Burpee Variations: Yes, There’s More Than One Way to Do Them

November 18, 2018

by Cathe Friedrich

Burpees are a heart-thumping, energy-sucking exercise that most of us love to hate. Even though you only use your own body weight when you launch into a burpee, it’s a highly effective exercise that increases endurance and enhances agility. The venerable burpee is so effective that the military and football teams use them in their training and, of course, you should too!

How Burpees Came About

Let’s start with a bit of history. The burpee is named, appropriately enough, after its founder, Royal H. Burpee. Mr. Burpee was an American psychologist who was passionate about fitness from both a personal and scientific standpoint. He enjoyed looking for new ways to measure a person’s fitness level and the burpee was what he came up with. In fact, he outlined the concept of a burpee in the thesis for his Ph.D. His efforts were further rewarded when armed services adopted his namesake exercise as a way to measure the fitness of military recruits around the time of World War II. So, the burpee has withstood the test of time. Its popularity is due to the fact that it helps improve so many aspects of fitness – endurance, strength, coordination, and agility.

You’re probably already familiar with how to do a basic burpee:

· Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart with your arms at your sides.

· Lower your body into a squat position and throw your arms out in front of you so that they land with palms on the floor.

· Shift your weight on to your hands as you jump your feet back behind you. Land so that your body is in a straight line from head to toe.

· Without pausing, jump your feet back to the starting position.

· Repeat.

To make the move more advanced, add a jump at the end of the last step. You can also include a push-up after jumping your feet back behind you. Some people believe that a full burpee includes a push-up and a burpee without a push-up is only a half-burpee. Yet, these aren’t the only ways to make burpees harder. There are a number of variations you can do that add to the intensity of the exercise. So, once you’ve mastered the basics, try some of these harder variations.

Double Burpees

Double burpees are exactly what they sound like. Rather than doing a single squat at the beginning of a burpee, you do two of them in sequence. Likewise, you do two thrusts backward and two-push-ups with each repetition. You can even include two jumps at the end. You’re essentially doubling up on everything. This souped-up version of a burpee will boost your heart rate even more!

Twisty Burpee

A twisty burpee is a fun variation that enhances coordination as you’re shifting positions with each repetition. To do a twisty burpee, do a standard burpee. Then, quickly rotate your body 180 degrees and do the next one. Keep rotating your body 180 degrees before each burpee. A little harder, right?

Burpee with a Tuck Jump

This one variation is ideal for improving vertical jump height and for boosting your heart rate through the roof. You’re probably familiar with tuck jumps, so get ready to add one to your burpee. Simply do a tuck jump upon completion of each burpee. A tuck jump is where you lower your body into a three-quarters squat and then explode into the air while raising your knees toward your chest. They add a whole new dimension to the conventional burpee. Prepare to be out of breath! It doesn’t take many of these to get your heart pounding.

The Deadman Burpee

Ever tried deadman burpees? Begin as you would with a standard burpee. During the phase where you’re in a push-up position, drop your body to the floor and extend your arms and legs so your body is compressed against the floor. Now, place your arms back on the floor, do a push-up, and complete the exercise. You’ll get a little extra chest work with this burpee variation.

Mountain Climber Burpees

Why not combine burpees with other exercises? Mountain climbers are a good one way to start. First, launch into a standard burpee. When you thrust your legs back and are in the push-up position, add five or six mountain climbers before jumping your feet back to the starting position and finishing off the burpee. Mountain climber burpees are another way to blast your heart rate up!

One-Leg Burpees

It’s a bit tougher when you do burpees using one leg, but you can do it! The technique is exactly what the name suggests. Rather than doing the exercise with both legs, you use only one. Yes, it takes practice! It’s easier if you alternate the leg that you use with each repetition.

Dumbbell Burpees

Yes, you can even use dumbbells to make a burpee harder. Hold two relatively light dumbbells in your hands and complete the entire exercise while holding the dumbbells. The dumbbells should hit the floor where your hands normally would. Once you come up, add a jump while holding the dumbbells by your side. Delicious!

Make a Burpee Workout Even More Aerobic

Burpees get your heart rate up, but you can boost your heart rate even more by adding aerobic moves. Mountain climber burpees and tuck jump burpees get the job done but there are other ways to incorporate burpees into an aerobic workout.

· For one, you can do burpees for time. See how many burpees you can do in 30 or 60 seconds at as fast of a pace as possible.

· Do a set of burpees and sprint from one corner of the room and back. Do another burpee and sprint again. Keep repeating.

· Do burpees HIIT style. Do 30 seconds of burpees as hard as you can. Rest for 30 seconds and keep repeating the sequence.

· For the hardest burpee workout of all, tack on more than one exercise to a standard burpee. With each burpee repetition, include mountain climbers AND a tuck jump to maximize your heart rate.

The Bottom Line

Burpees work so many muscle groups and they do it in a dynamic way that gets your heart rate up. Now, you know how to quickly make this exercise even more challenging and how to maximize the cardiovascular benefits of doing burpees. The sky’s the limit with burpees!