How to do burpees: form, modifications, and workouts

Quick answer

A burpee moves you from standing to a supported plank and back to standing; a jump and push-up are optional layers, not requirements. Start with your feet at a comfortable width, bend your hips and knees, place your whole hands on a stable surface, step or hop into a firm plank, return your feet under you, and stand. Add the push-up only if you can press without losing trunk control. Add the jump only if you can land quietly and repeatably.

For a beginner workout, use a low-impact step-back burpee for 10–20 seconds, then recover for 40–50 seconds, for 5–8 rounds. Stop the interval when hand position, plank control, foot return, or landing quality changes. Burpees can create a vigorous conditioning stimulus, but speed is a training variable—not the definition of a good repetition.

Key facts

• The burpee combines a floor transition with a plank and a return to standing.
• A step-back modification removes impact while preserving the whole-body sequence.
• A push-up adds horizontal pressing demand but is not required for conditioning.
• A vertical jump adds power and landing demand to the basic movement.
• Prescribed recovery protects repeatable technique as cardiovascular strain rises.

This guide is for generally healthy adults learning an exercise, not for diagnosing pain or prescribing rehabilitation. If you have unexplained symptoms with exercise, a recent operation or injury, clinician-imposed loading restrictions, or a cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, balance, or musculoskeletal condition affected by rapid floor transfers, ask a qualified clinician or exercise professional for an appropriate starting point.

What is a burpee?

There is no single universal burpee standard. The original squat-thrust pattern was a short sequence: squat down, support the body with the hands, move the legs back, bring them forward, and stand. Modern workouts often add a push-up, chest-to-floor contact, a vertical jump, an overhead reach, or a target to touch.

Those versions are related, but they are not interchangeable. Each added task changes the limiting factor:

Version	Included tasks	What usually limits the set
Elevated step-back	Hands to a stable raised surface, step back and in, stand	Coordination and aerobic demand
Floor step-back	Hands to floor, step back and in, stand	Hip range, trunk control, repeated floor transfers
Squat thrust	Hop to plank and back, stand without a jump	Transition speed and plank control
Jump burpee	Squat thrust plus a vertical jump	Repeated impact, power, and breathing
Push-up burpee	Floor transition plus push-up, with or without jump	Pressing strength and technique under fatigue
Chest-to-floor burpee	Torso reaches the floor before returning to stand	Floor transfer efficiency and whole-body work capacity

Define the version before counting repetitions or comparing performances. Ten controlled step-back burpees and ten fast chest-to-floor jump burpees are different doses. Neither is automatically more “real”; the useful version is the one that matches the goal and remains repeatable.

What muscles do burpees work?

A burpee is a sequence rather than one joint action, so its muscular demand changes from phase to phase.

• Quadriceps and gluteal muscles help lower and raise the body and produce the optional jump.
• Calves contribute to takeoff and landing when a jump is included.
• Chest, shoulders, and triceps support the upper body in plank and perform the optional push-up.
• Abdominal and spinal muscles organize the trunk while the legs move between standing and plank.
• Hip flexors and other hip muscles help reposition the legs during the transition.

This wide involvement does not mean burpees maximize strength or muscle growth in every area. The resistance is constrained by body mass, leverage, speed, and fatigue. A set may end because you are out of breath long before the legs or pressing muscles receive enough high-quality tension for a focused strength stimulus.

Use the core strength training guide when trunk strength is the main goal. Use progressive squats, hinges, presses, pulls, and carries when whole-body strength is the priority. Burpees are usually best understood as a conditioning movement with strength-endurance and optional power components.

What benefits does the evidence support?

Burpees can raise oxygen use and heart rate quickly because they recruit substantial muscle mass and repeatedly move the body between the floor and standing. In a laboratory comparison involving 10 resistance-trained young men, three sets of 10 burpees produced a higher average oxygen uptake than the tested moderate-load squat, deadlift, and lunge protocols. That result describes an acute session in a small, specific sample; it does not establish that burpees are superior to resistance training for strength or long-term health (Ratamess et al., 2015).

Another acute study compared repeated modified burpees with sprint intervals on a cycle ergometer in 11 moderately trained young adults. Both produced vigorous cardiorespiratory and perceived-effort responses. Again, this supports burpees as an equipment-free way to create intensity, not as proof that every burpee workout reproduces cycling adaptations (Gist et al., 2014).

Training studies provide useful but limited context:

• A six-week randomized trial in 19 inactive young adults used an 11-minute bodyweight session containing burpees, high knees, and squat jumps. Peak oxygen uptake improved in the training group, but the study cannot isolate the contribution of burpees from the rest of the program (Archila et al., 2021).
• A four-week study in 22 recreationally active young women rotated burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and squat thrusts in very short intervals. Aerobic fitness and several muscular-endurance tests improved, but each exercise was only one part of the intervention (McRae et al., 2012).
• A 2022 meta-analysis found that whole-body high-intensity interval training can improve cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal fitness compared with no exercise. The category included many protocols, so it should not be reduced to a claim about one movement (Batrakoulis et al., 2022).

The defensible conclusion is modest: burpees can be one effective ingredient in a conditioning program. They are not mandatory, and no evidence shows that adding more daily repetitions automatically produces more benefit.

How to do a burpee step by step

Learn the sequence at a conversational pace before turning it into an interval. Film a few repetitions from the side if that helps you see whether the same movement is still present as fatigue rises.

1. Set up the space

Use a flat, non-slip surface with enough room for your full body. Move loose objects away. Athletic shoes are optional when the floor and your experience make barefoot training appropriate, but avoid socks on a slippery surface.

Stand with the feet around hip-to-shoulder width. A slightly wider stance often gives the feet more room to return beside the hands. There is no required toe angle for everyone.

2. Reach the support by bending hips and knees

Lower toward the floor by sharing the motion between hips and knees. Place the whole palm down rather than balancing on the fingertips. Your heels may lift during this transition; the goal is a controlled route to hand support, not forcing a perfect deep squat position.

If the floor is too far away to reach without collapsing or discomfort, place both hands on a stable box, bench, or countertop. Raising the hands shortens the range and reduces the fraction of body weight supported by the upper body.

3. Step or hop into plank

For the lowest-impact option, move one foot back and then the other. For a faster version, hop both feet back together and land with the legs extended. In either case, finish with hands under or slightly ahead of the shoulders and the feet far enough back that the body forms one organized line.

Do not chase a perfectly rigid visual. Aim to avoid an abrupt hip drop or a position that loads the lower back uncomfortably. Exhale through the transition rather than holding your breath for the whole repetition.

4. Own the plank before adding a push-up

Pause briefly enough to know where you are. Press the floor away, keep the shoulders supported, and maintain a trunk position you could hold for another second. If the hips sag or the shoulders shift far behind the hands, slow down, elevate the hands, or step instead of hopping.

A burpee does not need a push-up. If you include one, lower the chest with the body controlled as a unit and press back to the same plank. Removing the push-up is a precise modification when pressing strength—not conditioning—is ending the set.

5. Bring the feet forward

Step the feet toward the hands one at a time, or hop them forward together. Try to land with enough of each foot supported to stand without rocking. Your feet may finish outside your hands. Forcing them into a narrow target can make the transition harder for people with different limb lengths or hip ranges.

When the forward hop becomes noisy, cramped, or inconsistent, return to the step-in version. You still train the floor-to-stand pattern and can move briskly without turning each repetition into a mobility test.

6. Stand, then choose whether to jump

Drive through the feet and extend the hips and knees to stand. That completes a basic repetition. For a jump burpee, leave the floor only after you have regained a balanced base. Use a small, purposeful jump rather than pulling the knees toward the chest.

Land through the forefoot and heel with hips and knees sharing the force, then stabilize before the next descent. The plyometric exercise guide explains why repeatable landings and low initial volume matter more than exhaustion when power is the goal.

Choose the right burpee modification

Scaling is not a consolation prize. It lets you keep the intended training signal while removing a task that currently creates excessive impact, range, speed, or upper-body demand.

If this is the barrier	Use this version	What changes
The floor is too far away	Elevated burpee with hands on a stable 12–24 in (30–60 cm) surface	Shorter range and lower upper-body load
Hopping jars the joints or disrupts control	Step back and step in	Removes the ballistic floor transition
Jump landings are not repeatable	Stand tall or rise onto the toes	Removes impact while keeping the return to standing
The push-up fails first	Plank-only burpee	Preserves conditioning without repeated pressing
Rapid level changes cause lightheadedness	Slower elevated step-back or another exercise	Reduces transition speed; symptoms still require attention
Wrist extension is uncomfortable	Higher support or neutral-grip handles that cannot move	Changes wrist angle and reduces load; pain is not a cue to push through
Technique changes under fatigue	Slow six-count burpee with a pause in plank	Separates the sequence into controllable positions

Change one layer at a time. For example, progress the hand support from a countertop to a sturdy bench before adding a hop. Or keep the elevated support and add slightly faster stepping. If you change height, speed, impact, push-up depth, jump height, interval length, and rest together, you cannot tell which dose caused the problem.

A four-level burpee progression

The following progression is a skill ladder, not a compulsory path to the hardest version.

Level 1: elevated step-back

Place your hands on a stable raised surface, step to plank, step forward, and stand. Practice 3–5 repetitions, rest until breathing settles, and repeat for 2–3 sets. Stay here until the support does not slide and both sides move with similar control.

Level 2: floor step-back

Use the floor but retain the step back and step in. Start with 3 repetitions at a time. Gradually build to 6–8 without rushing the hand placement or foot return.

Level 3: hop-back squat thrust

Hop to plank and forward, then stand without a jump or push-up. Begin with isolated repetitions separated by a breath. Progress to short 10–15 second intervals only when the plank and return position remain consistent.

Level 4: choose one added demand

Add either a controlled push-up or a modest vertical jump. Train that version before combining both. A chest-to-floor jump burpee is useful for some sport or workout standards, but it is not the endpoint everyone needs.

Advance when you can repeat the current level without pain, breath-holding, loss of balance, abrupt trunk collapse, or worsening landings. Regress within a workout when quality changes. That is load management, not failure.

Three burpee workouts with clear purposes

Warm up for 5–8 minutes with easy walking or cycling, comfortable squats to a chair, shoulder circles, a few elevated planks, and rehearsal repetitions of your selected burpee. The work interval should challenge you while leaving the last repetition recognizable.

Workout 1: technique practice

Goal: learn the sequence without cardiovascular pressure.

• Every minute for 6 minutes, perform 3–5 elevated or floor step-back burpees.
• Use the rest of each minute to walk and breathe.
• Keep effort around 4–6 out of 10.
• End the set if one phase becomes rushed or painful.

The generous recovery turns each minute into another practice opportunity. A 2025 crossover study of trained adults found lower heart rate, oxygen uptake, lactate, and perceived effort in a mixed functional workout with prescribed minute structure than in the same-volume rounds-for-time condition. The workout was not burpee-only, but it demonstrates that rest structure materially changes the dose (Smith et al., 2025).

Workout 2: beginner conditioning intervals

Goal: build repeatable whole-body work capacity.

• Perform step-back or squat-thrust burpees for 15–20 seconds.
• Recover by walking for 40–45 seconds.
• Repeat for 6–8 rounds.
• Target an overall effort of 6–7 out of 10, not an all-out pace.

Use the talk test during recovery. Moderate effort permits conversation; vigorous effort limits you to a few words before a breath (CDC). The rate of perceived exertion guide offers another way to keep intensity personal rather than chasing somebody else’s repetition count.

Workout 3: mixed low-skill circuit

Goal: distribute the work instead of making burpees the entire session.

Complete 2–4 rounds at a sustainable pace:

1. 4–6 controlled burpees;
2. 8–12 bodyweight squats to a chair or comfortable depth;
3. 20–30 seconds of easy running in place or marching;
4. 20–30 seconds of side plank or dead bug;
5. 60–90 seconds of walking recovery.

Choose versions you already know. Do not use a mixed circuit to learn a maximal jump, deep push-up, or unfamiliar technical lift under fatigue. For more detail on work-rest ratios and session design, use the metabolic conditioning workout guide.

How often should you do burpees?

Start with one or two sessions per week, separated by at least a day, especially when you include jumps or push-ups. Count the total stress from the whole week: running intervals, jumping, pressing, and hard circuits may load the same tissues even when the exercise names differ.

Progress only one variable for the next week:

• add one round;
• add 2–5 seconds of work;
• remove 5 seconds of recovery;
• lower the hand support slightly;
• move from stepping to hopping;
• add a push-up; or
• add a small jump.

Do not progress all seven. A daily challenge built around 50 or 100 repetitions may be a test of tolerance, but it is not automatically a balanced program. Burpees contain no meaningful pulling task, provide limited progressive resistance for the legs, and cannot replace easier aerobic volume, dedicated strength work, balance, or recovery.

How burpees fit a complete fitness plan

The US Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults accumulate 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent combination each week, plus muscle-strengthening activity for all major muscle groups on at least two days (HHS). Burpee intervals can contribute to vigorous activity when they actually reach that relative intensity. They do not automatically satisfy the full strength recommendation.

A durable week still needs a broader exercise plan for longevity: progressive strength, mostly manageable aerobic work, some higher intensity when appropriate, movement variety, and enough recovery to adapt. Burpees are one tool inside that plan.

That distinction matters for healthy aging. The useful target is not preserving one impressive workout score. It is maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, power, coordination, and the capacity to get down to and up from the floor across years. An elevated or step-back burpee may train that sequence more effectively for one person than a fast chest-to-floor version that cannot be controlled.

Track the dose instead of chasing a record

Record the burpee version, work and recovery time, rounds, and perceived effort. Then look at the next 24–48 hours: unusual soreness, sleep disruption, declining performance, or persistent fatigue can show that the total dose exceeded what you currently recover from.

SuperAge can keep training, activity, resting heart rate, sleep, HRV, and longer-term health trends in one view. It cannot judge burpee technique, diagnose pain, or declare one workout safe. Use the data to compare patterns—such as whether the same six-round session feels easier over several weeks—rather than treating one heart-rate peak or calorie estimate as a verdict.

Common burpee mistakes

Treating speed as the only score

Fast repetitions may be appropriate for a test or sport standard, but speed changes the mechanical and cardiovascular dose. First define the version and quality standard. Then increase speed only while both remain intact.

Adding the push-up before you can support plank

If each push-up becomes a wave through the trunk, separate pressing strength from conditioning. Use plank-only burpees and train push-ups independently with a suitable incline.

Jumping the feet into a space they cannot reach

Long limbs, hip range, fatigue, and stance width affect where the feet land. Step in, widen the feet, or raise the hands instead of repeatedly forcing a cramped position.

Letting every landing start the next repetition

A rebound can hide a landing you did not control. Briefly own the standing position, particularly while learning or when the jump is meant to train power rather than exhaustion.

Programming burpees after every hard session

Burpees still add load to wrists, shoulders, trunk, knees, ankles, and the cardiorespiratory system. More conditioning is not free because it uses body weight. Use the recovery between workouts guide when hard days begin to stack up.

Using calorie estimates as proof of effectiveness

Energy expenditure varies with body size, version, pace, work-rest structure, and measurement method. A watch estimate cannot tell you whether the movement quality or weekly program is appropriate. Consistency and progressive, recoverable work matter more than a precise-looking number.

When to stop or choose another exercise

Stop the set for sharp or escalating joint pain, loss of balance, an inability to support the upper body, or technique that does not return after a longer rest. Stop exercising and seek urgent assessment for chest pressure, fainting, severe or unusual shortness of breath, or sudden neurological symptoms.

Rapid floor-to-stand transitions can provoke lightheadedness in some people. Slow the transition and hold a stable support, but do not normalize recurrent dizziness. Wrist, shoulder, knee, ankle, or back symptoms may require a different hand height, no jump, no push-up, shorter range, or a different exercise entirely.

The American College of Sports Medicine advises establishing foundational fitness and appropriate exercise form before regular high-intensity interval training, and scaling work intervals to an individually challenging level rather than matching another person (ACSM). A modified burpee that you can repeat is more useful than a standard that repeatedly causes symptoms.

Key takeaways

• A basic burpee is a standing-to-plank-to-standing sequence; push-ups and jumps are optional.
• Learn the positions slowly before adding interval speed.
• Elevate the hands, step the feet, remove the push-up, or omit the jump to match the current goal.
• Burpees can create vigorous conditioning, but small studies do not prove they replace dedicated strength or aerobic training.
• Use prescribed recovery and stop a set when movement quality changes.
• Progress one variable at a time and account for all jumping, pressing, and high-intensity work in the week.
• Track the version and dose, not only repetitions or calories.

FAQ

Do you have to do a push-up in a burpee?

No. A squat-thrust or plank-only burpee keeps the floor transition and conditioning demand without a push-up. Add pressing only when it serves your goal and remains controlled.

Do you have to jump at the top?

No. Standing tall completes a useful low-impact repetition. A calf raise can add intent without leaving the floor. Add a jump when you want a power or higher-impact component and can land repeatably.

Are burpees cardio or strength training?

They are usually a conditioning exercise with strength-endurance demands. Fast repeated sets can become vigorous aerobic work, while the plank and optional push-up load the upper body. They rarely provide the progressive resistance and complete movement balance of a dedicated strength program.

How many burpees should a beginner do?

Begin with 3–5 controlled repetitions or 10–20 seconds of a modified version, followed by generous recovery. Accumulate 5–8 short rounds only if form stays consistent. There is no universal minimum or daily target.

Are burpees bad for your knees or back?

They are not inherently bad, but the jump, landing, floor range, speed, and fatigue may exceed an individual’s current capacity. Step instead of hopping, elevate the hands, remove the jump, or select another movement when symptoms or control demand it.

Can burpees build muscle?

They can challenge muscular endurance, especially in people new to the movement, but they are difficult to load progressively and breathing may end the set first. Use dedicated resistance exercises when muscle growth is the primary goal.

Do burpees burn belly fat?

No exercise selectively removes abdominal fat. Burpees expend energy and can contribute to an active routine, but body-fat change depends on the longer-term balance of activity, nutrition, recovery, and individual factors.

Can older adults do burpees?

Age alone does not define the correct version. Floor-transfer ability, balance, joint tolerance, strength, fitness, health conditions, and training history matter. An elevated step-back burpee without a jump may be appropriate; some people need a different exercise or individualized guidance.

Build a repeatable conditioning habit

Choose the easiest version that still creates the intended challenge, write down the work-rest dose, and repeat it long enough to see a trend. Download SuperAge to review activity, fitness, sleep, HRV, and biological-age signals together while the actual technique decisions stay in your hands.

References

1. US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measuring physical activity intensity.
3. American College of Sports Medicine. High-intensity interval training.
4. Ratamess NA, et al. Comparison of the acute metabolic responses to traditional resistance, body-weight, and battling rope exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2015.
5. Gist NH, Freese EC, Cureton KJ. Comparison of responses to two high-intensity intermittent exercise protocols. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2014.
6. Archila LR, et al. Simple bodyweight training improves cardiorespiratory fitness with minimal time commitment. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2021.
7. McRae G, et al. Extremely low volume, whole-body aerobic-resistance training improves aerobic fitness and muscular endurance in females. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2012.
8. Batrakoulis A, et al. Effectiveness of whole-body high-intensity interval training on health-related fitness. Sports Medicine - Open. 2022.
9. Moura BP, et al. Psychophysiological responses of exercise distribution during high-intensity interval training using whole-body exercise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022.
10. Smith LE, Bellissimo GF, Amorim FT. Physiological responses to volume-matched high-intensity functional training protocols with varied time domains. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 2025.
11. Dominski FH, et al. Injuries in functional fitness: an updated systematic review. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2022.