Cardio exercise
BurpeeHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Triceps, Abs
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Burpee?
- Stand with your feet about hip to shoulder width apart.
- Squat down and place your hands on the floor just in front of your feet.
- Jump your feet back into a straight plank and do one push-up.
- Jump your feet back in towards your hands, landing in a squat.
- Jump up with your arms overhead and land softly, ready for the next rep.
Cues
- Straight line from head to heels.
- Hands under shoulders in the plank.
- Land softly with bent knees.
Common mistakes
- Sagging hips in the plank: tighten your stomach and squeeze your buttocks.
- Landing with straight legs: bend your knees as your feet touch down.
- Rushing reps: slow down until every part of the move is clean.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Full burpee with a push-up: squat, hands down, jump the feet back to a high plank, one push-up, jump the feet in, jump up with arms overhead. Both NASM and Cleveland Clinic teach this version. The no-push-up or step-back burpee is the easier option.
Starting position
Standing tall, feet between hip and shoulder width (25–35 cm between the heels), toes forward or turned out up to 10°, arms at the sides.
The movement
1. Squat: hips back and down, knees track over the toes, heels flat; hands go to the floor just in front of and slightly outside the feet, shoulder width apart. 2. Jump back: with the weight on the hands, jump both feet back together to a high plank: wrists under the shoulders, body straight from the shoulders to the heels, feet hip width apart. 3. Push-up: bend the elbows to lower the chest towards the floor, then press back up to the plank. 4. Jump in: jump both feet forward to land flat just behind the hands, back in the deep squat. 5. Jump up: drive through the legs and swing the arms overhead, leaving the floor; land softly with bent knees in the start position.
Breathing
Breathe out as you push up from the floor and as you jump; breathe in on the way down.
Tempo
One rep, about 4 s: squat and hands down 0.6 s, jump back 0.4 s, push-up 1.2 s (0.6 s down, 0.6 s up), jump in 0.4 s, jump up and land 0.8 s, reset 0.6 s.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Plank: hands shoulder width apart, shoulders over the wrists, hips level with the shoulder-heel line.
- Jump: feet leave the floor 10–20 cm; arms reach to about 170–180° shoulder elevation.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Burpee is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
