Burpee
A full-body exercise combining a squat, a plank, and a jump in one flowing movement.
Overview
The burpee is a full-body exercise that strings several movements together: from standing you drop into a squat, kick your feet back into a plank, return them to the squat, and jump up. Done for repetitions, it becomes a brisk, cardio-style movement that involves nearly the whole body.
It needs no equipment and can be scaled by stepping instead of jumping or removing the jump at the top. The flowing sequence makes it a popular choice in bodyweight circuits, though it is usually built up gradually.
The movement
- 1From standing, squat down and place your hands on the floor.
- 2Kick or step your feet back into a plank position.
- 3Return your feet to the squat position.
- 4Stand or jump up to finish, then repeat.
Beginner notes
- Stepping the feet back instead of jumping makes an easier version.
- The jump at the top can be removed to lower the impact.
- Usually built up gradually, a few reps at a time.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
HIIT
High-intensity interval training that alternates short bursts of hard effort with brief recovery.
Functional Fitness
Varied, whole-body training built around everyday movement patterns like squatting, lifting and carrying.
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Related exercises
Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Burpee to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- JumpThe plyometric pattern of projecting the body off the ground through explosive triple extension and controlling the landing — the core expression of lower-body power.
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
- CarryHolding and transporting a load while keeping the trunk braced and stable — an anti-movement pattern that builds grip, core stability and full-body strength.
- Change of DirectionA planned redirection of the body from one movement vector to another, requiring an athlete to decelerate existing momentum and reaccelerate along a new line between two known points.
- ReachExtending a limb toward a distant point or object, often at full stretch, by projecting a distal segment beyond the body's resting envelope while a stabilised base preserves balance and control.
Sports science
- Energy systemsHow the body supplies energy for movement — the different pathways that power everything from an explosive jump to a long, steady run.
- BiomechanicsThe study of how the body produces and controls movement — the mechanics behind every technique in sport.
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.
- Movement efficiencyHow economically the body performs a movement — achieving the goal with the least wasted effort.
Training methods
- Mobility TrainingMobility training works on moving your joints actively through their full range, combining control and flexibility so movement feels free and easy.
- PlyometricsPlyometrics are jumping and bounding drills that train muscles to produce force quickly, developing power and springiness through explosive movement.
- FartlekFartlek — Swedish for 'speed play' — mixes faster and easier efforts freely and by feel within one continuous session, blending steady and interval work.
Techniques
- PlankA static core exercise that holds the body in a straight line supported on the forearms and toes.
- Push-UpA bodyweight exercise that lowers and raises the body by bending and straightening the arms while holding a rigid plank line.
- Bodyweight SquatA foundational lower-body exercise that lowers the hips by bending the knees and hips, then stands back up, using only body weight.
- One-Handed BackhandA backhand groundstroke struck with a single hand on the grip, driving through the ball with a full extension of the hitting arm.
Training plans
- Beginner Full-Body WeekA general example of a simple full-body week that spreads a push, a pull, a lower-body movement and some core evenly across three unhurried sessions.
- Three-Day Split ExampleA general example of a simple three-day training split that divides the week into a few focused sessions with rest built in between.
Lifestyle
- At homeMovement you can do in your living room — from bodyweight strength to yoga — with little or no equipment.
- 1 hourA full hour opens up almost any sport, from a proper game to a longer ride, run or gym session.
- 20 minutesTwenty minutes is enough for a solid, focused workout — a proper run, an interval session or a full-body circuit.
- No equipmentActivities and workouts you can do with little or no gear, using mostly your own body.
- At the gymHow to make the most of a gym — strength machines, free weights, classes and cardio kit under one roof.