Burpees are a love-hate exercise — and for good reason. They're one of the most metabolically demanding movements you can do, combining a squat, push-up, and jump in one fluid motion. They build cardiovascular fitness, burn calories, and condition virtually every muscle in your body. Master the form and they become your most powerful conditioning tool.
Muscles Worked During Burpees
Understanding exactly which muscles the burpees targets helps you train with intention and ensure you're feeling the right muscles work.
Primary Muscles (Direct Load)
QuadricepsGlutesChest
Secondary Muscles (Stabilizers & Synergists)
ShouldersTricepsCoreHamstringsCalves
The Quadriceps does the majority of the work. The secondary muscles assist and stabilize the movement — they're still being trained, but to a lesser degree than the primary movers.
Follow these steps exactly for maximal muscle activation and joint safety. Read through all steps before your first set.
1
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Begin by squatting down and placing your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
2
Jump or walk your feet back to a high plank position — body forms a straight line from head to heels.
3
Perform a push-up: lower your chest to the floor, then press back up to plank position.
4
Jump or walk your feet forward toward your hands (outside of your hands or between them).
5
Explosively jump into the air, extending fully and reaching your arms overhead.
6
Land softly with bent knees and immediately begin the next rep.
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4 Common Burpees Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Most people sabotage their results — or risk injury — by making these avoidable mistakes. Check each one against your form.
❌ Sagging hips in the plank
A sagging lower back during the plank/push-up phase strains the spine. Brace your core and keep your body in a straight line.
❌ Skipping the push-up
Many people skip the push-up or turn it into a chest flop. If you can't do a full push-up, start with a modified burpee (no push-up) and build strength gradually.
❌ Not fully extending the jump
A half-hearted jump reduces the cardiovascular demand and explosive training benefit. Fully extend your hips and reach overhead on every rep.
❌ Moving too fast, form breaks down
Speed is counterproductive when form suffers. Control the push-up, land softly, and maintain plank integrity even when fatigued.
Burpees Variations: Beginner to Advanced
Your training should match your current ability. Here are the best variations organized by difficulty level.
Beginner
Modified Burpee (no push-up)
Skip the push-up or replace it with a modified push-up on your knees. Do step-outs instead of jumping. Build a foundation before adding intensity.
Intermediate
Standard Burpee
Full push-up + explosive jump as described above. 3 sets of 10 reps or 3 rounds of 30 seconds on/30 seconds off.
Advanced
Burpee Box Jump
Instead of a standard jump, explode onto a plyo box. Develops power, agility, and maximum metabolic demand. Not for beginners.
Pro Tips for Better Burpees
- Warm up first: Do 1–2 light warm-up sets before your working sets. Cold muscles are weaker and more injury-prone.
- Mind-muscle connection: Focus on feeling the Quadriceps work with each rep. Visualize the muscle contracting and lengthening.
- Progressive overload: Track your weights. Aim to add a small amount of weight or an extra rep each week. This is the only way to guarantee muscle growth.
- Control the eccentric: Lower the weight slowly (2–3 seconds). The lengthening phase causes more micro-tears in the muscle, which leads to more growth.
- Log your workouts: Progress you don't track doesn't count. Use FitCrush to log every set and see your improvement over time.
Add Burpees to Your Workout Routine
The burpees fits naturally into a Full Body / Cardio day workout. For best results, pair it with complementary exercises that hit the same muscle group from different angles. If you're following a beginner workout plan, aim for 2–3 sessions per week with at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.
Want a fully programmed plan? How to Build Muscle at Home covers everything from exercise selection to progressive overload principles.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Burpees
How many calories do burpees burn?
Burpees burn roughly 8–15 calories per minute depending on body weight and intensity. A 10-minute burpee workout can burn 80–150 calories — comparable to running at a moderate pace.
Are burpees good for weight loss?
Yes. Burpees elevate your heart rate rapidly, burn significant calories during the workout, and produce EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) — continued calorie burning after your session ends.
How many burpees should I do per day?
If you're new, start with 5–10 per session and build up. An intermediate goal is 10–20 reps in 3–5 sets. Advanced athletes use burpee intervals (30 sec on/30 sec off for 10–20 minutes).
Do burpees build muscle?
Somewhat. Burpees build muscular endurance and some hypertrophy in the quads, glutes, chest, and shoulders. For maximum muscle building, combine burpees with dedicated strength training exercises.
Can beginners do burpees?
Yes — using the modified version without the push-up and with step-outs instead of jumps. As your fitness improves, add the push-up and then the explosive jump. There's no rush.
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