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legs

Burpees

From standing you drop to a push-up position, do a push-up, jump your feet back in and jump up. A whole-body exercise that gets your heart rate up fast.

intermediatebodyweight

Burpees, start position
START
Burpees, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START1
  1. Find a flat spot with room to lie down and jump.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.

Check: You are standing tall, ready to move.

Drop down

  1. Squat down and put your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
  2. Jump both feet back so you are in a push-up position with a straight body.
  3. Lower your chest to the floor and push back up.

Check: You are back in a straight-body push-up position, hips not sagging, after one push-up.

Jump up

  1. Jump both feet forward to just behind your hands.
  2. Stand up and jump straight up with your arms overhead.
  3. Land softly with bent knees.

Check: You are standing tall again after a soft landing.

That is one rep. Go straight into the next one, or pause to reset if your form slips.

Breathe steadily; breathe out as you push up and as you jump.

MUSCLES WORKED
Burpees: muscles worked, front view
Burpees: muscles worked, back view

chesttricepsdeltsabsglutesquadshamstringscalves

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Hips sagging in the push-up position. Strains the lower back. Fix: Tighten your stomach and buttocks before you jump back.
  • Landing with straight legs. Fix: Bend your knees as you land.
  • Skipping the push-up or doing half of one. Fix: Lower your chest all the way to the floor; drop to your knees for the push-up if needed.
SAFETY2
  • Leave out the jump at the end if you have knee problems; just stand up.
  • Pace yourself; sloppy burpees cause more injuries than hard ones.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: bodyweight squat, push ups

variants: jump squat, plank get ups

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