# Burpee: how to do it

- Main muscles: cardio, chest, quads
- Also works: triceps, abs
- Equipment: bodyweight
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/burpee/f37210ee66/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Stand with your feet about hip to shoulder width apart.
2. Squat down and place your hands on the floor just in front of your feet.
3. Jump your feet back into a straight plank and do one push-up.
4. Jump your feet back in towards your hands, landing in a squat.
5. 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.

## 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

- 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.

## Sources

1. [NASM, "Squat Thrust Burpees"](https://www.nasm.org/resource-center/exercise-library/squat-thrust-burpees)
2. [Cleveland Clinic, "How to Correctly Do a Burpee: Step-by-Step Instructions"](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-do-burpee)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/burpee