As an effective total-body exercise, burpees are one of the most popular exercises to quickly get your heart rate up and build physique-altering muscle and strength. Whether done at home or in the gym, burpees can effectively transform every muscle in your body with the right variations and form.
Since they’re so popular, most people have heard of the basic burpee exercise. But in this article, we’ll outline 8 tough burpee variations that you can incorporate into your at-home or gym workout routines. And for the total beginners, we’ll include some helpful tips so you can get started on the right track.
1. Squat Thrust Burpees. An advanced variation on the traditional burpee, the Squat Thrust Burpee adds an extra load of intensity without any extra equipment. Start in a standing position, and then lower yourself into a squat position while keeping your chest up and back flat. Place your hands in front of you, just beyond shoulder width.
From there, thrust your feet up into the air and snap your toes to the ceiling. As soon as you reach the top of the jump, immediately bring your legs back down into the starting position for one rep of the burpee.
2. Tuck Jumps. Unlike traditional burpees, this variation adds an explosive element of speed and cardiovascular endurance. Start in the same standing position as before, but instead of dropping into a squat, perform a tuck jump.
To do this, lower your hips slightly, swing your arms back and then jump up, tucking your knees into your chest. Then, as soon as you reach the peak of the jump, open your legs and land back into the standing position.
3. Push-Up Burpee. When it comes to burpees, the push-up burpee is one of the toughest variations. To perform this variation, start in the same standing position and lower down into a squat. Once in the squat position, place your hands on the ground and kick your feet back into a push-up position.
From here, perform a push-up and then thrust your feet back into the squat. As soon as you reach the top of the squat, explosively jump up and land back in the starting position for one rep.
4. Wide Jump Burpee. Unlike the traditional burpee, the Wide Jump Burpee adds an extra plyometric component to the exercise. Start in the same standing position and lower down into a squat. Once in the squat position, explosively jump as far out and wide as you can and land back in the same squat position.
From there, swing your arms back and explosively jump up as you did before. As soon as you reach the peak of the jump, land back in the starting position and that’s one rep.
5. Frog Squat Burpee. This variation is one of the toughest burpee exercises you’ll ever see, and it’s also great for building overall strength and power. To do this, start off in the same standing position and lower down into a frog squat position.
Once in the frog squat, place your hands on the ground and explosively jump your feet back into the push-up position. From here, perform a push-up and then jump your feet back into the frog squat. From there, thrust up into the air and land back in the starting position for one rep of the burpee.
6. Burpee Pull-Up. As the name suggests, this exercise combines a traditional burpee with a pull-up. Start in the same standing position and lower down into a squat. From there, explosively reach your arms up and grab the pull-up bar.
From there, pull your chest up to the bar and press back down until you’re in the bottom of the pull-up. From here, explosively jump up, reach for the sky, and land back in the starting position for one rep.
7. Burpee Double Hop. Great for building explosive power and speed, the Burpee Double Hop adds an extra plyometric twist to the exercise. Start in the same standing position, lower into a squat, and then jump as high up as you can.
As soon as you reach the peak of the jump, explode off the ground, reach for the ceiling, and perform a second hop. On the second hop, make sure to land in the same squat position as you did on the first jump. From there, jump up one last time and land back in the starting position for one rep.
8. Burpee Toe Taps. Great for anyone looking to improve agility and coordination, the Burpee Toe Tap is an advanced exercise. Start in the same standing position and then lower your legs into a squat.
From there, explosively jump as high up as you can and swing your arms backward to propel you higher. As soon as you reach the peak of the jump, reach for the floor with your toes and land back in the starting position for one rep.
Tips For Beginners
Now that you have a few burpee variations, let’s dive into some helpful tips for beginners looking to start performing burpees the right way:
1. Always keep your chest up and back flat. Staying in this position will help you perform the exercise with proper form while avoiding injury.
2. Focus on completing the full range of motion in each rep. You should always take the time to lower down into the squat, explosively jump up, and land back in the starting position for each rep.
3. Start slow. When you’re first starting out, take the time to master the basic burpee before you incorporate any variations.
4. Incorporate core exercises such as sit-ups and planks. It’s also important to include exercises that build core strength, as this will help you perform the burpee correctly.
Conclusion
So there you have it, 8 tough burpee variations and helpful tips for beginners. Now it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to use and see the results for yourself. So get to it, and happy burpeeing!
