Burpee
Also known as: burpee exercise
A burpee is four movements timed back to back, and the one that quietly wrecks people is the uncontrolled drop into the plank position.
How to do Burpee
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees and placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Kick your feet back into a push-up position.
- Perform a push-up, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Jump your feet back into the squat position.
- Jump up explosively, reaching your arms overhead.
Burpee Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
Not a strength lift. The closest useful version is 5 sets of 5 explosive reps with 2 minutes rest, treating every jump as maximal height.
Hypertrophy
Burpees will not add size. Use 4 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds rest as a finisher and get growth work from loaded lifts.
Endurance
8-10 rounds of 30 seconds work and 30 seconds rest, or 100 reps for time, keeping the push-up honest as the pace falls off.
Common Burpee Mistakes
Letting the hips slam to the floor on the way down so the lower back snaps into extension.
Kick the feet back under control and land in a firm plank with the glutes squeezed, then lower the chest as a separate movement.
Quietly dropping the push-up and the overhead jump as fatigue builds, so the reps shrink without you noticing.
Slow the pace and keep every rep complete. Eight full burpees beat twenty half ones for both conditioning and honesty.
Landing the jump with locked knees and flat feet.
Land on the balls of the feet and let the knees and hips bend to absorb the impact before starting the next rep.
Easier and Harder Than Burpee
Swap Burpee For
Burpee — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Burpee?
Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees and placing your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back into a push-up position. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Burpee work?
The Burpee primarily targets the cardiovascular system. It is classified as a cardio exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Burpee should I do?
For muscle growth: burpees will not add size. Use 4 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds rest as a finisher and get growth work from loaded lifts. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Burpee good for beginners?
Not usually. The Burpee is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier cardio progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Burpee?
Try the Jump Rope, Stationary Bike Run or the Walking On Stepmill. Each trains the cardiovascular system with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Burpee the same as the burpee exercise?
Yes. The Burpee is also commonly called the burpee exercise. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "burpee exercise" refer to this same movement.
