Burpees: everything you need to know about this exercise

Burpees: everything you need to know about this exercise

It’s the exercise everyone loves to hate. Often used as a punishment in CrossFit gyms or military camps, the burpee is, however, much more than just a tool of torture designed to make you suffer at the end of a session.

It’s a full-body, multi-joint movement that cuts no corners. It tests your cardiovascular endurance, explosive strength and mental resilience all at once.

Forget any preconceptions about this ‘cardio’ exercise. Tsunami Nutrition explains why this exercise is a weapon of mass destruction against body fat and an exceptional fitness builder, essential for any well-rounded athlete.

Which muscles do burpees work?

Unlike isolation exercises that target just one area (such as bicep curls), the burpee engages the entire body in a single fluid repetition. It’s a systemic exercise that forces your muscles to work in synergy.

The Full Muscle Chain

The burpee engages several major muscle groups simultaneously:

  • Chest, triceps and deltoids: These are heavily engaged during the plank phase and the strict push-up. This is a pure horizontal pushing movement.
  • Quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes: These manage the flexion (squat), the backward propulsion and, above all, the explosiveness of the final vertical jump.
  • Core: This is the essential link. The abdominals and hip flexors must remain engaged to stabilise the spine during the rapid transition from a standing position to the plank.
  • The Heart: Let’s not forget it. The burpee raises the heart rate faster than any other bodyweight exercise.

Are burpees a good exercise for losing weight?

The answer is simple and unequivocal: YES, it’s one of the best metabolic tools available.

If you’re in a ‘cutting’ phase and want to maintain your muscle mass whilst burning fat, the burpee is far superior to traditional moderate-intensity cardio (LISS).

  • High Caloric Intensity: A burpee session burns an enormous amount of energy. It’s estimated to be up to five times more effective than a traditional cardio session of the same duration. You do more work in less time.
  • The ‘Afterburn’ Effect (EPOC): The intense nature of the exercise creates a massive oxygen debt. Your metabolism will have to burn extra energy to recover, continuing to burn calories for several hours after the session has ended.
  • Muscle Preservation: Unlike an hour’s jog, which can be catabolic (leading to muscle loss), the burpee stimulates fast-twitch muscle fibres (thighs, chest), signalling the body to preserve muscle tissue despite the calorie deficit.

The Technique for Burpees: Avoiding Back Pain

The problem with burpees is that 90 per cent of people do them any old way just to get it over with quickly. Poor form turns this exercise into a risk for your lower back and knees. To be effective, your technique must be precise.

The 4 key steps to the perfect movement

  1. The Squat (Lowering): Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your legs to place your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
  2. The Squat Thrust (Plank): Kick your feet back in one swift movement. Crucial point: Tighten your core immediately! Your body must form a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Never let your lower back arch.
  3. Push-up: Lower your chest to the floor in a controlled manner. Keep your elbows close to your body. If you don’t have the strength, don’t force it: rest on your knees or stay in a plank position (half burpee).
  4. Frog Jump (Return): Bring your feet back towards your hands explosively. Try to land on your heels to protect your knees.
  5. The Explosion (Jump): Follow straight into a vertical jump without pausing, with your hands above your head and your body fully extended.

⚠️ Mistakes that ruin the exercise

  • Arched back (“banana back”): If you arch your back during the plank, you’ll put pressure on your lumbar discs. Engage your core!
  • The half-push-up: Lowering yourself by just 5 cm is pointless. Touch the floor or simplify the movement.
  • Hard landing: Don’t land heavily on your joints. Be light and supple as you land from the jump.

Programme and Variations for the Athlete

The burpee is versatile. It adapts to your fitness level, but also to your specific performance goals. Once you’ve mastered the classic version, it’s time to increase the difficulty.

Advanced Variations

  • Burpee Pull-up: Replace the vertical jump with a pull-up on a fixed bar. This is the ultimate combination, working both the anterior chain (push-up) and the posterior chain (pull-up).
  • Box Jump Burpee: Instead of jumping into the air, jump onto a box measuring 50 to 70 cm. This requires maximum explosiveness in the quadriceps and perfect coordination.
  • Weighted Burpee: Wear a weighted vest or hold dumbbells in your hands to turn this cardio exercise into a real muscle-building workout.
  • Burpee Broad Jump: Instead of jumping upwards, jump as far forward as possible. Ideal for developing horizontal power.

How to incorporate it into your routine?

Avoid doing burpees before a heavy strength session (squats/deadlifts) so as not to exhaust your core. Ideally, do them at the end of your session or as part of a cardio circuit.

The Tsunami ‘Death by Burpees’ Challenge:

Start a stopwatch.

Minute 1: Do 1 burpee.
Minute 2: Do 2 burpees.
Minute 3: Do 3 burpees.

Carry on until you can no longer complete the required number of repetitions within the minute. It’s a mental and physical test.

Conclusion

The burpee is the ultimate fitness exercise. It requires no equipment, burns a maximum number of calories and strengthens the whole body, from the calves to the trapezius muscles.

It’s a tough, often unpleasant exercise, but it’s precisely through this difficulty that you build a strong, durable and high-performing physique. Don’t shy away from burpees – master them.