What is a burpee, the pros and cons of the exercise, how to do it and the training program - Be healthy!

The burpee or burpee exercise (as it is sometimes called) combines a sequence of jumping, planking and push-ups. This complex but effective movement allows you to use all muscle groups. As a result, your heart rate increases significantly, allowing you to expend more energy in a short period of time.

This exercise was developed and implemented by an American doctor-physiologist back in 1939 as a quick and most effective method for passing fitness tests. However, it became widely known much later, when CrossFit training, in which burpees are the main element, reached the peak of popularity. Now this exercise is included not only in CrossFit, but also in interval, cardio, and functional training programs.

Burpee: what is it, what is the essence of the exercise

The burpee exercise involves performing three movements in sequence: plank, push-up and jump. First, you squat deeply, then take a plank position, do one push-up, return to a deep squat and jump up from it. Your task is to do several repetitions without resting.

It’s not for nothing that burpees are called a mega-effective exercise. With its help, it is possible to work out all the muscle groups of our body. At each stage of execution, the shoulders, pectoral muscles, muscles of the abdomen, back, buttocks, and thighs are alternately involved. In addition, due to the jump and the rapid transition of the body from a horizontal to a vertical position, the heart rate increases significantly, which leads to more intense calorie consumption.

Performing the exercise requires good physical preparation. For an untrained person, burpees can be quite challenging. In this case, you should refuse to include it in your training program until you have built up strength and endurance. Or make it simpler by removing the push-up or jump from the chain of motion.

Classic technique

Despite the fact that many trainers advise doing additional push-ups when taking a prone position, this element is not included in the classic burpee. Here it is much more important to change positions as quickly as possible, and pauses for push-ups can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

The technique for beginners may differ slightly from the usual one. For many, it is quite difficult to perform burpees as long as necessary at a fast pace. Due to the unfamiliarity of the technique, an athlete can quickly become exhausted and not realize his full potential. Therefore, if it is difficult to perform in the classical form, then you can start doing it without jumping, only standing on your toes during the last point.

How to do burpees

For the exercise to be as effective as possible, it must be performed correctly. Before you start doing burpees, be sure to prepare your muscles for the upcoming load - warm up. Do a few squats with your arms extended forward, followed by two sets of planks for 30-40 seconds. Then do 8-10 push-ups from the floor and finish the warm-up with jumping rope. Now you can start burpees.

Starting position

Stand straight, legs slightly apart, do not bend your knee joints.
Make sure your back remains straight and your abdominal and buttock muscles are slightly tense.
Tilt your head, trying to stretch the back of your head up.

Execution technique

Please note that the correct technique involves engaging the muscles of the abdomen, legs and buttocks. All movements must be performed efficiently, without trying to make the task easier for yourself. Otherwise, the desired result will not be obtained. When performing, be sure to monitor your breathing, trying to synchronize it with the movements.

From the starting position, do a deep squat, placing your palms on the floor.
In a half-jump, shift your body weight to your hands while simultaneously extending your legs back. Get into a plank position, trying to align yourself as much as possible (do not round your back or bend toward the floor).
Keeping your body straight, do a push-up. Bend your elbows and touch your chest to the floor.
Return to plank position with straight arms.
Then, in a half-jump, pull your legs towards your hands and sit in a deep squat.
Jump up with a sharp movement, raising your arms, trying to reach them as far as possible towards the ceiling.
Returning from the jump to the starting position, do a deep squat again, then get into a plank position and do a push-up. Continue the sequence of movements continuously.

To understand in detail how to perform the exercise correctly, you should watch a useful video on this topic.

What to Consider When Doing Burpees

Burpee is a fairly complex exercise that is suitable for people with good physical fitness. Beginner athletes should exercise caution. It’s best to start learning the basics with a simplified version - without push-ups. So the chain of movements includes only squatting, jumping into the plank and returning to the starting position.
Another option to make burpees easier is to step into a plank position instead of performing a half-jump with your legs moving back.
To set a more tangible level of load, you can perform push-ups from your knees at the initial stage of training.
The load should be increased gradually, starting with the simplest technique.
Speed burpees, which are performed by experienced athletes at CrossFit or functional all-around competitions, do not involve lowering the body in a push-up, but a fall that is only slightly slowed down by the hands.
An increased number of burpee push-ups is usually practiced by athletes seeking to increase not only endurance, but also strength.

Training scheme with different burpee variations

For beginners, we advise you to try a scheme with a gradual increase in complexity and number of repetitions per day according to the recommendations above. But for more experienced practitioners, we offer several options for training with burpees. You can repeat as many rounds as you can.

For intermediate level

We perform each exercise 8-10 times, then take a 30-second break. Repeat the exercises for as many circles as you can. Rest 2 minutes between circles.

Option 1

Burpee Spider
Burpee + Upward Facing Dog
Classic burpees without jumping
Knee touch burpee
Burpee with dumbbell row

Option 2

Burpee climber
Shoulder Touch Burpee
Side Kick Burpee
Burpee with dumbbell row in plank
Kickback burpee

For advanced level

We perform each exercise 10-12 times, then take a 30-second break. Repeat the exercises for as many circles as you can. Rest 2 minutes between circles.

Option 1

Burpee on one leg
Burpee with dumbbell row in plank
Classic burpees without push-ups
Burpees with leg raises in plank
Burpee with star jump

Option 2

Burpees with lunges
Burpee with rolls
Shoulder Touch Burpee
Burpee with star jump
Burpee with side jumps

What muscles are involved when doing burpees?

When performing burpees, all muscle groups are included in the work: arms, chest, quadriceps, gluteal muscles, biceps, thighs and abdominal muscles.

This is a unique functional exercise that allows you to train not only endurance, but also strength. By doing it, you can shift the emphasis the way you need. If you need to place a greater load on the buttocks and thighs, you should add intensity when jumping out of squats. Those who want to primarily work their arms and shoulders should increase the number of push-ups in their sets.

Burpees are an ideal solution for training to increase strength and endurance. When the goal of training is to develop endurance, it is necessary to perform all movements at a higher tempo. If you consider burpees as strength training, you need to monitor the quality of push-ups and jump as high as possible. In addition, a high-quality jump from a deep squat allows you to put a good load on your leg muscles.

Definition and translation

First of all, let's start with the definition and translation of the word. Burpees (from English) – literally “squatting position” or “push-ups”. Dictionaries give an explanation - this is a physical exercise consisting of a squat and deadlift and ending in a standing position.

Somehow it turns out uninteresting. In general, this is an international word, understandable in all languages of the world. By the way, between burpees and burpees, it is correct to use the variant burpee , maintaining the natural pronunciation of this word from English.

Burpee is a CrossFit exercise that combines several consecutive movements, such as squatting, benching and jumping. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that in one cycle of its implementation the athlete works out the maximum number of muscle groups in the body, using almost all the main ones. But the main load undoubtedly goes to the leg muscles. Burpees are a multi-joint exercise that works the knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists and feet. And everything is quite active.

Pros and cons of burpees

First of all, we list the advantages of this exercise:

Burpee is one of the most energy-intensive exercises. When performed, your heart rate instantly increases, which leads to increased calorie consumption. It’s not for nothing that burpees are considered the most effective exercise for losing excess weight.
Burpees are not only a very effective exercise, but also a functional one. During classes, almost all muscle groups are included in the work. In one workout, the athlete manages to use the shoulder girdle, muscles of the arms, chest, abdomen, back, legs and buttocks. In other words, doing burpees works the whole body.
Systematic burpee training improves the condition of the heart, blood vessels, respiratory organs and generally increases endurance.
There is no need to purchase expensive sports equipment for training. After all, burpee involves working exclusively with your own body weight.
You can exercise not only in the gym, but also at home (as well as on the street, on a children's playground, etc.).
There are a number of modifications of this exercise, from the easiest low-impact variations to mega-difficult programs to perform. Based on your individual characteristics and level of physical fitness, you can choose the best option for yourself.
The burpee exercise is aimed at developing muscle strength, endurance and improving speed performance.

Ideal for athletes practicing strength training. Burpees help avoid plateau effects and accelerate muscle growth.
In addition to strength and endurance, with this exercise you can train balance and improve coordination of movements.
The level of the specified load can be adjusted independently. If you want to work out your lower body to a greater extent, it is enough to include in the chain of movements not one, but 2 or 3 jumps with each repetition. To strengthen the shoulder girdle and arms, it is worth increasing the number of push-ups to 2-3 instead of one. To work the abdominal muscles, you need to supplement the bar by pulling your knees to your chest, etc. One of the leading benefits of burpees is that they can be customized to suit your needs.

Compared to the advantages, there are not so many disadvantages of burpees:

First of all, it is important to remember that burpees involve a lot of stress on the body as a whole and especially on the knee joints. If you have joint problems, it is better to choose other exercises for your training program.
A sharp fall on your hands can also cause harm. If you land poorly, it is quite possible to injure your wrists. Therefore, perform the exercise as carefully as possible, following the technique exactly. It is best to train on a special rubberized mat.
For some people, the technique itself is not suitable at all. But as a rule, difficulties arise only at the initial stage of training, when the body is not yet accustomed to this kind of load. Over time, execution becomes easier.

How many calories does burpee burn?

Many people looking for all kinds and the most effective ways to lose weight are interested in the question, how many calories does burpee (burpee) burn? After all, the fame of this universal exercise runs ahead of it, attributing to it a lot of miraculous properties. Let's analyze the calorie consumption when doing burpees in comparison with other types of activities based on different weight categories.

Exercises	90 kg	80 kg	70 kg	60 kg	50 kg
Walking up to 4 km/h	167	150	132	113	97
Fast walking 6 km/h	276	247	218	187	160
Running 8 km/h	595	535	479	422	362
Jumping rope	695	617	540	463	386
Burpee (from 7 per minute)	1201	1080	972	880	775

The calculation was taken from the following calorie consumption per 1 burpee = 2.8 at a pace of 7 exercises per minute. That is, if you follow this pace, then the average calorie burn during burpees will be 1200 kcal/hour (with a weight of 90 kg).

Video on how to effectively burn fat with burpees - 5 ways on video:

Contraindications for implementation

Burpees are a very effective exercise that many try to include in their training regimen. But it is important not to forget about the contraindications to its implementation. Doing burpees is not recommended if:

you have problems with joints;
chronic pathologies of the heart and blood vessels;
excess body weight exceeding the norm by more than 30%;
predisposition to varicose veins;
pregnancy or the period including the first 2-3 months after birth.

If there are contraindications to high-intensity training, pay attention to low-impact variations of the exercise. After all, you can get rid of extra pounds and get your body in shape without intense exercise. Don't strive for beauty at the expense of your own health.

Is it possible to do it every day

How often you should train depends on the individual characteristics and employment of the person. For comparison: according to scientists from Canada's Quicks University, a 4-minute burpee burns the same number of calories as a half-hour treadmill run.

If you wish, you can do the exercise at least every day. But the results will be achieved much faster, especially since it is less tiring than running for an hour. At first you will feel a lot of discomfort, as it is important to concentrate and practice the technique. During exercise, your heart rate increases and your breathing quickens. All these are consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. But after a couple of weeks, all this will pass, and the first results will be observed.

Burpees are a high-intensity exercise that burns a lot of calories. Therefore, if you do it every day, your performance will increase by more than 40%.

Training program

The most common variation of the circuit for improving strength and endurance, as well as fully mastering burpees, is to gradually increase the number of repetitions. You should start with a small amount of exercise per day. Over time, bring their number to the required number, which you set for yourself as a goal. For example, perform 50 repetitions without rest. Below we present a short table with the scheme for performing burpees for a month:

Day of the month	Number of repetitions of the exercise
1	5
2	5
3	7
4	7
5	9
6	rest
7	10
8	11
9	12
10	13
11	14
12	rest
13	16
14	18
15	20
16	22
17	24
18	rest
19	26
20	28
21	30
22	32
23	34
24	rest
25	36
26	38
27	40
28	42
29	44
30	46
31	50

To perform, select the optimal variation of burpees that matches your physical fitness. As you go, try to increase not only the number of repetitions, but also the level of difficulty. But do not forget that training should not harm your health.

Why do burpees help you lose weight?

Because this is not only a load on all the large muscles of the body, but also a repeated change in body position from horizontal to vertical. Burpees for weight loss work exactly like this.

The physiological reaction to such a change in position is the production of the hormone adrenaline. And this is one of the important fat-burning hormones that accelerate metabolism.

By the way, it is for this reason that it is not advisable to do burpees in the evening. The effect of the exercise can be like a couple of cups of strong coffee!