Burpee exercise (Burpee): correct technique, benefits and mistakes for beginners

Burpee (Burpee) is one of the most effective and popular exercises in CrossFit training. The main feature is the combination of several actions at once, which are linked into a single whole and provide an impressive result.

In addition, burpees do not require any equipment, which makes it easy to do at home. Almost all muscle groups are involved in the process, but the abs, shoulders and buttocks receive particularly intense load. By doing just a few repetitions a day, you can improve your figure and burn extra calories.

From our article you can find out:

1. Muscles involved.
   Which muscle groups are targeted by the exercise?
2. Benefits of exercise.
   How exercise affects your health and general condition.
3. Execution rules.
   How to do burpees correctly and possible options for simplifying classes.
4. Common mistakes.
   What errors occur most often and why they can be dangerous.
5. Contraindications.
   For whom and why is it advisable to refuse to do burpees?

Check out our article to learn the main features of burpees and get the information you need for home workouts.

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How to do jumping burpees

Burpee

05.06.2020 20:37

Author: Fitness trainer Sergey Konstantinov

To check the physical condition, the scientist developed a set of exercises, by performing which one can draw conclusions about the functioning of the body's systems. This man's last name is Burpee, and the exercises were named after him. Modern fitness trainers are happy to use this gymnastics to work various muscle groups.

What is this?

Burpee is a gymnastic complex, the essence of which comes down to changing body position. There are 4 such changes during the execution. During the execution, the maximum load on the muscles of the abdomen, legs, chest and back occurs.

• The main elements are squats, jumps, push-ups, planks. Therefore, the variety of movements used when changing the body allows you to maximally work out different muscle groups.
• Those who regularly perform burpees become resilient and strong. While performing gymnastics, all organs and systems are actively involved in their work, which has a positive effect on the human condition.
• During training, the flow of oxygen to the tissues of the body increases, muscles actively develop, and a person develops the habit of holding his back correctly, which contributes to the formation of correct posture.

Burpees have been successfully used to combat excess weight. This complex is accessible to everyone, since it does not require special gymnastic equipment. To perform burpees, it is enough to master the basic gymnastic elements and practice in any place convenient for you.

Burpee: what kind of exercise

The exercise was developed by physiologist Royal Burpee. Since the 1940s, it has been considered a test to measure the preparedness of the US military. This is a functional dynamic exercise that combines elements of squats, planks, push-ups and jumping jacks. When performing burpees, all major muscle groups of the body are involved, and the abs, legs, chest and upper back receive the maximum load. The exercise develops not only endurance, but also strength and coordination of movements. The main advantage of the exercise: it involves a large number of muscle groups, burns a large number of calories during execution and helps the brain synchronize various movements into a single whole. Burpee increases the supply of oxygen to organs and improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Short story

Burpee was invented by physiologist Royal Nuddleston Burpee from New York. He proposed using the technique for fitness testing in the 30s of the last century.

• The essence of the technique comes down to performing this gymnastic complex in 4 approaches. After performing the burpee exercises, the subjects had their pulse measured. The author of the methodology put the obtained data into a table with constant values ​​and compiled an equation. I calculated the example and, based on the resulting coefficient, made conclusions about the person’s physical fitness.
• Over time, the Burpee technique began to be used in the American military department for testing the military. The results obtained made it possible to judge the physical fitness of the military personnel. As a test, they were asked to perform the proposed burpee complex for a minute. If the subject managed to do 40 repetitions, then this was an excellent result, allowing one to draw conclusions about excellent physical shape. From 27 to 40 times is considered a good achievement. If a military man does less than 27 repetitions per minute, then one can judge that he is not physically fit.

Gradually, burpee exercises began to be actively used by fitness trainers during sports activities to give the bodies of club clients beautiful shapes.

Burpee is a great exercise

Utenyshev Alexey

July 13, 2016

As soon as the thought arises of losing weight for the summer or simply making your body look beautiful, everyone always says that it is impossible to quickly pump up a lot of muscles at once. But, as the famous Soviet poet Robert Rozhdestvensky said in one of his poems, “Don’t listen to the cowardly”! Now you will learn how, with just one exercise or several variations, you can pump up your entire body. Yes, it won’t take a lot of your time and money. Meet the super exercise for you and your body - burpee or, sometimes also called burpee (inventor - Royal H. Burpee). Those who don’t know what it is, when they first hear this name, cannot think that this is a tough sports exercise from CrossFit (although its version is found even in yoga). So why is it so miraculous? This happens because in one cycle you perform not one movement, but a series. This is why the whole body is worked out and a huge amount of energy is spent. Despite the fact that the classic version of this exercise is done without weights, it will quickly make you run out of steam and sweat a lot. Among other things, it can serve as a good indicator of the development of your body - just count how many times per minute you do it and repeat the measurement after a month. The United States used this method in the 40s to determine the physical fitness of future soldiers. And more recently, scientists from Queens University in Canada discovered that 8 sets of 20 seconds each bring the same effect as a half-hour run. But do not forget that, like any exercise, burpees can harm the body if performed incorrectly, so first master the technique at a calm pace, and only then move on to performing the exercise at a fast pace. And don't forget to stretch at the beginning and end of each session. So, what types are there, how do they differ, and what movements are included in the various complexes? Now you will find out everything! Classic version of burpee. For almost all types of exercises, the starting position is the same - stand straight, transferring your weight evenly to both legs, place them shoulder-width apart, so that your toes point slightly to the sides. Then you begin to squat, without lifting your heels and resting your hands on the floor in front of you. Without bending your arms, jump your legs back to assume, as they say, a “lying position,” but make sure that your back is straight—do not arch your lower back like a cartwheel. After this, do the reverse steps, bending your legs in a jump, and then pushing off the floor, stand in the starting position. As soon as you straighten your body, jump as hard as possible. It is important that when you repeat this exercise quickly, the final jump is, as it were, a continuation of your rise from a sitting position to a standing position. This is all called one set of burpees. After you repeat this complex several times, your body will understand all the “charm” of this exercise, but with 4-5 sessions per week, the effect is guaranteed. Your body will become toned, your endurance will increase and your cardiovascular system will improve, and excess weight will begin to disappear. For ideal results, it is recommended to do 5 sets of 15 times. The exercise is performed without rest between repetitions.

The classic burpee has a slight complication - when you take a lying position, push up from the floor, and only then get up and jump. For hardware lovers, there is an option with dumbbells, but choose them that are medium in weight for you. The difference here is that you do the entire complex without releasing them from your hands, and instead of the final jump, you need to lift the dumbbells up to your outstretched arms. And if for someone the burpee exercise did not seem difficult enough, then there is another variation of it. Here you will need a cabinet as equipment. Having taken the starting position, rest your hands on it and push your legs back with a pushing movement. Next, do a push-up, and then, with the same jump, move your feet closer to the stand, but your legs should be slightly bent. Straightening them and your body, jump onto the pedestal with both feet, and then carefully lower yourself, resting your hands on it. And remember that regular training is the key to excellent results!

Alexey Utenyshev

Tags:

• Sport
• Muscles
• Training
• Weight loss
• Health

Benefit

Burpees are actively included in fitness programs for weight loss and endurance development. This is an excellent training option for those who want to gain strength, flexibility and body beauty.

The benefits of burpees have been repeatedly confirmed in medical research, so there are practically no contraindications for doing them.

Here are the main positive results from the effects of burpees on the body:

• When performing burpees, almost all the muscles of the body are involved - biceps, glutes, calves, pectorals, shoulders, triceps. These explain the quick and lasting effect after performing the complex. In this regard, burpees are successfully included in figure correction programs.
• Burpees are a great way to burn extra calories. If you can’t work out in the gym, then there is a unique opportunity to get rid of excess without leaving your home. To do this, it is enough to use the burpee complex during home workouts.
• Activation of metabolic processes. To acquire attractive shapes and lose excess weight, it is important to speed up cellular metabolism. During training, metabolism increases, so you can soon see excellent results.
• Burpees develop speed, precision, flexibility and coordination. To achieve a slim body, as well as smooth and beautiful movements, it is recommended to include burpees in individual daily training programs.
• While doing burpees, it is important to ensure proper breathing. As a result of fulfilling this condition, the athlete trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the body. The body is saturated with oxygen, which contributes to the proper functioning of organs and systems.
• Positive effect on the nervous system. Due to proper breathing, tissues are actively saturated with oxygen, which has a positive effect on a person’s emotional state. During training, you can relieve tension and throw out negative emotions. After the final movements, the athlete feels inner peace and tranquility.

Burpees are a great way to tone your figure, develop endurance and create a harmonious state. In this case, no special equipment is required. It is enough to tune in to a positive result and start training.

Exercise options for beginners and women

Not only well-trained athletes can benefit from burpees, for whom it is not a problem to perform 50-70 or more push-ups at a time. Many people cannot do a single push-up for various reasons. Burpees are especially difficult for people who are overweight and lack physical fitness. Therefore, if your trainer has prescribed burpees, you can use the lighter options described below.

Lightweight burpee options

1. Lie down and stand, like in the army. Just lie on your stomach. Then, in any available way, you need to get into a standing position. You can first get on all fours and then get up. The main thing is to try to do this as quickly as possible so that there is a good training effect.
2. Push-ups can be done from your knees (see push-ups from your knees). This makes the overall movement a little more difficult, but makes burpees easier if push-ups aren't your forte.
3. Push-ups can be done not deep, only part of the amplitude. And you can’t jump out very fast and not very high.
4. You don’t have to do any jumping, just rise to a standing position after doing push-ups.
5. There are other options that come down to a combination of the previous points.

Harm

When choosing burpees, it is important to pay attention to the harmful consequences that can occur with an illiterate approach to training. And after that, develop an individual training program that is suitable in a particular case.

Here are the main negative aspects associated with doing burpees:

• Joint injuries.

The technique of performing the exercises is to place stress on the joints, especially the knees. To avoid damaging them, it is recommended to follow safety rules when performing burpees. You should not fall on your hands in a big way, taking a lying position. To soften falls and impacts, it is recommended to use a rubberized mat.

• Pressure surges.

During burpees, there is a rapid change in body positions. People with weak blood vessels and the vestibular system may feel dizzy and have high blood pressure after exercise. Therefore, if you have these diseases, it is recommended to reduce the intensity of training or cancel it altogether.

Burpees are a great way to increase endurance and strengthen the body. But even here it is important to follow safety precautions. You should not exercise if you are feeling unwell. It is not recommended to exercise forcefully if your condition worsens during exercise.

How to do burpees

For the exercise to be as effective as possible, it must be performed correctly. Before you start doing burpees, be sure to prepare your muscles for the upcoming load - warm up. Do a few squats with your arms extended forward, followed by two sets of planks for 30-40 seconds. Then do 8-10 push-ups from the floor and finish the warm-up with jumping rope. Now you can start burpees.

Starting position

• Stand straight, legs slightly apart, do not bend your knee joints.
• Make sure your back remains straight and your abdominal and buttock muscles are slightly tense.
• Tilt your head, trying to stretch the back of your head up.

Execution technique

Please note that the correct technique involves engaging the muscles of the abdomen, legs and buttocks. All movements must be performed efficiently, without trying to make the task easier for yourself. Otherwise, the desired result will not be obtained. When performing, be sure to monitor your breathing, trying to synchronize it with the movements.

• From the starting position, do a deep squat, placing your palms on the floor.
• In a half-jump, shift your body weight to your hands while simultaneously extending your legs back. Get into a plank position, trying to align yourself as much as possible (do not round your back or bend toward the floor).
• Keeping your body straight, do a push-up. Bend your elbows and touch your chest to the floor.
• Return to plank position with straight arms.
• Then, in a half-jump, pull your legs towards your hands and sit in a deep squat.
• Jump up with a sharp movement, raising your arms, trying to reach them as far as possible towards the ceiling.
• Returning from the jump to the starting position, do a deep squat again, then get into a plank position and do a push-up. Continue the sequence of movements continuously.

To understand in detail how to perform the exercise correctly, you should watch a useful video on this topic.

What to Consider When Doing Burpees

• Burpee is a fairly complex exercise that is suitable for people with good physical fitness. Beginner athletes should exercise caution. It’s best to start learning the basics with a simplified version - without push-ups. So the chain of movements includes only squatting, jumping into the plank and returning to the starting position.
• Another option to make burpees easier is to step into a plank position instead of performing a half-jump with your legs moving back.
• To set a more tangible level of load, you can perform push-ups from your knees at the initial stage of training.
• The load should be increased gradually, starting with the simplest technique.
• Speed ​​burpees, which are performed by experienced athletes at CrossFit or functional all-around competitions, do not involve lowering the body in a push-up, but a fall that is only slightly slowed down by the hands.
• An increased number of burpee push-ups is usually practiced by athletes seeking to increase not only endurance, but also strength.

Who is it contraindicated for?

Burpees are an excellent solution for those who want to lose weight, as well as become strong and resilient. Studies have proven that a five-minute exercise is equivalent to a half-hour run in terms of calorie burning intensity. This state of affairs is impressive. But not always and not everyone can do burpees.

There are diseases and conditions for which these exercises are not recommended. Here are the main ones:

• Cardiovascular diseases.

People suffering from these diseases are better off choosing a less intense training option. Because otherwise there is a high risk of increased blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke. This is due to the fact that during exercise there is a rapid change in body positions, as a result of which untrained blood vessels can malfunction.

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding.

During pregnancy and after birth, women are advised not to do burpees. This is due to the fact that the body in such conditions can malfunction, which is fraught with problems and problems associated with women’s health.

• Post-traumatic and postoperative periods.

Due to the stress on the body that occurs during exercise, there is a high risk of exacerbation of previously treated diseases and injuries. To prevent this from happening, a long period of rehabilitation and more gentle gymnastics are required.

• Diseases of musculoskeletal tissues.

During burpees, muscles and joints are actively involved in the work. If there are problems in their activities, then there is a high risk of the condition worsening due to intense stress.

Burpees are a great way to strengthen muscles, burn calories, and gain weight. But when performing exercises, it is important to consider a number of factors that allow you to maintain health and avoid all kinds of injuries.

Rules for performing the exercise

1. Squat down until you can't reach the ground with your hands. Transfer all your weight to your hands and jump into a horizontal position.
2. Keep your arms parallel, lock your elbows and lower yourself even lower. At the bottom, your hips and chest touch the ground.
3. Rise up and jump your legs back to their original position. When pressing, you need to bring your legs closer to your hands, try to keep your hips higher than the knee joint. Get up.
4. Take a small jump up.
5. Do all stages of the exercise as quickly as possible

In a training method such as CrossFit, Burpees receive increased attention. Initially, the exercise was invented to evaluate the physical fitness of American military personnel, however, since CrossFit collects the best elements from different disciplines, we attribute the credit for popularizing Burpee to it.

We will look at the detailed correct burpee technique in the video from the CrossFit Kitchen.

Analysis of breathing techniques and mistakes

Usage

Burpees are actively included in individual training programs for those who want to lose weight. At the same time, this complex is successfully used to train athletes who perform in various sports:

• Crossfit. People who lift weights do burpees as a warm-up to build strength and endurance. Doing exercises before classes can tone up and prepare the body for heavier loads.
• As part of drying training. To achieve a toned, sculpted figure, athletes are encouraged to perform this complex.

You can also use burpees in home workouts if there are no contraindications or disturbances in the functioning of organs and tissues. During classes, it is important to monitor your well-being.

How to do it correctly?

For the exercise to be effective, it is important to follow the technique. Only if done correctly can you achieve good results and benefits for your figure.

Here are the main points to pay attention to during training:

• Gymnastics begins with a warm-up. To do this, you must first perform several squats with your arms extended forward. Then do a plank, remaining in this position for about half a minute. Next, the warm-up program involves push-ups and then jumping rope.
• After this, you can proceed to the main training point. During this gymnastics, it is important to include all muscles in the work: abdomen, legs, buttocks.

It is also necessary to monitor correct breathing, combining it with movements. If this is difficult to do at first, you can simplify your training program.

How to do it and do it right

The whole problem is in the execution technique - it is very complex and specific. After all, at its core, a burpee is a multi-joint, basic exercise; it uses a large number of muscles and joints of the body, often untrained .

Basic exercises require good and developed coordination, already trained muscles and a prepared respiratory system. It’s not for nothing that if a newcomer to the gym does squats for the first month, it’s only without weight, and even more so, without a barbell.

Moreover, before such exercises you need to do a high-quality muscle and joint warm-up . And while performing them, it is necessary to carefully monitor the execution technique - mistakes are fraught with injury.

Many such exercises cannot be mastered by most adults at all from the point of view of safety and efficiency of movement. And we are discussing relatively healthy people, less than half of whom come to the gym.

What can we say about home workouts, beginners in the gym and just not very athletic people?..

Let's look at the classic version of the burpee:

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and lower yourself down until your hands touch the floor in front of you.
3. Moving quickly, jump your legs back to get into a plank position.
4. Do one push-up.
5. Return to the starting position and, stretching your arms above your head, jump up.

You can also make the exercise more difficult by, for example, adding weight, adding push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, and all that other stuff.

For beginners and in principle

In order to be able to perform burpees efficiently and without injury for beginners, and indeed even for already trained people, you need to learn how to perform all the stages separately.

That is, in fact, a burpee consists of:

• squats,
• push ups,
• planks,
• jump,
• jumping out of a sitting position.

And each movement needs to be worked out individually, only then put together.

Then and only then will burpees be safe, provided you follow the technique perfectly. But of course, doing this is very difficult.

Technique

For effectiveness and excellent results, it is important to perform burpees correctly. Here are the main points to pay attention to during classes:

• You need to take a standing position, then squat and place both palms on the floor in front of your feet.
• Next, you need to jump up and move into a plank position.
• Then jump again and take the starting position.
• After this, you need to take a standing position.

The essence of the technique is to quickly change body positions. First stand, then squats, elbow stand, push-ups, jump and return to the starting position.

Breath

Most athletes - experienced and beginners - find it difficult to control their breathing. But it is necessary to observe this point, since the success of the result depends on the correct breathing in burpees.

Instructors who actively use this complex in their work give the following recommendations regarding correct breathing during classes:

• When moving to the plank position, you need to inhale and exhale, and then begin to do push-ups.
• After bringing your legs to your arms, inhale and exhale, and then jump.
• After landing and taking a position, while standing on your feet, inhale and exhale.

These are the main nuances that should be taken into account when performing a set of exercises.

Step-by-step instructions

The effectiveness of the exercise has already been appreciated by millions of people around the world. It can be performed by professional athletes and people who simply care about their health and figure. In any case, the desired result can only be achieved by following the correct technique. Let's figure out how to do burpees correctly:

1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back and head straight. Place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower. In this position, all muscles should be relaxed, and there should be no discomfort in the joints. IMPORTANT:
   Remember to breathe properly to maintain endurance during the execution.
2. Gently squat down and do a lying position: while you lower yourself to the floor, keep your back straight. Place your hands on the floor, slowly spreading your knees to the sides, and look in front of you. IMPORTANT:
   In this pose you need to sit on your toes to make it more comfortable to get into the plank position.
3. In one sharp movement, try to throw your legs back. Immediately assume a plank position with your arms extended, without rounding your back. Try to pull in your stomach and tighten your abs. IMPORTANT:
   Maintain a straight line of the body, any bending will negatively affect the muscles.
4. Do 1 push-up in plank position. Bend your elbows as much as you can - do not overload your joints. This can lead to strains and injuries to the muscles in this area. IMPORTANT:
   There should be no discomfort in the knee joints - make all movements smoothly, and keep your knees in a natural position.
5. With the same jerk, return to the sitting position (indicated in step No. 2) and do a deep squat. In this pose, shift your weight from your feet to your toes. IMPORTANT:
   If it is difficult to be in this position, you can slightly turn your palms to the sides. Tension should be felt in the back, buttocks and shoulders.
6. Jump up from this position as high as you can. While jumping, clap your arms straight above your head. Gently lower your arms and relax them. IMPORTANT:
   If the room does not allow for full movement, if possible, move outside or visit the gym.

Classic Burpee technique with push-ups and jumps

Try to avoid mistakes while performing burpees - they can reduce the effectiveness of training and cause injury.

How to simplify the exercise?

How to do burpees for a beginner? If you have just started doing physical exercises of this type, then you can use a simplified technique. To do this, it is enough to remove jumping from the process . All other movements are performed according to plan, and when you need to jump, just stand up.

For people with poorly developed arm muscles (for example, girls), another version of the simplified burpee is suitable. They need to leave the jump, and remove the push-up . In this case, the load on the muscles of the problem area is reduced.

Number of approaches

The time and number of approaches during execution depends on the level of training:

• beginners – 4 sets lasting about 2 minutes with a rest of 1 minute;
• intermediate level – 6 approaches with the same duration and rest no more than 60 seconds;
• high level - no more than 6 approaches lasting 3 minutes and resting 60 seconds;
• professionals - about 6 approaches, each for 3 minutes and rest no more than 30 seconds.

An experienced trainer or specialized specialist will help you determine your level of training. You can also be guided by your own well-being. If you feel severe discomfort during the exercise, then you should reduce the number of approaches or stop the exercise altogether.

Lighter version of Burpee without push-ups