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Bodyweight · Legs

Burpee: Getting the Technique Right When You're Out of Breath

The burpee's reputation for being brutal is deserved, and it's also why form tends to fall apart exactly when it matters most.

· 2 min read

Burpee demonstration

A burpee combines a squat, a plank, a push-up and a jump into one continuous movement — which makes it excellent conditioning and also the exercise most likely to have your form quietly fall apart once you're gasping for air.

How to do it

  1. 1Start standing, then squat down — placing your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
  2. 2Jump your feet back — landing in a plank position with your core braced.
  3. 3Perform a push-up — or a regular plank hold if a push-up isn't available yet — chest to the floor, elbows tucked.
  4. 4Jump your feet back to your hands — landing back in the squat position you started from.
  5. 5Jump up explosively — reaching your arms overhead, then land softly and reset for the next rep.

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Sets and reps

3–4 rounds of 8–12 reps, or timed intervals of 20–30 seconds of work — this is a conditioning exercise as much as a strength one, so treat fatigue as expected, not a problem.

Common mistakes

  • Sagging hips in the plank. As fatigue builds, the plank position is usually the first thing to break down. If your hips sag, slow the pace rather than let your lower back take the strain.
  • Landing hard on the jump. Slamming down from the jump repeatedly adds unnecessary joint stress. Aim to land softly, bending your knees to absorb the impact.
  • Skipping the push-up under fatigue. It's tempting to skip the chest-to-floor push-up as you tire — that's a fair scaling choice if made deliberately, but don't let form quietly erode instead.

Safety note

This is a high-impact, high-fatigue exercise — if you have any wrist, shoulder or knee issues, a lower-impact conditioning exercise may be a better fit until those resolve.

Fatigue is where this exercise is won or lost. Pace yourself enough to keep the plank and the landing controlled, rather than chasing speed at the cost of form.

Train it as part of a real plan

A single exercise is a start, not a programme. WO Buddy builds the rest of the plan around it, based on your goal and schedule.

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