Burpee

Definition

The burpee is an explosive full-body bodyweight exercise that combines a squat thrust, push-up, and jump in one continuous movement. It is one of the most metabolically demanding bodyweight exercises and a fundamental component of the HYROX^® Burpee Broad Jumps station.

Technique & Form

1. Starting position: Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Drop: Bend at the hips and knees, place your hands on the floor in front of you.
3. Kick back: Jump or step your feet back into a push-up (plank) position.
4. Push-up: Lower your chest to the floor and press back up (or perform a chest-to-floor release).
5. Hop forward: Jump or step your feet toward your hands, returning to the bottom of a squat.
6. Jump: Explode upward into a vertical jump, extending hips fully. Land softly and immediately begin the next rep.

Muscles Worked

• Primary movers: Quadriceps, glutes, chest, shoulders, triceps
• Secondary: Hamstrings, hip flexors, core (anti-extension), lats
• Stabilizers: Core (throughout), calves, forearms

Common Mistakes

1. Worming up from the floor: Press your chest off the floor with a rigid plank, not a snake-like motion that stresses the lower back.
2. Skipping the full hip extension at the top: Open your hips fully before jumping. Partial extension wastes the glute drive.
3. Going too fast too early: Pace yourself. In HYROX^®, you will do many burpees - sustainable speed beats sprint-and-crash.

Benefits

The burpee develops total-body conditioning, muscular endurance, and anaerobic capacity simultaneously. It requires no equipment and trains the entire body through multiple planes of motion. Per minute, it is one of the highest calorie-burning exercises.

HYROX^® Context

The burpee is a direct component of the Burpee Broad Jumps station - one of the most dreaded stations in HYROX^®. Athletes perform a burpee followed by a broad jump for 80 metres. Training burpees for speed, efficiency, and sustainability under fatigue is essential. Programme HYROX^®-specific burpee work: 5 sets of 15-20 reps with 60 seconds rest, or 80m of burpee broad jumps for time.

Variations & Alternatives

• Burpee Box Jump - Adds vertical jump onto a box for power development.
• Burpee over Dumbbell - Lateral burpee variation for coordination.
• Broad Jump - Horizontal jump component practised in isolation.

FAQ

How many burpees should I practise for HYROX^®? Build up to sets of 20+ with consistent pace. Include at least one burpee-specific session per week during race prep.

What is the most efficient burpee technique? Minimise time on the floor. Get your chest down and up as quickly as possible. Use a controlled drop and an explosive press.

Chest-to-floor or standard push-up burpee? HYROX^® uses chest-to-floor burpees. Train this standard in all your burpee practice.

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