Burpees: Complete Exercise Guide

Overview

Burpees are the ultimate full-body conditioning exercise, combining a squat, plank, push-up, and explosive jump. They're renowned for their efficiency in burning calories and building cardiovascular fitness.

Difficulty Intermediate
Category Cardio
Equipment None (Bodyweight)
Calories/Min ~12
Tracked by Fitnit Coming Soon

How to Perform Burpees

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
  2. Drop into a squat and place hands on the floor
  3. Jump your feet back into a plank position
  4. Perform a push-up (optional for increased difficulty)
  5. Jump your feet forward to your hands
  6. Explosively jump up with arms overhead

Form Tips

  • Land softly on the balls of your feet when jumping
  • Keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement
  • Maintain a flat back during the plank phase
  • Use a controlled pace until you build stamina
  • Breathe rhythmically with each phase

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Collapsing into the plank instead of maintaining form
  • Not jumping feet far enough back or forward
  • Landing with locked knees on the jump
  • Skipping the push-up and losing the benefit
  • Going too fast and losing form completely

Variations

Half Burpee

beginner

Skip the push-up and jump

Burpee Box Jump

advanced

Jump onto a box at the top

Burpee Pull-Up

advanced

Add a pull-up after the jump

Single-Leg Burpee

advanced

Perform on one leg for balance challenge

Benefits of Burpees

  • Full body conditioning in a single exercise
  • Extremely high calorie burn per minute
  • No equipment required
  • Improves cardiovascular endurance rapidly
  • Builds explosive power and agility

Muscles Worked

Primary Muscles

Full Body

Secondary Muscles

Chest, Quadriceps, Core, Shoulders

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do burpees work?

Burpees primarily target Full Body. Secondary muscles engaged include Chest, Quadriceps, Core, Shoulders. This makes burpees an effective exercise for building strength in multiple muscle groups.

Are burpees suitable for beginners?

Burpees are rated as intermediate-level. Beginners should start with easier variations such as Half Burpee and build up strength before attempting the standard form. Focus on proper technique before adding difficulty.

How many burpees should I do per workout?

For strength building, aim for 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps of burpees. Beginners should start with 2-3 sets of as many reps as they can with good form. For endurance, try higher rep ranges of 15-20 per set. Track your reps and sets to ensure progressive overload.

How many calories do burpees burn?

Burpees burn approximately 12 calories per minute, though this varies based on body weight, intensity, and fitness level. A 10-minute session of burpees can burn roughly 120 calories. For accurate tracking, Fitnit monitors your actual workout intensity and duration.

Related Pages

Jumping Jacks beginner cardio exercise Chicken Breast 165 cal per serving Brown Rice 112 cal per serving Salmon 208 cal per serving Greek Yogurt 59 cal per serving Chest Exercises Pushing movements and arm adduction Shoulders Exercises Arm raising and rotation Quadriceps Exercises Knee extension and hip flexion

Track Your Burpees with AI

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