How to Do the Burpee
Beginner full body exercise — bodyweight.
The Burpee is a beginner-level full body exercise that works several muscles together, led by the full body, using no equipment. As a compound movement it lets you handle heavier loads and trains coordination across multiple joints, which makes it a strong anchor for a training day. You can do it at home or while travelling — no gym required — which makes it easy to keep in your routine consistently.
Exercise details
- Muscle group
- Full Body
- Primary muscle
- Full Body
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
How to perform it
- 1Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- 2Lower your body into a squat position by bending your knees and placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
- 3Kick your feet back into a push-up position.
- 4Perform a push-up, keeping your body in a straight line.
- 5Jump your feet back into the squat position.
- 6Jump up explosively, reaching your arms overhead.
- 7Land softly and immediately lower back into a squat position to begin the next repetition.
How to program the Burpee
- Do the Burpee early in your session while you're fresh — compound lifts deserve your best energy.
- Warm up with one or two lighter sets before your working sets to prime the movement.
- As a compound lift, 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps builds strength, while 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps favours muscle growth. Rest 90–180 seconds between sets so you can move quality load.
- To progress, add reps, slow the lowering phase, or move to a harder variation once the current version feels easy.
Burpee alternatives
No space? These train the same full body, grouped by what you have available.
No equipment
Dumbbell or kettlebell
Easier and harder variations
The Burpee is rated beginner. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.
Harder — progress from it
Where it fits in your weekly plan
When the free routine generator builds your week, the Burpee can land on:
Included when your equipment is set to: No equipment, Dumbbells, Full gym.
Free tools for this exercise
Put it in your plan
SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Burpee automatically — then tracks every set.
Build my free planFrequently asked questions
What muscles does the Burpee work?
The Burpee primarily targets the full body within the full body muscle group, and recruits several supporting muscles as a compound movement.
What equipment do I need for the Burpee?
None — the Burpee is a bodyweight exercise you can do anywhere, no gym required.
Is the Burpee a compound or isolation exercise?
The Burpee is a compound exercise, working multiple joints and muscle groups at once. It's well suited to beginner trainees.
How many sets and reps of the Burpee should I do?
As a compound lift, 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps builds strength, while 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps favours muscle growth. Rest 90–180 seconds between sets so you can move quality load.
Is the Burpee good for beginners?
Yes — the Burpee is beginner-friendly. Start light, focus on clean technique, and add difficulty gradually as it becomes comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Burpee?
Good substitutes that train the same full body include the Bear Crawl (bodyweight), the Farmer's Walk (dumbbell), the Turkish Get-Up (kettlebell). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.
Can I do the Burpee at home?
Yes — it needs no equipment, so it works at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere you have a bit of space.
