Burpees · Bodyweight
How to do more burpees
How to do a burpee you can repeat, the ladder from the step-back version to the full thing, how to train them in intervals, and the 14-day burpee chart.
The movement
How to do one properly.
Every rep the same shape, so the numbers mean the same thing on day thirty as on day one.
- 1
Stand, then drop your hands to the floor just in front of your feet.
- 2
Jump or step your feet back into a plank, body straight.
- 3
Chest to the floor and press back up: the push up is part of the rep.
- 4
Jump or step your feet back in under you.
- 5
Stand and jump, arms overhead. Land soft, and the next one starts.
The way up
How to do more burpees
Rung 1
Step-back
Step the feet back and in, no jump at the end. Same shape, half the pounding.
Rung 2
No push up
Jump back and in, but the chest stays off the floor. Builds the pace.
Rung 3
Full
Everything: chest down, feet in, jump. One every four seconds is a strong rhythm.
Rung 4
Tuck jump
Knees to chest on the jump. Few people need this rung.
Burpees are interval work. Do them on the clock: five at the top of every minute for ten minutes is fifty burpees with rest built in, and next week it is six.
Two or three sessions a week, with a day off between. Keep the pace steady rather than sprinting the first set; the person who finishes is the one who started slower.
How it is counted
On the board, however it got there.
No watch counts burpees, so nobody's does. Say it out loud in the app or type it in, and it lands the same as a synced session.
Questions
Asked about burpees
How many burpees in a row is good?
Twenty unbroken, with the push up in, is a fair goal; fifty is strong. Most people get further by counting burpees a session than burpees in a row.
Do I have to jump?
No. The step-back version counts the same and is kinder on the knees and the downstairs neighbours. Keep the push up in it if you can.
Does it count from my watch?
No watch counts burpees, so nobody's does. Say it out loud in the app or type it in, and it lands the same as a synced session.
Is there a chart to follow?
Yes. The 14-day burpee challenge is written for exactly this: a number for every day, a rest when it is earned, and a way to run it with friends in the app.
Is it free?
Yes. The athlete app is free: logging, challenges and every guide on this site. Coaches pay for their workspace; the people they coach do not.
Other exercises
Everything else we count.
Push up
How to do more push ups
Pull up
How to do more pull ups
Squat
How to do more squats
Plank
How to hold a plank longer
Sit up
How to do more sit ups
Dip
How to do more dips
Lunges
How to do more lunges
Jumping jacks
How to do more jumping jacks
Skipping
How to skip rope longer
Extensions
How to do more back extensions
Battle ropes
How to last longer on battle ropes
Running
How to run further
Cycling
How to ride further
Swimming
How to swim further
Rowing
How to row further
Steps
How to walk more steps every day
Hiking
How to hike further
Football
How to get fitter for football
Basketball
How to get fitter for basketball
Tennis
How to get fitter for tennis
Dancing
How to build stamina for dancing
Yoga
How to make yoga a daily habit
Do more burpees.
Let someone see it.
Get the app, log what you did or let your watch send it, and hand your friends the code.