Burpee

How to do burpees with proper form — a full-body cardio exercise for strength, power and conditioning

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How to perform

Set up with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight evenly distributed. Inhale as you hinge at the hips and bend your knees, lowering into a deep squat until your hands touch the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back in one controlled motion so you land in a push-up position with a straight line from head to heels. Perform a push-up with your elbows close to your body, keeping your core braced throughout. Drive through your hands to jump your feet back under your hips into the squat position. Exhale as you jump explosively upward, reaching your arms overhead, then land softly with bent knees and flow straight into the next repetition without pausing.

Muscles worked

The burpee is a full-body conditioning move that spikes your heart rate while building muscular endurance across both the lower and upper body. The squat and jump phases train the legs, while the push-up portion loads the chest, shoulders and arms.

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Chest
• Shoulders

Make it easier

Skip the push-up and lower your chest only halfway, or walk your feet back instead of jumping them out. You can also step up to standing instead of jumping at the top, which removes the impact while keeping the cardio stimulus.

Make it harder

Add a resistance band or a weight vest, or perform a full push-up with a controlled pause at the bottom. Try a tempo burpee — three seconds down and an explosive jump — or add a tuck jump at the top for extra power output.

Common mistakes

Mistake: Sagging hips in the push-up position, which strains the lower back. Fix: Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes to keep a rigid plank line.

Mistake: Landing with locked knees after the jump. Fix: Absorb the landing by bending your knees and sinking into a squat.

Mistake: Rushing the movement and rounding the spine in the squat. Fix: Keep your chest up and pace the lowering phase so your technique stays clean.