

Most burpee variations involve a squat jump. Increase leg power – power is your ability to generate force quickly. If you want to get lean or just avoid weight gain, burpees can help. For example, dropping the final squat jump from the sequence makes them more manageable, while variations like box-jump and muscle-up burpees are much harder.īurn fat – a high-rep set of burpees will burn lots of calories while you are doing them and also increase your metabolism afterward. You can do them at a commercial or garage gym, at home in your bed or living room, in a hotel room, at the park…they’re the ultimate excuse-free exercise.īurpees can be modified to suit most fitness levels – there are many ways to make burpees easier or harder. Whether you play sports or just want to work your whole body in one straightforward exercise, burpees can help.ĭo them anywhere – with no equipment required, you can do burpees almost anywhere and anytime. As such, they’re very functional because they train your body as it works in nature. Total-body conditioning – burpees work almost every major muscle in your body. The main benefits and advantages of burpees include: The good news is that every rep you perform is doing you good! If you’ve ever done burpees, you already know how tough this exercise can be. In addition to these muscles, a high-rep set of burpees will leave you huffing and puffing like an old steam train, so your heart and lungs will get a great workout too. The triceps surae consists of the gastrocnemius, which is the larger, uppermost muscle, and the smaller, lowermost soleus. Triceps surae – the collective term for your two calf muscles. It’s actually two muscles the iliacus and the psoas major. Iliopsoas – located at the top of the front of your hips, the iliopsoas is your main hip flexor. The deltoids are your main shoulder muscles. All three work together during burpees, but the anterior or front deltoid is the most active.

Pectoralis major – located on the front of your chest, the pecs flex your shoulder horizontally.ĭeltoids – there are three deltoid muscles anterior, medial, and posterior.

Triceps brachii – known as the triceps for short, this muscle is located on the back of your upper arm and is responsible for extending your elbow. Gluteus maximum – known as the glutes for short, this large butt muscle is another hip extender.Įrector spinae – the collective term for the muscles of your lower back.Ĭore – the collective term for the muscles of your midsection. Hamstrings – located on the back of your thighs, the hamstrings are responsible for knee flexion and hip extension. Quadriceps – the muscles on the front of your thighs that are responsible for knee extension. As for your other muscles – they are guaranteed to get a great workout with burpees.īurpees work the following major muscles: Burpee Muscles Workedīurpees work virtually every muscle in your body, the most notable exceptions being your biceps and latissimus dorsi muscles. They’re a common exercise in CrossFit, and people in the military and special forces, MMA fighters and other athletes, and hardcore workout enthusiasts use burpees to improve their fitness and endurance, and for weight control. The burpee has since become a firm favorite with anyone looking to develop a high level of fitness. In fitness terms, a burpee is a complex as it’s actually several exercises done back-to-back to create a sequence. They were invented as a quick and straightforward way to assess the all-around fitness of WWII army recruits.
