Burpee Over Dumbbells
The burpee over dumbbells is a burpee with a sideways jump over a pair of dumbbells on the floor. It works your chest and quads hardest, with your abs and the front of your shoulders helping throughout. It suits lifters who are comfortable with press-ups and basic jumping and want a tougher, more controlled version of the burpee. The dumbbells give you a clear height to clear every rep.
Muscles worked
The Burpee Over Dumbbells mainly works your chest and quadriceps, with your abs and anterior delts helping.
Setting up
- Place two dumbbells on the floor side by side, touching, as one low barrier. Use hex or flat-sided dumbbells that won't roll, and keep them light (see the FAQs).
- Stand beside the dumbbells with your feet hip-width apart and your trainers a hand's width from them. Clear enough space on both sides for your landing.
- Make sure the floor is flat and not slippery. Your hands will go on the floor, not on the dumbbells.
- Start tall with your ribs down, abs lightly braced and your weight through the middle of your feet.
How to do the Burpee Over Dumbbells
- From standing, hinge at the hips, bend your knees and place both hands flat on the floor just ahead of your feet, away from the dumbbells.
- Step or kick your feet back one at a time, or together, into a press-up position. Your hands sit under your shoulders and your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Brace your abs and lower your chest towards the floor under control, keeping your elbows at roughly 45 degrees to your body.
- Press the floor away to push your chest up, then bring your feet back in towards your hands and stand up.
- Bend your knees slightly, swing your arms back, then drive through your feet and extend your hips to jump sideways over the dumbbells.
- Land softly on both feet on the far side with bent knees, and let the movement flow straight into the next rep, dropping your hands to the floor to go back down.
Form tips
- Brace your abs as if you're about to be nudged in the stomach as you step back and lower. This stops your hips sagging towards the floor in the press-up.
- Keep your hands directly under your shoulders and spread your fingers. Press the floor away and push your chest up until your arms are straight.
- Jump up and across as well as over. Swing your arms and drive hard through your feet, then pull your knees up slightly so your trainers clear the dumbbells with room to spare.
- Land quietly on the middle of your feet with your knees soft and tracking over your toes. A loud, stiff landing means you're jumping higher than you can control.
- Alternate the side you jump to each rep if you can. Pick a rhythm you can keep tidy rather than rushing the first few reps.
Common mistakes
Sagging hips in the press-up
Squeeze your abs and keep your body in one straight line from head to heels. If you can't hold it, do fewer reps or rest the knees on the floor for the press-up part.
Clipping the dumbbells on the jump
Swing your arms and pull your knees up as you take off, and give yourself a bit more room beside the dumbbells. If you still catch them, use smaller dumbbells or step over until the jump is consistent.
Not lowering your chest properly
Lower until your chest is a hand's width from the floor, or touching it if you can keep control. Slow down slightly so each rep gets a full range of motion rather than a dip of the head.
Stiff, noisy landings
Land on the middle of your feet and bend your knees to soak up the impact. Reduce the jump height or add a short pause before the next rep if you can't land quietly.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 4-5 sets of 4-6 slow, controlled reps with perfect form, resting 2 minutes between sets. Pair it with heavier compound lifts rather than using it as your main strength exercise. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, resting 60-90 seconds. Take 2-3 seconds to lower your chest on each rep to add work for your chest. |
| Fat loss and fitness | 4-6 rounds of 30-40 seconds of work followed by 30-40 seconds of rest, at a pace you can keep tidy. Stop a round early if your form drops. |
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 Over Dumbbells alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Burpee Over Dumbbells FAQs
How heavy should the dumbbells be for burpees over dumbbells?
They are a marker to jump over, not a weight you lift, so go light, such as 5-10 kg each. Pick a size that gives you a clear but manageable hurdle and doesn't roll if you catch it.
How do I make burpees over dumbbells easier?
Step back and forward instead of kicking, and step over the dumbbells instead of jumping. You can also raise your hands on a bench for the press-up, or use one light dumbbell. Build up to the full version when it feels controlled.
What muscles do burpees over dumbbells work?
Mainly your chest in the press-up and your quads in the jump. Your abs work to keep your body straight, and the front of your shoulders helps in the press-up and arm swing. It also raises your heart rate quickly, so it works well in circuits.
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