Cardio · Cardio
Burpees
How to do burpees correctly: the steps of the movement, no-jump and no-push-up versions for beginners, common mistakes and how to use them in interval workouts.
| Focus | Cardio · chest, shoulders, quads, glutes, abs |
| Movement | High-impact cardio |
| Equipment | Bodyweight |
| Suggested sets | 3 × 10 |
| Estimated time | ≈ 6 min |
| Joints loaded |
The burpee combines a squat, a plank, a push-up and a jump in one movement. It works almost the whole body and raises your heart rate very quickly, which is why it is one of the most popular exercises for interval workouts when there is no equipment.
What it works
It is a conditioning exercise: it improves cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. The legs and glutes (squatting and jumping), the chest, shoulders and triceps (push-up) and the abs (plank) all work.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
- Jump your feet back into a plank, body straight.
- Do a push-up (optional).
- Jump your feet back toward your hands.
- Jump up with your arms overhead and land softly to start the next rep.
Beginner versions
- No final jump: just stand up.
- No push-up.
- Step-back: step your feet back and forward one at a time instead of jumping. This is the no-impact version.
How to use them
- Intervals: 20–30 seconds of burpees and 30–40 seconds of rest, 6 to 10 rounds.
- By reps: 5 to 10 reps at the end of a strength session.
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips in the plank, which loads the lower back.
- Landing stiff-legged after the jump.
- Speed over form: as you tire, technique breaks down quickly.
Precautions
They load the wrist, shoulder, knee and ankle, with impact. If you have an injury in any of those joints, intervals on the stationary bike are a high-intensity, no-impact alternative.
Alternatives with less joint load
They train the same muscle group. Highlighted joints are also loaded by the exercise on this page.
- Stationary bike · Low-impact cardio
- Recumbent bike · Low-impact cardio
- Elliptical · Low-impact cardio
- Incline treadmill walk · Low-impact cardio
- Stair climber · Low-impact cardio
Log your sets for this exercise and see your progress month by month.
Start for freeIf you have an injury, pain or a medical condition, check with a professional before doing this exercise.