Everything you need to know about Burpees!

Burpees are often described as one of the most complete exercises in fitness. Involving several muscle groups, it combines strength, cardio and endurance, making burpees a must-have in training programs, whether for crossfit, strength training or HIIT. 

This exercise has established itself as an effective way to improve muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance and weight loss, all with little or no equipment required.

What is a Burpee?

A burpee is a complete exercise combining squat, pump and jump movements. It works the muscles of the legs, core and upper body, making it an essential fitness exercise for building both strength and endurance.

How to do a Burpee correctly?

Here are the detailed steps to perform a burpee with perfect form:

1. Starting position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Squat and hands on floor: Descend into a squat and place your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
3. Pump position: Move your feet back to adopt a pump position.
4. Pump: Do a pump by lowering your chest to the ground.
5. Return to squat: Bring your feet under you to return to the squat position.
6. Vertical jump: Jump and raise your arms above your head.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Curved back: Always keep your back straight when in a pump or squat position to avoid injury.
• Misalignment of hips and shoulders: When pumping, keep your hips and shoulders aligned.
• Insufficient jump : When jumping, make sure you take off enough from the ground to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.

What are the benefits of Burpees?

1. Overall muscle strengthening

Burpees involve almost every muscle group, including the legs, core and upper body. This exercise develops functional strength, which you can use in your everyday life and in other sports.

Thanks to their versatility, burpees tone and strengthen muscles, while improving coordination and agility.

2. Improved cardiovascular endurance

Burpees rapidly increase heart rate, making the exercise highly beneficial for improving cardiovascular endurance. They are therefore ideal for HIIT sessions, where maximum intensity is sought in the shortest possible time.

3. Calorie burning and weight loss

The burpee is an extremely energy-intensive exercise. It burns calories quickly and can be integrated into a fat loss program. An intense burpee session can burn up to 50% more calories than a traditional cardio session.

4. Mental health benefits

Like many high-intensity exercises, burpees stimulate the production of endorphins, improving mood and reducing stress. What's more, the satisfaction of accomplishing a challenging exercise can boost self-esteem.

Burpee variations for all levels:

Burpees for beginners :

• Modified burpees: A simplified version without the pump or vertical jump.
• Slow progress: Focus on form and progress at your own pace, gradually increasing the number of repetitions.

Advanced burpee variations:

• Burpees with weights: Use a weighted vest to add resistance and intensify the workout.
• Burpees with multiple push-ups: Add extra push-ups after each jump to intensify the effort on the upper body.

Integrate Burpees into your workout:

Finally :

Burpees are a complete, versatile and extremely effective exercise. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, incorporating burpees into your program will improve your muscular strength, endurance and overall health.

Thanks to their ability to burn calories and challenge the whole body, burpees have become a mainstay in the fitness world. With the right techniques and progressions, this exercise can help you reach your goals fast.

I hope you enjoyed this article!

Don't hesitate to comment if you do 😃

See you soon,

Eric Flag