Burpee

These notes combine advice from 52 reviewed passages across 38 workouts.

Overview

Burpees are used as high-conditioning work intended to challenge endurance and breathing. The movement travels from standing into a floor-supported phase and back to standing, while variations may add a push-up, hold, or jump. [20] [21] [41] [42]

Control matters throughout the movement. Quiet foot contact and a controlled descent show greater command of the repetition, while high-speed testing can make form deteriorate and signal the need for a harder variation. [3] [5] [30] [31]

Core technique

Lower under control and use the lower abdominal area to manage the descent. Avoid a heavy heel strike, aim to land toward the front of the foot, and reduce the sound of both the descent and foot placement as much as possible. [5] [30] [31]

Choose a repetition target that allows correct form. A push-up burpee requires a push-up within every repetition, and merely bending down and standing up does not count as a properly formed burpee. [8] [20] [43]

When a jumping version follows the push-up, rise and jump as high as possible. The standing position can also provide a brief rest point when the format allows a pause between repetitions. [7] [42]

Testing and progression

Compare burpee performance with the other movements in a test. Burpees that remain weak while push-ups improve can indicate a need for more stamina work, while weak push-ups alongside improving burpees can direct attention toward arm strength. [1]

A maximum test should aim for maximal effort. Effort and rest can still be distributed strategically between exercises when the test format permits it. [2]

Burpees placed near the end of a multi-exercise test challenge stamina more than burpees performed first. This placement was used to create a more demanding measure of performance. [4]

When repetition speed begins to damage form, progress from a regular burpee to a harder version such as a push-up burpee. This keeps the test challenging without relying only on faster repetitions. [3]

Finish the full test even when only one final repetition can be recorded. Completing it preserves a result and can have psychological value. [6]

Workout placement

Account for upper-body overlap when arranging a circuit. Burpees, push-ups, planks, and Tate presses all use the arms, and placing push-ups directly after burpees or combining them at high volume makes the station especially demanding. A jackknife after push-ups can give the arms a relative break. [23] [24] [25]

Burpee variations

Keep one foot in the air throughout a single-leg burpee. This version creates a different demand from a regular burpee. Begin with ten repetitions per leg and rest before changing legs, then progress to switching legs without rest. [15] [16] [17]

For an elevated-foot burpee, place the feet on a chair during every repetition. This is treated as a harder variation. [22]

In the candle-based reverse burpee, lower into a candle position, hold the knees from the outside, and pull them firmly inward. Keep the legs elevated, exhale, use the hands to assist the rise, and complete the jump. [9] [10] [11] [13]

A separate reverse-burpee version uses a slow descent without placing the hands on the floor. Hold the jackknife for two seconds, pull the knees inward, and rise; this version does not require a jump. [27]

For the hand-foot-leg variation, place the hand where the foot was, then raise a leg after standing. When the version is trained for flow, land from the jump and move immediately into the next descent without a standing pause. [12] [18] [19]

A strong knee tuck is used to add an athletic and explosive demand. In the staged twelve-repetition version, complete the first five repetitions individually, then add the continuous jumping action after the push-up once the wrists have been warmed by the earlier repetitions. [14] [32]

Keep the inward-tuck drill distinct from a burpee. Leave both hands on the floor, draw both legs in together, hold for one second, and return without standing. [26]

Combinations

The squat-jump and burpee combination uses a descent followed by a small jump and then a large jump. [28]

One complex arm sequence uses a push-up, both arms forward and backward, another push-up, standing, and a knee tuck. Related second-push-up cues include extending, pulling, lifting, and then bringing the arms forward. [33] [34] [35]

Treat the burpee lunge as a two-part combination. Step backward lightly, keep the torso upright, and stay roughly in place instead of traveling far forward. [36] [37] [38]

Health and safety claims

Sources

1. 2024-01-18, 3313.9-3344.6s

Workout: workout:2024-01-18

Passage: passage:2024-01-18:001172-001185

2. 2024-01-29, 177.5-192.0s

Workout: workout:2024-01-29

Passage: passage:2024-01-29:000067-000074

3. 2024-01-29, 1853.0-1878.7s

Workout: workout:2024-01-29

Passage: passage:2024-01-29:000631-000639

4. 2024-01-29, 3097.1-3124.5s

Workout: workout:2024-01-29

Passage: passage:2024-01-29:001060-001069

5. 2024-02-05, 5875.9-5908.2s

Workout: workout:2024-02-05

Passage: passage:2024-02-05:002364-002374

6. 2024-03-12, 2748.5-2759.6s

Workout: workout:2024-03-12

Passage: passage:2024-03-12:000993-001001

7. 2024-06-06, 3173.2-3193.1s

Workout: workout:2024-06-06

Passage: passage:2024-06-06:000968-000975

8. 2024-06-27, 4561.6-4567.1s

Workout: workout:2024-06-27

Passage: passage:2024-06-27:001670-001672

9. 2024-09-17, 636.3-670.4s