns 150-250 calories. Here's the breakdown:

Workout Type	Duration	Calories Burned
Light chest day	30 min	75-120 cal
Moderate chest day	45 min	120-180 cal
Intense chest day	60 min	180-280 cal
High-volume bodybuilding	75+ min	250-350 cal

Calories Burned by Chest Exercise

Bench Press (Flat Barbell)

The king of chest exercises - the primary compound movement for chest day.

Sets × Reps	At 60 kg	At 80 kg	At 100 kg
3 × 10	13 cal	18 cal	22 cal
4 × 10	18 cal	24 cal	29 cal
5 × 5	11 cal	15 cal	18 cal

Calculate your exact bench press calories

Incline Bench Press

Targets upper chest with similar calorie burn to flat bench.

Sets × Reps	At 50 kg	At 70 kg	At 90 kg
3 × 10	11 cal	15 cal	20 cal
4 × 10	15 cal	20 cal	26 cal

Incline bench typically uses 10-20% less weight than flat bench.

Decline Bench Press

Targets lower chest, often allows slightly heavier weight.

Sets × Reps	At 60 kg	At 80 kg	At 100 kg
3 × 10	13 cal	18 cal	22 cal
4 × 8	14 cal	19 cal	23 cal

Dumbbell Bench Press

Uses stabilizer muscles more than barbell, slightly higher calorie burn per pound moved.

Sets × Reps	At 20 kg each	At 30 kg each	At 40 kg each
3 × 10	9 cal	13 cal	18 cal
4 × 10	12 cal	18 cal	24 cal

Chest Press Machine

Machine-assisted movement burns about 15% fewer calories than free weights.

Sets × Reps	At 50 kg	At 70 kg	At 90 kg
3 × 12	9 cal	13 cal	16 cal
4 × 10	10 cal	14 cal	18 cal

Calculate chest press calories

Dumbbell Flyes

Isolation movement focusing on chest stretch and contraction.

Sets × Reps	At 10 kg each	At 15 kg each	At 20 kg each
3 × 12	5 cal	8 cal	11 cal
4 × 12	7 cal	11 cal	14 cal

Cable Crossovers

Constant tension through full range of motion.

Sets × Reps	Light	Moderate	Heavy
3 × 15	6 cal	9 cal	12 cal
4 × 12	7 cal	10 cal	13 cal

Push-Ups (Chest Focus)

Bodyweight exercise using your own weight as resistance.

Sets × Reps	Bodyweight
3 × 15	8-12 cal
4 × 20	15-20 cal
5 × 25	25-30 cal

Calculate push-up calories

Sample Chest Workout Calorie Totals

Beginner Chest Day (30-40 min)

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Calories
Flat Bench Press	3 × 10 @ 40 kg	9 cal
Incline Dumbbell Press	3 × 10 @ 12 kg	5 cal
Chest Press Machine	3 × 12 @ 30 kg	6 cal
Push-Ups	3 × 10	6 cal
Total	12 sets	~26 cal

Plus warm-up, rest period activity, and EPOC: Total ~75-100 calories

Intermediate Chest Day (45-60 min)

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Calories
Flat Bench Press	4 × 10 @ 80 kg	24 cal
Incline Bench Press	3 × 10 @ 60 kg	13 cal
Dumbbell Flyes	3 × 12 @ 15 kg	8 cal
Cable Crossover	3 × 15	9 cal
Decline Push-Ups	3 × 15	10 cal
Total	16 sets	~64 cal

Plus additional factors: Total ~150-200 calories

Advanced Chest Day (60-75 min)

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Calories
Flat Bench Press	5 × 5 @ 120 kg	22 cal
Incline Bench Press	4 × 8 @ 90 kg	21 cal
Decline Bench Press	3 × 10 @ 100 kg	22 cal
Dumbbell Flyes	4 × 12 @ 20 kg	14 cal
Cable Crossover	4 × 15	13 cal
Chest Press Machine	3 × 12 @ 70 kg	12 cal
Total	23 sets	~104 cal

Plus additional factors: Total ~250-350 calories

Factors Affecting Chest Day Calorie Burn

1. Total Volume

More sets and reps = more calories. A 20-set workout burns roughly twice as much as a 10-set workout.

2. Weight Used

Heavier weights require more energy per rep. As you get stronger, your calorie burn per workout increases.

3. Rest Periods

• 30-60 second rest: Higher heart rate, more total calories
• 2-3 minute rest: Lower calorie density but allows heavier weights

4. Exercise Selection

• Compound movements (bench press): Higher calorie burn
• Isolation movements (flyes): Lower calorie burn per set

5. Training Tempo

Controlled, slower movements increase time under tension and calorie burn.

Chest Day vs Other Training Days

Training Day	Typical Calories
Chest Day	150-250 cal
Back Day	175-300 cal
Leg Day	200-400 cal
Shoulder Day	100-200 cal
Arm Day	75-150 cal
Full Body	250-400 cal

Chest day falls in the middle range, burning more than arm-focused days but less than leg-intensive workouts.

Maximizing Chest Day Calorie Burn

1. Start with heavy compounds - Bench press first when energy is highest
2. Superset exercises - Pair chest flyes with push-ups
3. Minimize rest between isolation exercises - Keep heart rate up
4. Include push-ups as finishers - High rep bodyweight work adds volume
5. Add incline/decline variations - More total work across angles

The Afterburn Effect (EPOC)

Chest workouts trigger excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), burning additional calories for hours after training:

• Light chest day: 10-20 additional calories
• Moderate chest day: 20-40 additional calories
• Intense chest day: 40-80 additional calories

Related Calculators and Guides

• Bench Press Calorie Calculator
• Chest Press Calorie Calculator
• Push-Up Calorie Calculator
• How Many Calories Does Bench Press Burn?
• Bench Press vs Chest Press Calories
• Bench Press vs Push Ups Calories

Conclusion

A complete chest day workout burns approximately 150-300 calories, with the bench press being the highest calorie-burning exercise. While chest day may not burn as many calories as leg day or cardio sessions, the muscle built through chest training increases your daily metabolic rate.

Calculate your exact exercise calories with our Bench Press Calorie Calculator and Chest Press Calorie Calculator.