How to do a Burpee
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Burpee
Instructions for Proper Form
Burpees are a complex series of movements that target many different muscle groups throughout the body. It’s a great exercise for getting a little bit of everything all at the same time, and can be easily adapted for your unique needs. Burpees are an incredibly versatile and effective exercise that can fit into just about any workout.
- Place your feet shoulder width apart with your arms at your sides.
- Hinge at your hips to descend into a squat until you’re able to place your hands on the ground just outside of your feet.
- Support your weight through your arms in order to jump both of your legs backward to extend your hips and knees.
- Maintaining a straight line from your heels to your shoulders, flex your elbows to descend into a push up.
- Extend your elbows to raise your chest back up before jumping your feet back underneath you.
- Explode to an upright position in order to jump off of the ground and absorb the landing.
Common Form Mistakes
Focusing Only on Exertion
Burpees are a complex series of movements that target many different muscle groups. Make sure you understand each piece of the burpee and focus on executing each with good form before focusing on exertion.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Burpee standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner3sets8reps1 Set Max9reps
- intermediate4sets8reps10reps
- advanced4sets9reps11reps
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Alternative Exercises to Burpee
1. Leg Extension
99.4 mSCORESWAPPED 28,988 TIMESLeg Extensions are an isolation exercise that target the quads. Due to a severe lack of isolation movements for the lower body, this is a great option for specifically targeting your quadriceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds some stability to the movement. This can help your focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. The downside to this exercise is that it places a lot of tension on your knee. Keep your weights light, and focus on pausing near the end of your range of motion.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Extension Machine
2. Leg Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 24,450 TIMESLeg Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The exercise itself is fairly similar to a standard squat, with some key differences. The biggest of these differences is the added stability from supporting your back on the Leg Press Machine. The end result of these changes is a more stable movement that further emphasizes your quadriceps. Leg Press is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass or strength in their quads.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Press
3. Dumbbell Squat
94.1 mSCORESWAPPED 23,177 TIMESDumbbell Squat is a variation of the more standard Squat. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The advantage of using dumbbells rather than a barbell is that you have more freedom in your range of motion which can make this a more accessible variation for anyone with mobility limitations. With that freedom comes a bit more instability with this exercise though, which can help you further improve your squat for, and build the strength needed for heavier, or more complex variations.
4. Dumbbell Lunge
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 21,653 TIMESDumbbell Lunge is a variation on the more standard Lunge. Similar to other Lunge variations, Dumbbell Lunge is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads. The exercise itself is the same as a standard lunge except for the added weight from holding dumbbells in each hand. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their lunges a bit more challenging without adding more complexity to the movement.
5. Dumbbell Squat To Shoulder Press
98.1 mSCORESWAPPED 14,717 TIMESDumbbell Squat to Shoulder Press is a combination of a Dumbbell Squat and a Shoulder Press. Both pieces of this exercise are compound movements that primarily target the quads and shoulders respectively. Combining these two movements is more than just the sum of its parts. It’s a very functional movement that has tons of practical applications, especially for sports. It’s also a great starting point for anyone looking to build the strength and conditioning needed for more explosive exercises like Thrusters, or eventually Olympic lifts.
6. Air Squats
92.1 mSCORESWAPPED 14,284 TIMESAir Squats are a bodyweight variation of Squats. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. Without any added resistance this is easily one of the most beginner friendly exercises out there. It’s a great way to start building strength, and working your way towards more advanced variations.
- Beginner
- Quads
7. Dumbbell Sumo Squat
81 mSCORESWAPPED 10,729 TIMESA squat exercise performed with dumbbells, in a wide-legged stance to target the legs and glutes.
8. Back Squat
99.3 mSCORESWAPPED 10,650 TIMESBack Squat is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common lower body exercises. It’s a great compound exercise that can help build strength and muscle mass in your leg, especially your quadriceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking lower body strength in general.
9. Lunge
90.8 mSCORESWAPPED 9,466 TIMESLunges are one of the most common lower body exercises out there. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your quads. In order to return to a standing position with this exercise you need to engage your quads in order to push yourself back up. This further emphasizes your quadriceps compared to other Lunge variations, however this also places more tension on your knee. By stepping forward with a single leg taking most of the load, you can more easily identify, and address any discrepancies in mobility or strength between sides.
- Beginner
- Quads
10. Dumbbell Step Up
84.4 mSCORESWAPPED 6,916 TIMESDumbbell Step Up is a weighted variation of the more standard Step Up. Similar to other Step Ups, this compound exercise primarily targets your quadriceps. By holding dumbbells you can add more resistance to this exercise without limiting your range of motion.