Burpee (exercise)

The burpee is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps, and was originally known as a "four-count Burpee":

1. Begin in a standing position.
2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. (count 1)
3. Extend your feet back in one quick motion to assume the front plank position. (count 2)
4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion. (count 3)
5. Return to an upright standing position. (count 4)

More challenging variants

Burpee push up 

The athlete performs a push-up after assuming the plank position.

Knee push-up burpee 

The athlete bends their knees and rests them on the ground before performing the push up.

Jump up Burpee 

The athlete jumps up as high as they can in at the end of the movement and before beginning the next Burpee.

Long-jump burpee 

The athlete jumps forward, not upward.

Tuck-jump burpee 

The athlete pulls their knees to their chest (tucks) at the peak of the jump.

Jump-over burpee 

The athlete jumps over an obstacle between burpees.

Box-jump burpee 

The athlete jumps onto a box, rather than straight up and down.

One-armed burpee 

The athlete uses only one arm for the whole exercise including the pushup.

Dumbbell burpee 

The athlete holds a pair of dumbbells while performing the exercise.

Parkour burpee 

Following one burpee on the ground, the athlete jumps upon a table and performs the second burpee on the table, then jumps back to the initial position.

Hindu push up burpee 

Instead of a regular push up, do a hindu push up.

Pull-up burpee 

Combine a pull-up with the jump or do a pull-up instead of the jump.

Muscle-up burpee 

Combine a muscle-up (a variation of a pull-up) with the jump or do a muscle-up instead of the jump.

Double burpee 

Instead of one pushup, do two in a row. This cancels the drive from landing after the jump and makes the next jump harder. Each part of the burpee might be repeated to make it even harder.

One Leg burpee 

The athlete stands on one leg, bends at the waist and puts hands on ground so they are aligned with shoulders. Next jump back with the standing leg to plank position. Jump forward with the one leg that was extended, and do a one-leg jump. Repeat on opposite side.

Side burpee 

The athlete bends at waist and places hand shoulder-width apart to the side of right or left foot. Jump both legs out to side and land on the outer and inner sides of your feet. Jump back in, jump up, and repeat on opposite side.

Other variants

8 count body builder 

A burpee with a jumping jack on the ground. The 8 counts are: (1) squat with your hands on the ground, (2) kick your feet back, (3) kick your feet out to form a Y shape, (4) bring your feet back together, (5) down into a push-up, (6) up part of the push-up, (7) bring your feet back under you, (8) jump in the air.

Military 8 count bodybuilder 

(1)Squat with hands on the ground, (2) Kick back your feet, (3) Down for push up, (4)Up for Push up, (5)Kick feet back in, (6) Stand up, (7) Motion one of a jumping jack, (8) Motion two of a jumping jack.

Wall / incline / air burpee 

The athlete kicks his feet up against a wall / up on a table / up in the air, instead of back. Usually, these variants are performed without a pushup.

Origin

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee test. He earned a PhD in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in 1940 and created the "Burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple way to assess fitness. The exercise was popularized when the United States Armed Services adopted it as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered WWII. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to be a quick measure of agility, coordination and strength.

References

• Further instructions at bodybuilding.com
• CrossFit.com Burpees Video