Rock climbing can help you burn 400 to 600 calories per hour depending upon your weight, metabolism, intensity at which you are climbing, and the difficulty of the path. The number of calories burned rock climbing could vary slightly if you are doing it indoors in your gym or at a recreational center. That's because indoor climbing setups have very predictable and easy paths meant for casual trainers. Plus, do not help you sweat as much as you would when you are out in the sun. You can expect a difference of 80 to 120 calories or more. Use our rock climbing calories burned calculator to find out how this sport can help you shed a few extra pounds while helping you drastically improve your strength and stamina.
💡 Quick Tip: Rock climbing requires you to have excellent grip and arm strength. If you need improvement in these areas, you should start using Pnrskter hand grip strengtheners. These finger exerciser can strengthen the muscles of your fingers, palms, and forearms so you don’t lose your grip during challenging times. They are great for rock climbers as well as fitness trainers, athletes, musicians, etc.
Pnrskter hand grip strengtheners
Calories Burned Rock Climbing Calculator
.pushup-calculator-row {
margin-top: 7px;
margin-bottom: 7px;
}
.pushup-calculator-input {
color: #666666;
background-color: #fafafa;
border-color: #cccccc;
border: 1px solid;
border-radius: 0;
padding: 10px 15px;
max-width: 100%;
font-family: Muli, sans-serif;
font-weight: 300;
font-size: 19px;
transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out;
}
.pushup-calculator-dropdown {
padding: 10px 5px !important;
font-size: 18px !important;
}
.pushup-level-dropdown {
width: 230px;
}
.calculate-btn {
background-color: black;
font-family: Muli, sans-serif;
font-weight: 300;
font-size: 19px;
transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out;
color: #fff;
border: 1px solid transparent;
cursor: pointer;
-webkit-appearance: button;
padding: 10px 20px;
}
.text-red {
color: red;
}
h4 {
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 23px;
}
.result-heading {
margin-top: 20px;
}
var activityName = “Skiing”;
function pushupCalculator() {
const bodyweight = parseFloat(
document.getElementById(“pushupCalculatorBodyweight”).value
);
const bodyweightUnit = document.getElementById(
“pushupCalculatorBodyweightUnit”
).value;
const pushupLevel = parseFloat(document.getElementById(“pushupLevel”).value);
const activityTime = parseFloat(
document.getElementById(“pushupCalculatorActivityTime”).value
);
const errorMsgElement = document.getElementById(“pushupCalculatorErrorMsg”);
// validation
if (!bodyweight) {
errorMsgElement.innerHTML = “Please enter your bodyweight”;
return;
}
if (!pushupLevel) {
errorMsgElement.innerHTML = “Please select a ” + activityName + ” level”;
return;
}
if (!activityTime) {
errorMsgElement.innerHTML = “Please enter ” + activityName + ” time”;
return;
}
errorMsgElement.innerHTML = “”;
// converting weight into KGs (if into Lbs)
const LBS = “lbs”;
const ONE_KG_LBS = 2.20462;
const bodyweightInKgs =
bodyweightUnit == LBS ? bodyweight / ONE_KG_LBS : bodyweight;
// calculating calories burned
console.log(bodyweightInKgs, pushupLevel, activityTime);
const result = (
(bodyweightInKgs * pushupLevel * activityTime * 3.5) /
200
).toFixed(3);
// showing calculated result
document.getElementById(“pushupCalculatorResult”).innerHTML =
“Total Calories Burned ” + result;
}
The formula used in our calories burned rock climbing calculator
Many of the rock climbing calories burned calculators available online are mere calorie meters. They can give you a general idea of how many calories you can burn doing a specific activity. But, their results are often misleading because they basically do guesswork.
We wanted to provide you with a tool that can find out the closest possible figure so you know exactly what to expect. That's why we have used the below-mentioned scientifically formulated, tested, and tried formula in our calories burned rock climbing calculator. It uses two major factors for making the necessary calculations, so there is no guesswork left to be done.
The formula is as below-
Calories burned rock climbing per minute= (MET x body weight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200
📖 Related Article: If you prefer outdoor activities such as rock climbing to keep yourself fit, you may be interested to know how many calories you can burn skiing and what you can do to get maximum output from your next skiing session. Get all your answers from this interesting article based on the calories burned skiing calculator.
MET value of rock climbing
Metabolic Equivalent of a Task refers to the amount of energy you spend to do a certain activity. It basically represents the multiples of the energy you spend sitting ideal and the energy you spend doing a certain activity.
The MET value of sitting ideally is 1. When you stand, the MET value becomes 1.5, which means you burn 1.5 times more calories than you would while sitting. MET value of walking can be 3 to 4.5 depending on your speed and the inclination of the path. This means you can burn 3 to 4.5 times more calories walking than sitting ideally.
According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, the MET value of rock climbing is usually between 5 to 8. The intensity of rappelling is low, so it has a MET value of 5 to 6. Mountain climbing is the most intense form of this activity and has a MET value of 8.
💡 Quick Tip: Rock climbing is an adventurous and risky activity. You must invest in the right gear and tools to prevent any unwanted issues and accidents. For your eyes, we recommend Belay glasses for rock climbing. They can protect your eyes from UV rays, glare, wind, dust, falling debris, etc. You can wear them along with your own glasses or sunglasses.
Belay glasses
Please note that the MET values of rock climbing are not fixed. They are never defined for any activity and depend on the intensity at which you are doing it. So, if you are climbing rock leisurely and taking frequent breaks, the MET value could be as low as 5. If you are climbing at a high speed for a competition, the MET value could be more than 10.
Don’t know what the MET value of your rock climbing is? Don’t worry about it. Just select the right kind of activity from the drop-down menu of our calories burned rock climbing calculator and it will automatically pick the most suitable MET value.
Let's look at a basic example. If you weigh 180 lbs and are climbing rock at a light to moderate speed, here is how many calories you should be able to burn-
Calories burned rock climbing per minute= (6 x 80.5x 3.5) ÷ 200= 8.5 calories per minute i.e. 510 calories per hour.
📖 Related Article: If you are into rock climbing or want to get into it more and more, you may want to start using gymnastic rings to strengthen your upper body and improve your balance and stillness. Here are some of the Best Gymnastic Rings to Develop an Olympic Gymnast Body.
Factors that affect the number of calories burned rock climbing
As mentioned above, the intensity of an activity decides its MET value, which, in turn, affects the number of calories you can burn. I have already explained the various intensities of rock climbing and what their tentative MET values could be. Let's look at the other main factors that affect rock climbing calories burned.
Your body weight
The more you weigh, the more calories you burn. That's because your body has to use more energy to move your heavier body than what it may have had to use if you had been 30 lbs lighter. That's the reason why obese/heavier people lose weight faster. To know your exact body weight, measure yourself in the morning right after using the bathroom but before eating or drinking anything.
Your metabolism
Young and physically active people have a faster metabolism, which helps them burn more calories than people who are in their 40s and above and those who aren’t quite active. That's why people in middle and old age find it difficult to lose weight whereas for youngsters it isn’t that challenging. Similarly, women have a slower metabolism than men and often burn fewer calories doing a certain activity. So, the number of calories burned rock climbing depends on your metabolism. Unfortunately, gender, age, and metabolism aren’t counted as primary factors by CDC and there is no formula invented so far that can count them. So, we haven’t used them in our rock climbing calories burned calculator because we don’t want to misguide you.
💡 Quick Tip: Rappelling generates a lot of heat, which may cause irritation and annoyance due to which you may even make you lose your grip. Use Intra-FIT climbing gloves to keep yourself comfortable and take the pressure off your palms.
Intra-FIT climbing gloves
Calories burned rock climbing calculator FAQs
How many calories do 30 minutes of rock climbing burn?
It depends on the type and intensity at which you are climbing. Using our rock climbing calories burned calculator, we found that a 180 lbs person can burn about 215 calories rappelling. The same person would burn 320 calories ascending the rock with high difficulty. Enter your weight and choose the intensity from the drop-down menu in our calculator to find out what you can expect.
Why does rock climbing burn so many calories?
Rock climbing is a dynamic sport. It keeps your body in constant motion and tension. Even when you are not climbing, your body still has to keep shifting balance. It engages almost all muscle groups of your body. That's why it helps burn more calories than walking, jogging, pilates, stair climbing, and other common forms of exercise.
Does rock climbing help lose weight?
Yes! As I said above, rock climbing burns more calories than walking, jogging, pilates, and lightweight strength training. If you are trying to lose weight, rock climbing is a fun, adventure-filled sport that can help you achieve your fitness goals faster. So, who wouldn’t love hauling your body up a cliff wall, especially after knowing that it is one of the greatest exercises for almost everyone with any type of fitness goals.
Wrap up
If you are on a calorie-deficit diet and want to track calories your calories burned rock climbing calculator can be a good tool to stay on track. We have created many calorie calculators for other popular activities such as skiing, squatting, kayaking, recumbent bike, etc. I hope you find them helpful. For queries or suggestions, please leave a comment or email me.
