The burpee combines a push-up and a squat jump into one continuous movement. It's the highest-calorie-burning bodyweight exercise and one of the best conditioning tools for training without equipment.
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Form Guide
Step-by-step: Burpee
1Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart.
2Squat down and place hands on the floor directly below your shoulders.
3Jump or step both feet back to a push-up position. Maintain a rigid body line.
4Perform a full push-up (chest to floor). Or lower without the push-up for a modified version.
5Jump or step feet forward to hands, then jump up with arms overhead and full extension.
Common Mistakes
What most people get wrong
Sagging hips during the push-up phase: same core rules as a regular push-up.
Not fully extending the jump: short-changing the hip extension reduces the conditioning stimulus.
Going too fast before the form breaks down: build the capacity before chasing speed.
Programming
How to program the Burpee
Use in HIIT circuits: 10 burpees on the minute, or AMRAP in 10 minutes. Not ideal for strength work — best suited to conditioning blocks. Beginners: no push-up burpees with a step (instead of jump) to reduce impact.