Burpee
Squat thrust into a push-up and a jump — a full-body conditioning move that hits everything in one rep.
How to do it
- Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, arms relaxed at your sides and core braced.
- Drop into a low squat and place your hands on the floor just in front of your feet.
- Jump or step both feet back, landing in a straight-arm high plank.
- Lower your chest to the floor in a controlled push-up, then press back up to the high plank.
- Jump or step both feet forward under your hips into a squat position.
- Explode up into a jump with your arms overhead, land softly and reset for the next rep.
Key technique cue
Don't let the hips sag in the plank; land softly from the jump.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Skipping the push-up at the bottom, which turns the burpee into a squat-thrust-jump.
- ✕ Letting the hips sag in the plank, which loads the lower back over high volume.
- ✕ Landing the jump stiff-legged instead of absorbing softly into a quarter squat.
- ✕ Rushing so much that form falls apart — turns a conditioning move into a sloppy injury risk.
Benefits
- ✓ Trains full-body strength and conditioning in a single movement.
- ✓ Spikes your heart rate fast for efficient cardio work.
- ✓ Builds explosive power, pressing strength and core endurance at the same time.
About the exercise
The burpee is one of the most effective full-body conditioning exercises. In a single rep it links a squat, a push-up and a jump — training the chest, quads, core and cardiovascular system in one explosive sequence. It needs no equipment, scales endlessly and wrecks anyone in under a minute. Burpees are essential in any HIIT, CrossFit, conditioning or hybrid training.
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