Calories Burned Kickboxing at 55 kg — 566 kcal per Hour
Kickboxing at 55 kg (110-132 lb) burns about 566 kcal per hour. That figure comes from the activity's MET value of 10.3 in the 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities, multiplied by body weight: 10.3 × 55 kg × 1 hour = 566 kcal. This page works the numbers out in full — for 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, across all four weight bands, and against four comparable activities at the same weight — so you can plan sessions with real figures instead of guessing.
Kickboxing adds kicks — roundhouse, front, side and knee strikes — to the punches of boxing, and that addition changes the workout: the legs are the largest muscles in the body, and using them for powerful kicks raises the energy cost sharply. Classes usually alternate bag rounds with bodyweight conditioning, and fitness kickboxing classes (no contact) follow the same structure without sparring.
The Compendium has no exact entry for kickboxing, so the FitCalc data file uses the closest published value, the martial-arts group (judo, jujitsu, karate, tae kwon do) at 10.3 METs, and says so. At 55 kg that gives 566 kcal per hour — vigorous, in the same band as competitive soccer or a fast run. It is an excellent full-body workout, but the kicks are also what make it hard on the hips and knees.
Calculate your own numbers
Use the Calorie calculator to work out your own burn for kickboxing at your exact weight and session length. Enter your weight, pick the activity and set the duration, and the tool applies the same MET formula shown below. You can also try the running calorie calculator to see how this session fits into your total daily energy use.
Related pages in this section:
The formula, shown and cited
The standard way to estimate the energy cost of an activity is the MET formula from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011; 43(8): 1575–1581):
Calories (kcal) = MET × body weight (kg) × duration (hours)
One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly at rest — about 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour. An activity rated at 10.3 METs therefore uses 10.3 times as much energy as resting. The Compendium's MET values come from published studies that measured oxygen use during each activity, so they are measured averages, not guesses. Where no exact Compendium entry exists for an activity, the data file uses the closest published value and says so — No exact Compendium entry; closest published value: judo, jujitsu, karate, tae kwon do (10.3).
Worked through for this page:
- MET for kickboxing: 10.3
- Body weight: 55 kg (the midpoint of the 50-60 kg band, 110-132 lb)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Calculation: 10.3 × 55 × 1 = 566 kcal
For a 30-minute session the same calculation is 10.3 × 55 × 0.5 = 283 kcal. Nothing else is hidden in the maths — if your weight or duration changes, only those two numbers change.
Your numbers at 55 kg
| Duration | Calculation | Calories burned |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 10.3 × 55 × 0.25 | 142 kcal |
| 30 minutes | 10.3 × 55 × 0.5 | 283 kcal |
| 45 minutes | 10.3 × 55 × 0.75 | 425 kcal |
| 60 minutes | 10.3 × 55 × 1 | 566 kcal |
| 90 minutes | 10.3 × 55 × 1.5 | 850 kcal |
That is about 9.4 kcal per minute of kickboxing at this weight. A short session still counts: even 15 minutes burns 142 kcal, and three 15-minute sessions across a day add up to the same 425 kcal as one 45-minute session.
How the burn changes with body weight
The MET value stays the same — it describes the activity, not the person — but the calorie total scales with weight, because a heavier body costs more energy to move:
| Body weight | Calories per hour | Calories per 30 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 55 kg | 566 kcal | 283 kcal |
| 65 kg | 670 kcal | 335 kcal |
| 75 kg | 772 kcal | 386 kcal |
| 85 kg | 876 kcal | 438 kcal |
Two people doing the same activity for the same time can therefore burn quite different amounts, and that is expected — it is physics, not a mistake in the formula. If your weight sits between two rows, your figure sits between the two values.
How kickboxing compares
Here is kickboxing against four other activities at the same 55 kg, all using the same MET formula:
| Activity | MET | Calories per hour at 55 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Kickboxing | 10.3 | 566 kcal |
| Martial arts | 10.3 | 566 kcal |
| Judo | 10.3 | 566 kcal |
| Boxing | 12.8 | 704 kcal |
| Jumping rope at a moderate pace | 10.0 | 550 kcal |
Use this table to choose, not to judge. A higher number means a harder session, not a better one: the activity you enjoy and repeat three times a week beats the activity that burns more per hour but that you quit after a fortnight. Mixing intensities across the week — one harder session, two easier ones — is usually more sustainable than doing the hardest activity every time.
Fitting kickboxing into your week
| Sessions per week | 30 minutes each | 60 minutes each |
|---|---|---|
| 2 sessions | 566 kcal | 1132 kcal |
| 3 sessions | 849 kcal | 1698 kcal |
| 5 sessions | 1415 kcal | 2830 kcal |
A typical kickboxing class lasts 45 to 60 minutes: warm-up, rounds of punches and kicks on a heavy bag or pads, then conditioning work. At 10.3 METs, kickboxing counts as vigorous activity, so it contributes directly towards the widely used target of 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults. To burn 500 kcal from kickboxing alone takes about 53 minutes at 55 kg, and 1,000 kcal takes about 106 minutes — spread across the week, that is far more realistic than trying to do it in one session. Build up gradually — add 10% to your weekly total at most, and keep at least one rest day.
How to use the result
What changes the burn for kickboxing in practice:
- How much you kick versus punch: kicking costs more energy than punching, so a kick-heavy class burns more than a punch-heavy one.
- Bag work versus air kicking: hitting a bag adds resistance and raises the burn, while kicking air is easier on the joints but costs less.
- Whether the class includes sparring: light sparring raises intensity and adds the cost of defence and footwork.
- Your flexibility: tight hips force compensations that waste energy at first, then the burn settles as technique improves.
Practical tips for this activity:
- Warm up the hips thoroughly before kicking — leg swings and hip circles, not just a jog, because cold hips are how kickboxing injuries start.
- Start with low kicks and build height over weeks; high kicks demand flexibility that most beginners do not have yet.
- Wear supportive shoes or train barefoot on mats as the class requires, and wrap your hands for any bag work.
- Expect sore hip flexors after the first classes: kicking uses muscles that running and cycling barely touch.
Use the numbers on this page to set realistic expectations rather than to chase a daily total. If you are tracking food as well, add the session's calories to your total daily energy expenditure for that day, and remember that the figure is an estimate with roughly 10–20% uncertainty. Do not eat back every calorie the calculator shows: activity trackers and MET estimates both tend to overstate slightly, and a small margin keeps a weight-loss plan on track. If you are aiming to lose weight, keep the deficit modest — 300–500 kcal a day is a common, sustainable range — and keep your total intake above the safety floors of 1,200 kcal a day for women and 1,500 kcal a day for men unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise.
A note at 55 kg
At 55 kg you sit at the lighter end of the four weight bands on this site, and that shapes how the numbers feel in practice. Your absolute burn is the lowest of the four bands — 566 kcal per hour here against 876 kcal at 85 kg — but your burn per kilogram of body weight is identical, because the MET formula is linear: every kilogram costs the same. In practical terms that means duration and frequency matter more for you than for a heavier person doing the same activity. Two 45-minute sessions will usually serve you better than one 90-minute session, because you accumulate the same total with less fatigue in each outing, and you are less likely to run into the joint and muscle soreness that long sessions cause. If you are tracking weight loss, remember that a smaller body also means a smaller total daily expenditure, so a 300–500 kcal deficit is a larger share of your day than it is for someone heavier — keep the deficit at the modest end of that range and let the activity do its work over weeks, not days.
What the number does NOT tell you
The MET formula is honest about what it measures and silent about the rest. It does not account for your fitness level: a fit person burns fewer calories doing the same activity than an unfit person, because their body is more efficient. It does not account for body composition — two people at 55 kg with different amounts of muscle and fat will burn slightly different amounts. It does not include the afterburn (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) that follows hard sessions, it does not measure strength, flexibility or balance gained, and it says nothing about how the activity affects your appetite, sleep or mood. Kickboxing's MET value is borrowed from the martial-arts group, so it carries more uncertainty than a directly measured value: real classes vary in how much kicking they include, and a fitness class with music and choreography may sit below 10.3 METs. The figure also ignores the joint load from repeated kicking, which is the main limiter for most people, and it says nothing about technique or self-defence skill. People with hip, knee or lower-back problems should start with a low-impact version and a coach who modifies the kicks. Use the calorie figure as a planning estimate, and judge the activity by how you feel doing it and whether you keep doing it.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories do I burn doing kickboxing for 30 minutes at 55 kg?
About 283 kcal. The maths is 10.3 METs × 55 kg × 0.5 hours = 283 kcal. That is an estimate from the Compendium average — your real burn depends on your fitness, your pace and the conditions. If you weigh more or less than 55 kg, use the weight table above to read your own figure.
Is kickboxing good for weight loss?
It can help, but only as part of an overall calorie deficit. At 55 kg, an hour of kickboxing burns about 566 kcal, which is a useful contribution — roughly the energy in a modest meal — but weight loss still comes from the total balance of food and activity across the week, not from one session. Aim for a gradual loss of 0.5–1% of body weight per week, and never drop below 1,200 kcal a day (women) or 1,500 kcal a day (men) without medical supervision.
How does kickboxing compare with martial arts?
At 55 kg, kickboxing burns about 566 kcal per hour against 566 kcal for martial arts. If the number is higher, kickboxing is the more intense activity; if it is lower, martial arts burns more. The best choice is usually the one you will actually do several times a week — consistency matters more than a small difference in the hourly rate.
Does the calorie burn change if I weigh more or less than 55 kg?
Yes, directly. Calories = MET × weight in kg × hours, so the burn scales with body weight. At 55 kg the same hour of kickboxing burns about 566 kcal; at 85 kg it burns about 876 kcal. The MET value itself does not change with weight — it describes the intensity of the activity.
Is kickboxing better than boxing for burning calories?
Per hour, boxing burns slightly more on paper: boxing is 12.8 METs (about 704 kcal per hour at 55 kg) while kickboxing uses the martial-arts value of 10.3 METs (566 kcal per hour). But that comparison is misleading, because kickboxing's figure is borrowed from the martial-arts group rather than measured directly, and a hard kickboxing class can easily match a boxing session. Choose by which you enjoy and which your joints tolerate.
Estimates only, not medical advice. Minimum safe intakes: 1,200 kcal/day women, 1,500 kcal/day men — consult a healthcare professional before a very-low-calorie diet.