How to Do Burpees (And Why You Should)

Oh, burpee, you have certainly earned your reputation. The burpee exercise is one of the most efficient (and dreaded) bodyweight moves in fitness. You don't need a single piece of equipment, you can do it anywhere, and just a handful of reps will send your heart rate through the roof. Basic burpees combine a squat, plank, push-up, and explosive jump into one fluid movement that trains strength, power, and cardio all at once, with variations that can make it a bit easier, or harder, if you're a glutton for punishment.

Here's how to do burpees right, why they work, and a few alternatives for scaling them up or down as your fitness level or mood determines.

How to Do a Burpee with Proper Form

Correct technique is crucial because a sloppy burpee is a fast track to a tweaked wrist or cranky lower back (ask me how I know), so start slow and focus on each phase. Grab a yoga mat or exercise mat if you want some cushion, find a little floor space, and go.

How to do it:

• Stand tall. Feet about hip-width apart, arms at your sides, core braced.
• Drop into a squat. Bend your knees, push your hips back, and place your hands flat on the floor just in front of your feet.
• Jump to plank. Kick or step your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Keep your hips level and your core tight.
• Push-up. Lower your chest toward the floor with elbows at about 45 degrees, then press back up to plank. (Beginners can skip the push-up until they build strength.)
• Hop feet forward. Jump or step your feet back up toward your hands, landing in a low squat with your chest proud.
• Jump up. Explode off the floor, reaching your arms overhead. Land soft with a slight knee bend, reset, and go again.
  

Pro tip: Quality over speed, always. If your lower back starts to sag during the plank or your landing gets sloppy, slow down or rest between reps. 

Burpee Muscles Worked

The burpee exercise is a true full body move.

Jump and squat: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves

Push-up: Chest, shoulders, triceps

Stabilization: Core

It taps your quads, glutes, and hamstrings to power the squat and jump, chest, shoulders, and triceps for the push-up, your core to keep your spine stable, and your calves get in on the action during the explosive jump.

All this action is why burpees are so effective. Training multiple muscle groups in a single movement builds better coordination and explosive power that carries over to sports and everyday life.

Benefits of Burpees

With perfect form and consistent practice, the burpee delivers a pile of benefits that make it worth the suffering.

Burns Massive Calories 

Burpees torch more calories per minute than other common bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups, so they're a top pick for time efficient moves you can do for fat loss and conditioning. Yes, scientists actually tested this with 7 exercises. Here's how it played out:

Approximate calorie burn per minute (30-45 second bouts):

• Burpees: ~32-41 kcal/min
• Jumping jacks: ~23 kcal/min
• Push-Ups: ~22-25 kcal/min
• Squats: ~20-23 kcal/min
• Single-leg squats: ~20-21 kcal/min
• Forward lunges: ~19-22 kcal/min
• Plank: ~11-13 kcal/min
  

Better Cardio Fitness

Short burpee-based interval programs (we're talking minutes, not hours) improved VO₂max by roughly 8-13% in inactive adults over 12 weeks. That's a legit bump in cardiovascular fitness from a move you can do in your living room with zero equipment.

Strength and Power Gains

Doing burpees is linked to having a stronger bench press and squat. Also, doing just a small volume of burpee interval training in your program could improve your vertical jump height more than doing spring running intervals. So yeah, they build real, transferable power.

Mental Health Perks

Despite their reputation, some research has shown that burpee based programs improve stress, anxiety, depression, and overall quality of life, though that's likely a side effect of exercising in general, rather than just doing burpees. 

Burpee Alternatives and Variations

If you're a beginner and want to tone down the effort and impact, or a veteran who wants to make burpees even nastier, these variations have you covered.

Half Burpee (Beginner-Friendly)

Skip the push-up and the jump. Squat down, step or hop back to plank, step or hop forward, and stand up. This is a solid starting point for beginners building coordination and conditioning without the high impact.

Box Jump Burpee

Replace the vertical jump with an explosive box jump onto a plyo box. This adds serious lower-body power demand and is a great progression once your regular burpee form is locked in. Step down off the box between reps to save your joints.

Jump Squat Burpee

Swap the standard jump for a full jump squat at the top. You'll get a deeper squat and a bigger explosion, which makes this one a little more quad-heavy and a lot more tiring.

Weighted Burpee

Strap on a weight vest or hold a pair of dumbbells for added resistance. Hex dumbbells work best so they stay put during the push-up. Start lighter than you think.

Kettlebell Burpee

Use kettlebells as your hand placement during the push-up, then clean or snatch them as you stand. The offset weight adds a grip and stability challenge.

Devil's Press

The devil's press combines a burpee with a double dumbbell snatch for a truly brutal full-body conditioning move. Drop into a push-up on the dumbbells, pop back up, and swing both dumbbells overhead in one arc. It's a favorite in functional fitness gyms, WODs, and Navy SEAL style workouts for good reason.

Programming Tips for Burpees

How you program burpees depends on what you're chasing. Because they're so demanding, form should always come before volume no matter your goal.

Conditioning and fat loss: 3-5 rounds of 8-12 reps with 60-90 seconds rest. Move with purpose and keep your form clean.

Power and explosiveness: 4-6 sets of 3-5 reps with 2-3 minutes rest. Focus on speed, explosiveness off the floor, and snap for every single rep.

EMOM finisher: Every minute on the minute, do 5 burpees for 8-10 minutes. Rest with whatever time is left. This one's a crowd favorite (or crowd villain, depending on your perspective).

Takeaway

Burpees are a classic bodyweight power move that'll have you dripping sweat and building all kinds of fitness without a single piece of equipment. Be sure to nail proper technique and use a pace you can handle before you go full send. Once you've got the form down, mix in variations like box jump burpees or a weighted vest to keep things spicy.

FAQs

How many burpees should I do?

If you're new, start with 3 sets of 5 reps and focus on form. Once you're comfortable, work up to 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps. For conditioning, EMOM-style programming (5 reps every minute for 8-10 minutes) is a solid benchmark to aim for.

How many calories do burpees burn?

Burpees burn around 32-41 calories per minute during short work bouts, which is higher than most other bodyweight exercises. Your actual calorie burn will depend on your bodyweight, effort, and rest intervals.

Are burpees good for beginners?

Beginners can absolutely do burpees, but you might want to start with a half burpee (no push-up, no jump) to learn the movement pattern, and progress to the full version once your form and conditioning catch up. Take your time with each phase and don't rush.

Can I do burpees every day?

You can, but scale volume on heavy training days. Burpees are demanding on your joints and muscles, so listen to your body. A couple of sessions a week that include burpees is probably enough.