If you’re looking for information on how to do burpees and what benefits the movement offers, you’re in luck.
In this post, we’ll go over how to do burpees (step-by-step), the movement’s benefits, common errors, and more.
Let’s dive in.
How to Do Burpees (Step-By-Step)
- Stand tall with your feet at hip-width distance and toes pointing slightly out.
- With your chest out and heels planted on the floor, take a breath and descend into a squat until your thighs become parallel with the floor.
- Lean forward carefully from the bottom position, planting both hands on the floor just outside your feet.
- Extend your legs immediately to assume a push-up position.
- Take another breath and descend into a push-up by bending your elbows. Keep your body straight and avoid flaring your elbows.
- Go down as much as you can––ideally, until your torso is a couple of inches from the floor.
- Press yourself to the top of the push-up repetition as you exhale and kick your legs forward and to the sides of your hands.
- Breathe in again, extend your body and jump vertically.
- Once you land, take another breath and descend into the next squat repetition, repeating the entire sequence.
What Benefits Do Burpees Offer?
One of the most notable benefits is that the movement trains and develops your entire body. Unlike many exercises, the burpee combines several movement patterns, including a squat, vertical jump, and push-up, resulting in the activation of numerous upper and lower body muscles.
Another benefit is that burpees develop overall athleticism. Sure, you get to build muscle, but the activity also improves your endurance, muscle coordination, strength, and agility. As a result, you become functional, more athletic, and better able to tackle various physical tasks.
The third notable benefit of burpees is that you burn more calories, which can be beneficial for those interested in weight loss. Since the exercise combines several movement patterns and trains a range of major muscles in the body, each repetition burns more calories than traditional activities. Including some burpees in your training would be a great way to more easily put yourself in the necessary calorie deficit for weight loss.
The Most Common Mistakes to Watch Out For When Performing Burpees
A common mistake with burpees is not warming up correctly. Doing so increases the risk of injuries and limits your athletic performance. Avoid the error by spending five to ten minutes on low-intensity cardio and dynamic stretching to get your blood flowing, warm up your muscles, and put yourself in the mindset for training. (1)
Another mistake with the exercise is rushing through each repetition as if you’re on a time trial. Doing so often leads to poor technique that increases the risk of injuries. A much better approach is to slow down and do your best to perform the individual movement patterns with proper form.
The third error to watch out for is landing on your heels after each jump. Doing so places significant stress on your joints and increases the risk of aches and injuries. Avoid the mistake by landing on the balls of your feet. That way, your calve muscles can absorb the shock and keep you safe.
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Philip Stefanov
Philip is a fitness writer, blogger, certified personal trainer, and the founder of ThinkingLifter.com. He has spent the last nine years writing fitness content and training men and women in the gym, as well as online. His passion is fitness and exercise, and helping others improve their fitness and wellness.
References
- Exercise 101: Don’t skip the warm-up or cool-down. Harvard Health. (2020, July 20). https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercise-101-dont-skip-the-warm-up-or-cool-down#:~:text=Warming%20up%20pumps%20nutrient%2Drich,then%20pick%20up%20the%20pace.
