Burpee
Bodyweight, quadriceps, glutes and chest
The burpee joins a squat, a plank and a jump into one move. It raises the heart rate fast and works the legs, chest, shoulders and trunk together. It suits anyone who wants hard conditioning with no equipment, and it scales down easily by stepping instead of jumping.
Setting up
- Stand tall with the feet about hip width apart and the arms at the sides.
- Clear a space about the length of your body in front of you.
- Start with slow reps, stepping the feet back and in, until the pattern feels smooth.
How to do a burpee
- Bend the knees and hips and place the hands flat on the floor just in front of the feet.
- Jump or step both feet back so you land in a straight arm plank, body in one line from head to heels.
- Hold the plank firm for a moment, hands under the shoulders and the belly braced.
- Jump or step the feet back in close to the hands.
- Stand up and jump straight up, reaching the arms overhead.
- Land softly and go straight into the next rep.
Breathing. Breathe out as you kick the feet back and again as you jump, and breathe in as you bring the feet in.
Muscles worked
- Mainly
- Quadriceps, glutes and chest
- Also
- Triceps, front delts, abdominals and calves
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging in the plank. That bends the lower back as the feet land, so brace the belly and squeeze the glutes as they hit the floor.
- Rounding the back to reach the floor. Bend the knees and sit the hips down instead, so the hands reach the floor with the chest up.
- Landing stiff legged from the jump. Soft knees absorb the landing, so land on the balls of the feet and sink straight into the next squat.
- Rushing until the reps get sloppy. Speed only counts while every rep looks the same, so slow down or step instead of jumping when the plank starts to sag.
Easier and harder
- Easier
- Half Burpee
- Harder
- Burpee Box Jump
Guide
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