How to Do a Burpee (and Easier Versions to Start With)

Mention burpees in a HIIT class and you will hear a groan. Yet they are one of the most useful moves you can learn: no kit, very little space, and they work your legs, upper body, core, heart and lungs in seconds. The catch is that the full version is a lot to ask of a beginner. This guide, part of our series on doing the big movements properly, breaks the burpee into simple steps and gives you four versions to climb through.

What exactly is a burpee?

The burpee was created in 1939 by Royal H. Burpee, a US physiologist, as part of his PhD research. He wanted a quick, simple fitness test that needed no equipment. His original version had four counts: squat down and put your hands on the floor, kick your feet back into a plank, bring your feet back in, and stand up. There was no push-up and no jump.

Today's version usually adds a push-up and a jump, which makes it harder. The upside is a built-in way to make it easier: take those extras out again.

What muscles do burpees work?

A burpee is really three exercises stitched together: a squat, a plank and a jump. That is why it feels so tiring.

• Legs and glutes. Your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves do the work as you squat down, stand up and jump.
• Chest, shoulders and triceps. They hold you up in the plank and do the pressing if you add a push-up.
• Core. Your abs and the muscles around your trunk stop your hips sagging when you land in the plank, and your hip flexors help pull your feet back in.
• Heart and lungs. So many big muscles working in turn sends your heart rate up fast, which is why burpees are a HIIT favourite.

Burpees build fitness and stamina more than strength, so keep squats and push-ups in your week too.

How do you do a burpee with good form?

Learn these steps slowly first. Speed comes later, once each position feels solid.

• Step 1: Stand tall. Feet about hip to shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides, weight spread across your whole foot.
• Step 2: Squat and place your hands. Push your hips back, bend your knees and put both palms flat on the floor just in front of your feet, about shoulder-width apart. Flat palms, not fingertips.
• Step 3: Kick back to a plank. Jump or step your feet back so you land in a high plank: hands under your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels, core braced. Land softly.
• Step 4: Push-up (optional). Lower your chest towards the floor with your body straight, then press back up. Beginners can skip this completely.
• Step 5: Bring your feet in. Jump or step your feet forward so they land flat, just behind your hands, in a low squat.
• Step 6: Stand and jump. Drive through your legs to stand, then do a small jump with your arms reaching overhead. Land softly on the balls of your feet, let your heels come down, and bend your knees to absorb the landing.

Try not to hold your breath. A simple rhythm is to breathe out as your feet go back and again as you jump. Think smooth, not frantic: a steady burpee you can repeat beats a fast one that falls apart after three reps.

What are the easier versions of a burpee?

You can make a burpee easier in three ways: raise your hands, step instead of jumping, and leave out the push-up. Here is a four-level ladder. Start at the level where every rep has a straight plank and a controlled landing.

You can mix levels within one set, switching to step-back burpees as soon as your plank starts to sag. And there is nothing wrong with leaving out the push-up for good: a jump-back burpee with a solid plank is still hard work. Live in a flat? The step-back versions are much kinder to the neighbours downstairs.

How many burpees should a beginner do?

For most beginners, 2 to 3 burpee sessions a week is plenty, with a day off in between. Choose your level, then do 2 to 4 sets of 5 to 10 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. End each set when your form starts to slip, not when you are completely spent.

For context, the UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines suggest at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week (or 150 minutes of moderate activity). A few burpee rounds are an easy way to add some vigorous minutes.

How can you build up to full burpees in 4 weeks?

Follow this plan two or three times a week, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Warm up first with 3 to 5 minutes of marching on the spot, bodyweight squats and a short plank. If a week feels too hard, simply repeat it. Everyone progresses at a different speed.

At the end of week 4, try a set of full burpees. Five in a row with good form? Brilliant. If not, stay at Level 3 for another week or two. Taking longer than a month is completely normal.

How do you use burpees in a HIIT session?

Once you can do 8 to 10 good reps at your level, burpees slot into almost any HIIT format. A few beginner-friendly options:

• Short intervals. 20 seconds of burpees, 40 seconds of rest, for 6 to 8 rounds. When that feels comfortable, move to 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.
• Every minute on the minute (EMOM). Do 5 burpees at the start of each minute and rest until the next minute starts, for 6 to 10 minutes. If 5 reps take longer than about 30 seconds, drop to 3.
• Mixed circuit. Pair burpees with gentler moves, such as 30 seconds each of burpees, bodyweight squats, a plank and marching on the spot. Rest a minute, then repeat 3 to 4 times.
• Short finisher. 3 to 5 rounds of 20 seconds of burpees at the end of a strength session.

The well-known 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off format, often called Tabata, is very tough with burpees, so save it for later.

If burpees feel brutal, you are not imagining it. In a small 2019 study from the University of Canberra, 24 recreationally active adults did one HIIT session of sprint running and another of burpees. Average heart rate was almost identical, yet they rated the burpee session as harder. Go by feel, and keep your reps clean.

What are the most common burpee mistakes, and how do you fix them?

• Sagging hips in the plank. Your lower back dips as you land. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, and if it still sags, go back a level or use the incline.
• Landing on your fingertips. Plant your whole palm flat, roughly under your shoulders. If your wrists grumble, hold a pair of hex dumbbells or use the incline version.
• Flopping instead of pushing up. If your push-up turns into a belly flop, leave it out for now and build it separately with some push-up practice.
• Feet landing too far from your hands. Jumping in short leaves you in an awkward lunge. Bring your feet right in, or step them in one at a time.
• Heavy, stiff landings. Land quietly on the balls of your feet with your knees bent. Loud landings usually mean you are tired or rushing.
• Chasing speed too early. Fast, messy reps build bad habits. Slow down, and only add speed when rep ten looks the same as rep one.

How do burpees fit into a hybrid week with running?

Burpees work your legs and push your heart rate up, so treat a burpee-heavy HIIT session as a hard day and avoid it the day before your long run or a running interval session. A short finisher after strength work is gentler. One simple week could look like this:

• Monday: easy run
• Tuesday: full-body strength, finished with 5 rounds of 20 seconds of burpees
• Wednesday: rest or mobility
• Thursday: 20-minute HIIT session with burpees
• Friday: easy run or rest
• Saturday: longer easy run
• Sunday: rest

Balancing all of that is exactly what Edge is built for. Instead of juggling a running app and a separate HIIT app, Edge puts running, strength, HIIT and mobility into one fully personalised plan, ready within 24 hours, and you can message a real coach anytime if you are unsure which burpee level to start on. Edge is free to start, and Edge Pro is £19.99 a month with a free 7-day trial. 20,000+ members already train with it.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.