Muscles worked
The burpee is a full-body exercise used mostly for conditioning. Your legs and glutes work as you drop down, jump your feet in and jump up, with your calves helping in the jump. Your chest, the front of your shoulders and your triceps do the push-up, and your trunk keeps your body straight in the plank. Your heart rate climbs fast, which is why the exercise is common in interval sessions. The only resistance is your bodyweight, so for someone who is already strong, burpees build more fitness and endurance than strength.
Common mistakes
- Landing hard. That goes for both jumping back and landing after the jump. Land softly and quietly with your knees slightly bent, so your legs absorb it.
- Rounding your back as your hands go down. If you fold over with straight legs to reach the floor, your back takes much of the movement. Bend your knees and put your hands on the floor just in front of your feet, as in a deep squat.
- Starting too fast. Go out too hard and the rest of the session gets sloppy. Find a pace you can hold for the whole interval. When the push-up or the jumps start to fall apart, it is time to rest or switch to an easier version.
Variations and alternatives
- The half burpee skips the push-up and the jump and suits you if you are new.
- Mountain climbers keep your heart rate up in the plank, without the jump.
- The devil press is a heavier version with dumbbells, where you swing them overhead instead of the jump.
Sets and reps
Burpees are usually done as intervals or as sets with a fixed number of reps. A common approach is 20 to 40 seconds of work followed by the same or a longer rest, 4 to 8 times. You can also do 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 15 reps, resting until your breathing settles. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.
Measure something you can compare, such as the number of reps in the same time, and try to beat it next time. You can also add rounds or cut the rest, but change only one thing at a time. That is progressive overload, even without weights. If your knees, shoulders or wrists hurt, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.