You have a lot of feelings about burpees [1]. Hatred, fear, and disgust may come to mind, so we understand if you're not psyched about doing a burpee-only challenge. But this burpee workout is different! It involves five different variations and builds up over the course of two weeks so it's a fun way to challenge yourself while getting stronger. It takes only minutes each day, so you can tack it on before or after your other workouts. And by the end, you'll be able to do 50 burpees, which is something to be proud of.
If you're new to burpees, definitely feel free to sub in modifications. Do the push-up with both knees on the floor, or skip the push-up altogether. Also, instead of jumping the feet back and forward, just step them one at a time. And if the explosive jump at the end is too much, just skip it. The point is to keep moving, so as long as you're doing that, you're doing it right!
Classic Burpee
- Begin standing with the feet hip-distance apart.
- Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
- Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
- Step or jump the feet forward to the hands and come into a squat.
- Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
Mountain-Climber Burpee
- Begin standing with the feet hip-distance apart.
- Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
- Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
- While in plank position, do two to four mountain climbers by alternately jumping one knee at a time into the chest.
- Step or jump the feet forward to the hands and come into a squat.
- Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
Reverse Burpee
- Stand with the feet hip-distance apart.
- Squat down and roll onto the back, pulling the knees toward the forehead.
- Roll up in a sit-up and continue the motion until you are standing. Try not to use your hands to push yourself off the floor.
180-Degree-Turn Burpee
- Begin standing with the feet hip-distance apart.
- Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
- Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
- Step or jump the feet forward to the hands.
- Do an explosive 180-degree squat jump so you're facing the opposite direction.
Burpee With Plank Jack
- Stand with the feet hip-distance apart.
- Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
- Do a plank jack [2] by jumping both feet wide, then jump the feet together.
- Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
- Step or jump the feet forward to the hands and stand up.
The Plan:
If this workout seems too difficult, start with one or two reps of each burpee variation, and then work your way up. There are two ways to complete this challenge. Either do all reps of the same burpee variation before moving on to the next variation (ex: five classic burpees, then five mountain-climber burpees, etc,) or, if you prefer more variety, do all five variations at once, then repeat the set of those five burpees for the designated number of reps.
| Day of Month | Number of Reps | Number of Burpees |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 5 reps of each | 25 |
| Day 2 | 5 reps of each | 25 |
| Day 3 | 6 reps of each | 30 |
| Day 4 | Rest | 0 |
| Day 5 | 6 reps of each | 30 |
| Day 6 | 7 reps of each | 35 |
| Day 7 | 7 reps of each | 35 |
| Day 8 | Rest | 0 |
| Day 9 | 8 reps of each | 40 |
| Day 10 | 8 reps of each | 40 |
| Day 11 | 9 reps of each | 45 |
| Day 12 | Rest | 0 |
| Day 13 | 9 reps of each | 45 |
| Day 14 | 10 reps of each | 50 reps (you made it!) |