Skip to content
wandelbar.app

how to do burpees

Burpees string a squat, a plank, an optional push-up and a jump into one repeating loop, which is why a handful of them leaves you breathing harder than almost anything else you can do on a living room rug. Your legs, chest and abs all share the effort, and the up-and-down transitions are where the conditioning happens. They suit you once squats and planks feel solid on their own. The honest drawback is noise and impact, and when you tire, form falls apart quickly; stop the set while each rep still looks tidy.

▶ watch burpees on the dedicated video page

primary musclesabs, chest, quads
also worksglutes, shoulders, triceps
levelintermediate
equipmentnone — bodyweight
typerep-based

how it’s done, step by step

  1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Squat down and place your hands on the floor, then kick your feet back into a plank position.
  3. Perform a push-up (optional), then jump your feet back toward your hands.
  4. Explosively jump up, reaching your arms overhead.
  5. Land softly and immediately lower back into the next rep.

how much: Start with 3 sets of 6–8 reps, and add the push-up and then extra reps once your plank stays solid when you're tired.

form tips from the wandelbar coaches

  • Plant your hands shoulder-width, just in front of your feet, before kicking back so you land already braced.
  • Land the plank with your ribs pulled down and glutes tight, hips level with your shoulders.
  • Bring your feet in wide and flat, then stand up through your heels before taking off.

common mistakes

  • Lower back sagging as your feet hit the plank — step back one foot at a time until you can land it braced.
  • Landing the jump stiff-legged on your heels — land on the balls of your feet and sink softly into your hips.
  • Rushing so fast your hands slap the floor — slow to a steady rhythm where each rep looks like the first.

make it easier or harder

easier
Step-back burpees, walking your feet out and in one at a time and rising onto your toes instead of jumping, keep the pattern without the strain.
harder
Add a full push-up at the bottom and a tuck jump at the top for a longer, more explosive rep.
quieter
For a quieter version, step your feet back and forward instead of jumping them, and finish each rep with a rise onto your toes and a reach overhead.
burpees plank phase: hands under shoulders, legs kicked back, body in one line
burpees — correct starting position

similar bodyweight exercises

walkouts: hands walked forward into high plank, body in straight line walkouts jumping jacks open position: feet wide, arms overhead forming an X shape jumping jacks high knees mid-stride: one thigh raised to hip height, opposite arm swinging forward high knees plank shoulder taps: high plank, one hand lifted touching opposite shoulder plank shoulder taps bear crawl: hands and feet on floor, knees hovering, back flat bear crawl skater hops landing: balanced on one bent leg, other leg crossed behind, arms swinging skater hops

never wonder what to train next

burpees is one of 1,300+ exercises in the wandelbar app — where you don’t pick exercises at all. Answer a few questions, get a personal 90-day bodyweight plan, and it reshapes itself after every session. free for 7 days.

train with a plan that adapts.

350+ exercises, guided sessions, zero equipment needed.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play