Burpee Guide: How to Do Burpees With Perfect Form

A burpee is a full-body exercise that works most of the major muscle groups in your body, including the abs, glutes, quads, delts, and hamstrings. Burpees are performed by moving from a standing position to a squat position, then kicking your legs back and getting into a plank position. At the end of each repetition, you stand and jump off the ground before moving on to the next rep. With proper burpee form, this total-body exercise can boost cardio fitness, burn calories, and improve cardiovascular endurance. Some burpee variations include the burpee box jump, the burpee tuck jump, and the burpee pull-up.

For the burpee, begin by performing 2–3 sets of 10–15 repetitions. Choose your sets and repetitions based on your ability to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Get into position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. The weight on your feet should be evenly distributed along each entire foot. Grip the floor with your feet to create a stable foot position. Your arms should remain long by your sides with a slight bend in your elbows. Pre-tension your shoulders, hips, and engage your core. All repetitions should begin from this position.
2. 2. While maintaining a neutral spine, hinge your hips, knees, and ankles to lower yourself toward the floor.
3. 3. Place your hands on the ground, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4. 4. While keeping your hands in contact with the ground and your arms long, jump your feet back so you’re in a push-up position.
5. 5. While maintaining proper alignment, jump your feet toward your hands.
6. 6. Begin your upward movement by explosively pushing through the ground to jump into the air. As you straighten your legs, swing your arms forward and up. At the top of your jump, your arms should be above your head and your legs should be straight.
7. 7. Land softly from the jump on the balls of your feet, then evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot while allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb force. Your body weight should be loaded into the midfoot and heel of each foot, but keep your toes engaged and in contact with the floor. Your knees should track over your toes. Keep your core engaged throughout the landing.
8. 8. Immediately lower back into the pushup position for the next rep.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.