Burpee (Bodyweight)
The burpee is a bodyweight exercise that links a squat, a press-up and a jump into one continuous rep. It works your chest and quadriceps hardest, with your abs and the front of your shoulders helping to hold position. It suits anyone who wants a tough exercise with no equipment, and beginners can scale it down easily.
Muscles worked
The Burpee (Bodyweight) mainly works your chest and quadriceps, with your abs and anterior delts helping.
Setting up
- Find a clear patch of floor about two metres square, ideally non-slip. Wear flat, grippy trainers and keep the ceiling above you clear for the jump.
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart, weight evenly through your whole foot, and arms relaxed by your sides.
- Look at the floor a short distance ahead of you, so your neck stays in line with your spine when you drop down.
How to do the Burpee (Bodyweight)
- Stand tall, then push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, placing your hands flat on the floor just outside your feet.
- Shift your weight onto your hands and jump (or step) both feet back together so you land in a press-up position, with your hands under your shoulders.
- Brace your abs so your body forms a straight line from head to heels, then bend your arms to lower your chest all the way to the floor.
- Press the floor away to straighten your arms, keeping that straight line, and return to the top of the press-up position.
- Hop your feet forward so they land just outside your hands, then drop your hips and lift your chest to come up into a squat.
- Drive through your whole foot and jump explosively, reaching both hands above your head.
- Land softly on bent knees, then go straight into the next rep or reset if you need a breath.
Form tips
- Brace your abs as though you are about to be tapped in the stomach before your feet go back. This stops your hips sagging in the press-up position.
- Keep your hands about shoulder-width apart and directly under your shoulders, with your chest doing the pushing as you rise from the floor.
- Land with your feet flat and close to your hands on the way in, so you can stand up through your quads instead of rounding forward.
- Land quietly from the jump with soft knees. If you hear a thud, slow down.
- Breathe out as you push up from the floor and in as you drop down. Hold a pace you can keep tidy rather than racing the first few reps.
Common mistakes
Hips sagging or piking in the press-up
Brace your abs and squeeze your quads so your body stays in one straight line from head to heels. If you can't hold it, step your feet back rather than jumping, or rest your knees on the floor for the press-up.
Not lowering the chest to the floor
Lower until your chest touches the floor each rep. If that's too hard right now, slow the lowering down and use a smaller range, such as hands raised on a sturdy bench, until you build up.
Feet landing too far from the hands
Hop your feet in to land just outside your hands. This lets you stand up through your legs instead of dragging yourself up.
Rushing until the reps fall apart
Pick a pace you can keep for the whole set. Stop the set when your press-up position starts to sag, not when you are completely exhausted.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 4-5 sets of 3-5 sharp, controlled reps with a full chest-to-floor press-up and a high jump, resting 90-120 seconds between sets. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at a steady pace, resting 60-90 seconds between sets. Slow the lowering phase down to make it harder. |
| Fat loss and fitness | 4-6 rounds of 30-40 seconds of burpees at a pace you can keep tidy, resting 20-30 seconds between rounds. Alternatively, 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps with 45-60 seconds rest. |
Pick a weight where the last rep or two of each set is hard but your form stays clean. When every set feels easy, it's time to go up.
Burpee (Bodyweight) alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Burpee (Bodyweight) FAQs
What muscles do burpees work?
Burpees mainly work your chest during the press-up and your quadriceps during the squat and jump. Your abs work to keep your body straight, and the front of your shoulders help you press up from the floor.
How can I make burpees easier as a beginner?
Step your feet back and forward instead of jumping, and skip the jump at the top. You can also put your hands on a sturdy bench or step to shorten the distance to the floor. Build up your reps gradually as it starts to feel steady.
How many burpees should I do?
Start with 3 sets of 5-8 reps with good form and rest as needed between sets. Add a few reps or a set over the weeks. Stop if you feel pain, and get it checked if it doesn't ease.
Track your Burpee (Bodyweight) progress
GymTracker builds your plan, pre-fills the weight from last time and tells you when to go up. Free.
Start free