Burpee! The name looks funny but don’t be fooled! This challenging exercise works on many major muscles in your body.
So, what exactly is burpee exercise?
It’s a dynamic, full-body workout that combines a squat, push-up, and jump into one fluid motion. Indeed, it’s the best bodyweight exercise to build strength and burn calories at the same time.
Trojan Fitness is here with an easy burpees guide, providing you with everything you need to know about this challenging workout.
We’ll explore how to do it correctly, discuss its health benefits, and discover the specific muscles worked in a burpee. Additionally, if you’re looking to adapt this exercise to your fitness level, we’ll cover some variations to make it easier or more challenging.
Let’s get started.
“A burpee is a high-intensity exercise that involves a series of movements: starting from a standing position, you squat down, kick your feet back into a plank position, perform a push-up, return to a squat, and jump back to standing.”
This dynamic movement not only builds strength but also improves cardiovascular fitness.
Now, let’s explore how to do it.
Combining a push-up and a jump squat, this full-body workout needs no equipment, only a little space. Before you start, don’t forget to warm up!
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, chest lifted, and arms hanging at your sides comfortably.
Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat. Push your knees slightly outward. Keep your feet flat on the ground. When you’re in a squat, place your hands on the floor with palms facing down in front of you.
Jump your legs back into a high plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor. Like you’re doing the bottom part of a push-up. Keep your core tight and your body straight throughout this movement.
Straighten your arms to push your body back up to the plank position. Maintain that straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Jump your legs forward, landing in a squat position. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground. Just like in Step 2.
Now, leap up with your arms reaching towards the ceiling. Land softly back in the standing position. You can now start again from Step 1.
Sets and Reps
If you’re new to this exercise, you can make burpees easier by jumping with one leg at a time. For a fantastic cardio boost, try adding 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 15 burpees to your workout routine.
You go through two key positions when you do burpees: a squat and a high plank. It's important to maintain good form in these steps. As they are repeated multiple times.
Let’s take a closer look at how to do them correctly.
Keep your back straight and your core engaged to protect your body. In high plank, make sure your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are aligned. Avoid placing your hands too far forward.
When you drop into a squat. Make sure your feet remain flat on the ground. Try not to rise up onto your toes. A solid base will help you stay stable and balanced. Making the movement easier and safer.
Remember to breathe regularly and naturally while you exercise. Just like poor form, irregular breathing can increase the risk of injury, so keep your breaths steady as you move through each burpee.
Burpees are one of the toughest exercises you can do. But they fill in many important fitness boxes. Here’s why you should consider adding burpees into your workout routine.
Burpees are fantastic for your heart and lungs.
They provide the intense cardio workout similar to running. But burpee is in a much shorter time. Fitness experts recommend doing burpees in bursts of 30 to 90 seconds. As you do them, you’ll notice your heart rate rising. Then, you’ll be using a lot of energy and oxygen.
Including burpees in your routine can provide various other cardio benefits, such as:
One of the best burpees benefits is that you don’t need any equipment to do them.
All you need is your body weight and a little space. Whether you’re at home, in a hotel room, or even a small office, you can easily fit in a quick burpee session. Additionally, you can add variety by including weights or modifying the exercise with extra push-ups or jumps.
In addition to improving your cardio fitness, burpees also help build strength.
It’s a full-body calisthenic workout that really gets your muscles working.
They combine resistance training with explosive movements. When you do burpees, you’re not only working your arms, chest, and shoulders. But you’re also engaging your abs, legs, hips, and glutes.
Explore more about Lose Weight & Gain Muscles at the Same Time with Strength Training
Burpees can help you burn a significant number of calories. On average, a person can complete about 20 burpees in a minute. Here’s how many calories you could burn in 1 minute based on weight:
For example, a 155-pound person can burn approximately 250 calories by doing burpees for 20 minutes. The more intense your burpee sessions, the more calories you’ll burn!
Explore more about 10 Best Exercises to Burn Most Calories in 30 Minutes
You can easily incorporate burpees into high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief rest periods. Studies have shown that this kind of training is effective for burning body fat, particularly in the abdominal area. Additionally, vigorous exercise is linked to a longer, healthier life.
If you’re looking to take your burpee workouts to the next level. There are several ways to increase the difficulty. Here are three effective variations you can try out for a more challenging workout routine.
Targeted Muscles – Arms, chest, core, legs
How to Do It:
Get Quality Equipment: Dumbbells (5 pounds or more, depending on your fitness level)
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Targeted Muscles: Legs, core, arms
How to Do It:
Get Quality Equipment: Plyo box or a Bench
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Targeted Muscles – Core, chest, shoulders, legs
How to Do It:
Get Quality Equipment: Bosu ball (flat side up)
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
If you're finding regular burpees a bit tough at first, don’t worry! You can adjust the exercise to make it more manageable. Here are some simple variations to try if you’re just starting out:
Instead of doing the full burpee with a push-up and jump, begin with a squat thrust.
Here’s how to do it:
If you’re not ready to jump, you can simplify the move even more:
After you come back to the squat position. Just stand up without jumping. This way, you still get the benefits of the exercise without the extra intensity.
If you’re not comfortable doing a full push-up yet, that’s okay. Here’s a way to make it easier:
It's important to practice burpees safely to avoid injuries. Here are some helpful safety tips to keep in mind:
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your workouts to the next level, we have high-quality fitness gear to suit your needs.
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