If you’ve never done burpees before, it could feel challenging, but even a few every day can make you a pro in no time — supercharging your fitness in no time. The secret? Consistency. I’ve trained clients who loathed burpees, but who persisted, sheer grit helpfully recalling the health dividends they pay: loss of fat, stamina and total-body strength. This article isn’t just here to teach you how to do a burpee correctly, though; it’s running through a whopping seven reasons to add them to your daily workout routine. Believe me — once you get started, you’ll wonder why you waited.
How To Do A Burpee, The Full-Body Movement That Changed Everything
Let’s set the record straight: burpees aren’t just another exercise — they’re one of the most powerful movements you can do for your fitness. Here’s how to do a classic burpee:
Starting Position: Feet are hip-distance apart, with the hips over the knees and thighs parallel to the floor.
Drop and Squat: Drop into a squat, fold forward, and place your hands inside your feet.
Plank Position: Step your feet back into plank (or press your feet back into plank), body in a straight line from head to heels. Don’t sag or jack your hips up too high — keep a neutral alignment.
Push-Up (Optional): Add a push-up for an extra challenge (if you’re feeling game!)
Jump and Explode: Jump your feet back toward your hands, rise up, and explode vertically with arms overhead.
Re-set and Repeat: This quick, explosive movement melts calories, builds strength, and increases endurance.
But here’s the thing about burpees: They are highly versatile. From novice to lifelong exercise-lover, there’s a version for you.
Why Burpees Are Worth It:
Total Body Burn: Burpees are a full-body movement hitting everything from your arms to your core, legs, and glutes.
Combined Cardio and Strength: They raise your heart rate as you build strength and endurance.
Calorie Torcher: Burpees can torch serious calories in a short amount of time, making them ideal for busy schedules.
No Equipment Required: You can do them anywhere, anytime — no workout space required.
How To Modify Burpees For Your Own Fitness Level
For Beginners: Omit the push-up, or step into the plank instead of jumping to lessen strain.
For more advanced athletes: Weights, frog kick in midair, speed.
For Mobility Issues:
If jumping isn’t an option, it’s all about slow, controlled movements. One of my clients (who had shoulder mobility issues) replaced jumping with controlled repetitions, prioritizing the accuracy of his form over the speed of motion.
If you need an added incentive to do burpees every day, here it is: They’re one of the most efficient, versatile exercises you can do. Burpees work as they help you burn fat, build strength, and build endurance. And the fact that you can adapt them means they’re available to all, no matter your level of fitness. So, do not just make burpees a daily ritual, but witness how this movement revolution changes your life.
Small Tweaks, Big Results
The magic lies in repetition. Whether you’re explosively kicking your feet back or gently landing with your knees bent, consistency is key to honing form. I’ve observed people with modified squat thrusts (no jump) all the way to full burpees — and within weeks. Tip of the day: back straight, chest over mana heels, hands coming up over head through the jump The opposite of a slump — limit your lower back from sagging (as if you were balancing a glass of water on your hips).
How to make it easier
Let’s be real: burpees can be vicious, but modifications make them manageable. If you are new to this, back off the intensity by omitting the pushup or jump — go for a squat thrust (it starts like a burpee, but you kick your legs back into a plank and then return to the starting position). I’ve trained clients who can hold a plank for a few seconds instead of a full pushup to build their strength incrementally. For beginners, with unprepared chest muscles or shoulders, try partial pushups or a slow stepping back of legs. Tweaks to the squatting position also matter: widen your air stance for balance or hold at the bottom and emphasize form. A client with a knee strain learned to jump up less aggressively and focus on strength rather than speed. Every variation is a building block — doing modified reps every day helped me gain more endurance without burning out.
So Why Do Burpees Everyday?
1. You Will Use Many Muscle Groups
As a fitness coach, I’ve personally witnessed firsthand how this simple but effective tool is an incredible way to overhaul a routine. Each burpee is a full-body workout in motion, hitting all the major muscle groups in your body—from shoulders and arms to your core, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Lifting isn’t just what’s going to make you stronger; every explosive push, squat, and jump builds upper and lower body extremities, right down to your hands while you’re in a plank. Whether you’re trying to squeeze in a quick session or aiming for growth, burpees are a fantastic way to get in shape in a hurry without fancy equipment. No wonder these have become nonnegotiable in my training plans — no other move even comes close to delivering such full-body results!
2. You Will Raise Your Heart Rate
As a trainer, I’ve previously deployed burpees as a sneaky earpiece for clients’ fitness, nothing puts strength and cardiovascular health to the (burpee) test like this exercise. At the beginning, even a handful of reps leaves you sore and gasping for breath, but that’s the real game-changer: building muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Set a timer for three minutes and see how many you get; over weeks or months, you’ll see the volume you can pack into a minute improve. I’ve watched clients struggle through 10 burpees to crush 30 on a daily basis, and it proves to be a nice and effective tool to get your heart racing and your endurance levels up — every count adds up!
3. Burpees Are a Great Way to Burn Calories and Fat
As a trainer, I’ve seen burpees become the exercise of choice for people looking to torch calories and lose fat quickly — because they’re a double whammy, combining cardio and strength training into one move. You can burn upward of 15 calories in a single minute as your muscles — used from head to toe — fire to lift you, compelling your body to tap energy stores (hello, fat!). Why are they practically magic? Exercise, full body workout impact: Each leap will make you push up and not down; it keeps you in throughout along with your trip to lose weight. I’ve had clients doing burpees each morning — regular time investment really does pay. Whether you’re fit in a fast session or grinding through reps, this specific exercise isn’t solely about getting you to burn a few calories in the present in time — it is about building a leaner tomorrow.
4. You Will Work Your Core
As a coach, I’ve witnessed Burpees shine as an effective exercise for not just your abs but also your entire core — those muscles that stabilize your movement and help prevent injury. From the point you initiate the squat thrust, right up to the last jump, your core remains engaged — this strengthens muscle groups throughout your body. Why are they a good strategy? They require your body to act as a singular unit: Adding Burpees to your routine isn’t only about crunches — it’s about constructing a fortress of a midsection while burning calories. I’ve worked with clients who replaced infinite planks with a daily Burpee and experienced quicker gains in balance and power. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned pro, this move rounds out your workout with a core that is strong and resilient.”
5. You Will Become More Mobile, Better Suited In Posture And Balance
As a trainer, I’ve discovered burpees are the type of exercise that target many different aspects of fitness all at once, as they require a great deal of balance, mobility, and coordination as you repeatedly go through a wide range of motions. What most don’t realize is that every squat thrust, plank, and jump you do forces your muscles to work in unison, allowing your body to move more effectively and better over time. Over time, this foundation, stronger and more agile, not only enhances health; it remakes how you approach daily tasks, from carrying groceries to playing with kids. One client with stiff hips watched her posture change after a new venture with burpees — go figure, looks like weeks of raw effort tamed turned her into a lithe cyclist.
6. Burpees are done without any equipment needed
As a fitness coach, I’ve held forth that abs are the ultimate kill-your-bill workout routine excuse—and you can do them anywhere, anytime, no equipment required. No need to buy treadmills or ellipticals, or even a gym membership; your house, a hotel room while traveling, or a hunk of space is everything you need. I’ve witnessed clients bail on workouts during tumultuous times, but the ones who pull the Break Up With Burpees mentality don’t fall prey to “I can’t go” and will crush ‘em in their comfort zone. Some people scoff at bodyweight exercises — don’t even sweat that though, because don’t kid yourself, this fitness powerhouse takes your whole body to town, sans bells, whistles, or equipment. Burpees require nothing but grit, so they can be crammed into 5 minutes or 20. Advantages? They’re doable any day, making them the best portable workouts.
7. The Exercise Is Naturally Adaptable
Once you’ve conquered the classic version of a burpee, however, the fun starts — the exercise has many variations that can help you hone certain skills or push your limits. For example, increment a pull-up each time you jump, hold dumbbells in each hand for overhead shoulder presses when midway through the rep, or practice stability by balancing atop a BOSU ball. I have trained clients who pump out three minutes of burpees slow and controlled for endurance, while others go all in, incorporating them into HIIT (high-intensity interval training) programs for explosive power. A short breather between sets allows you to vary intensity without compromising flow. Whether you want to take it easy or dig deeper, burpees can be tailored to your goals — no need to feel compromised into a rut once you’re ready for new tricks.
8. You Don’t Need Any Equipment to Do Burpees
Hate the gym? Burpees are your answer—they need no more than your body and some space, which are practically everywhere (yes, even that shoebox apartment). I’ve trained clients who are unable to face crowded studios or simply don’t want to shell out a huge amount of cash on complicated equipment, and you know what? It’s just a few reps away from being a free, full-body burn. Imagine — they can be smashed out in the course of lunch breaks, in hotel rooms while traveling or even mid-hike. One mom I coached did burpees in between diaper changes — that’s how adaptable they are. No dumbbells, no excuses — just raw, unfiltered sweat.
9. Burpees May Boost Your Stamina
Burpees are a brutal cardio challenge that builds raw strength, conditioning your body to cope with physical stress, say hiking steep trails or chasing kids. I’ve seen clients more able to weather long stretches of sustained effort — no panting up staircases, no postcardio meltdowns — because rewiring their endurance comes down to a few daily burpees.
There are several benefits of burpees and what it gives us:
Burpees are a total body movement that uses the upper, core, and lower body as you transition from standing to plank to jump, unlike isolation or unplugged exercises that use one muscle group at a time. As a coach, I’ve watched clients shred fat, boost stamina, and develop functional strength with burpees faster because they do more than torch calories; they rewire how your body performs under duress. Top benefits? There’s no gym gear required, and 5 minutes a day yields results that take most workouts weeks to achieve.
1. Burpees are a total body exercise
The big benefit of burpees? They’re also a compound exercise, which means they work for big muscle groups all at once — including the pectoralis major (chest), deltoids (shoulders), trunk (abdominals), quadriceps (front thighs), hamstrings (back thighs), and glutes (buttocks). Unlike movements that isolate individual areas, recruiting multiple muscle groups means you’ll burn calories quicker while developing functional strength. I’ve worked with clients who abandoned hour-long workouts in favor of daily burpees and still shredded fat, without a doubt demonstrating that efficiency beats complexity. Be it squeezing in a 5-minute blast or pushing for bananas, this compound powerhouse has benefits that extend far beyond the gym.
2. Burpees build muscle strength
In fact, burpees are separated into different movements—each one a strengthening move on its own. A single burpee consists of a squat (that strengthens the lower body and hips), a push-up (for the chest, arms, and back), and an explosive jump (that activates the core and several muscle groups). Squats are excellent for firing up your legs, and push-ups strengthen your upper body—even jumping exercises, believe it or not, are good at building muscle by making your body work against gravity.
I’ve witnessed clients build strength in leaps and bounds by using burpees as a strength-building toolkit: a whole bunch of moves in one. One client doubled her pull-ups just by mastering the push-up phase of burpees — evidence that when broken down, these individual movements are too effective to miss. Whether your goal is hips, chest, or core, burpees train multiple muscle areas, including the often-overlooked stabilizing muscles, for a great way to pack power into every rep.
3. Burpees boost cardio fitness
Burpees improve your fitness by combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise—two crucial elements of a balanced workout program. And doing a burpee will quickly get your heart-rate going and the humbling body-weight exercise into a fast-pace calorie torch. Even if you’re not a fan of cardiovascular workouts, burpees are both a strength builder and an endurance challenge. I’ve coached runners who love throwing in burpees on high-intensity interval sessions — if you learn to do them during sprints or other workouts, you’re building power and endurance at once. One client hated treadmills but halved her mile pace within weeks of doing burpees every day. Worth the sweat? Absolutely.
4. Burpees support strong bones
As a coach, I’ve seen burpees help bone strength by combining resistance with weight-bearing activities, which are the top two methods to help build bone density. This plyometric move stimulates your muscles to adapt to the quick, powerful drive of jumps, creating a high-impact stress that’s actually a healthy thing for bones. So, being active makes a difference in fighting declines in strength as we age, which increases the risk for osteoporosis, falling, and fractures that can result in serious injury. One of my clients in her 50s turned around twinging early bone loss by surrounding herself with burpees — a daily habit that demonstrates, at least in this case, that no muscles are left behind. Just make sure to focus on proper form and recovery time so you can reap the rewards without the risks.
5. Burpees are easy and adaptable, and burpees are great!
I’ve long advocated for burpees as the strong go-to for busy lives — no equipment required, just enough space to put down a yoga mat or towel. Whether at home or on the road, without access to a gym, this exercise scales: remove the jump for an easier version or make it more difficult by adding weight, more push-ups, or a donkey kick when you get into the push-up position. Clients enjoy how the variations change—one traveler did burpees in airport lounges, for example, while another increased that difficulty after being injured by standing up really slowly, on those days when illness allowed. Draft intensity with sprints, then dull it for recovery — burpees shape your day, illustrating that fitness isn’t attached to a zip code or schedule.
What are the burpee modifications?
Burpees can be a killer, but there are a few ways to make them easier, including stepping back (instead of jumping) so that you’re not putting as much strain on your joints. I’ve coached clients to avoid the plank jump or use something elevated, their knees grateful later.
1. Slow it down
While burpees are typically performed in a hasty manner — stringing together the squat, the push-up, and the jump as fluidly as possible — slowing down each act can alter them for even more beneficial results. Instead of jumping forward, practice walking back to the plank, pausing to lean forward carefully and rising all the way upright without jumping. I’ve taught clients to do this in order to minimize impact on the joints while still getting their heart rate up, which shows you don’t need speedy reps to expend calories. For form-fearing folk, the slow pace allows people to learn the correct technique, converting crashing motion into deliberate strength.
2. The jump can be turned into a step-in and step-out.
If jumping feels like going for a long walk with the devil — a common tool used with knee injury history or joint sensitivities — just leave out the explosive hops. Instead, step in and out while performing burpees: walk your feet back to plank position, then step them forward to stand. I’ve taught clients with arthritis this: rather than having pain, they get safe strength.
3. Skip the push-up
If low back pain or wrist weakness causes pain as you do the push-up, skip it — too many people incorrectly force the move, increasing their risk for injury if they don’t know how to properly do it. My advice as a trainer is to keep your emphasis so that you nail the squat and the jump better first.
The bottom line
Burpees have a bad reputation because they’re hard — they ask your entire body to work hard, which is why trainers so often place them at the end of workouts, when you’re already tired. But as a coach, I’ve had clients who hated them at first but developed strength, improved fitness, and developed mental grit eventually. Sure, they’re tough, but the compound exercise benefits — no equipment needed, easily modified, efficient calorie burn — are worth it. If you already have injuries, find out through a physical therapist or specialist if they’re safe for you. Not for most, though—you’d be hard-pressed to treat the daily regime as finished without some rendition of this powerhouse move as part of the set. it’s unsurprisingly an addition that pays dividends.