Burpee (exercise)

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title: "Burpee (exercise)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["aerobic-exercise", "articles-containing-video-clips", "bodyweight-exercises", "physical-exercise", "strength-training", "1939-introductions", "1939-in-new-york-city", "1939-in-science", "united-states-army-physical-fitness", "exercise-physiology"] description: "Full body exercise" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burpee_(exercise)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Full body exercise ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Airborne_Burpee.jpg" caption="San Antonio}} in 2016"] ::

The burpee, a squat thrust with an additional stand between repetitions, is a full body exercise used in strength training. The movement itself is primarily an anaerobic exercise, but when done in succession over a longer period can be utilized as an aerobic exercise.

The basic movement as described by its namesake, physiologist Royal H. Burpee, is performed in four steps from a standing position and known as a "four-count burpee": NOTE: These standards are from the sources that state the origin of the original Burpee. All other varieties, including those popular in CrossFit and similar programs with further ranges of motion, are listed below.--

1. Move into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
2. Kick your feet back into an extended plank position, while keeping your arms extended.
3. Immediately return your feet into squat position.
4. Stand up from the squat position.

One modification is to step back into a plank instead of kicking back.

Moves 2 and 3 constitute a squat thrust. Many variants of the basic burpee exist, and they often include a push-up and a jump.

Origin

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Burpee.gif" caption="Demonstration of a burpee"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/CrossFit_Burpee.gif" caption="Variant of a burpee that includes a [[push-up]] and a jump."] ::

The exercise was invented in 1939 by US physiologist Royal Huddleston Burpee Sr., who used it in the burpee test to assess fitness. Burpee earned a PhD in applied physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1940 and created the "burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple fitness test, which may be used as a measure of agility and coordination. The original burpee was a "four-count burpee" consisting of movements through four different positions, and in the fitness test, the burpee was performed four times, with five heart rate measurements taken before and after the four successive burpees to measure the efficiency of the heart at pumping blood and how quickly the heart rate returns to normal.

Burpee was a veteran of the First World War. After the war, he earned his doctorate in physiology at Columbia University. In the 1930s, he developed the Burpee test.

The exercise was popularized when, in 1942, the U.S. Army adopted the exercise as part of its physical fitness test, used to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered World War II. Although the original test was not designed to be performed at high volume, the Army used the burpee to test how many times it can be performed by a soldier in 20 seconds – 8 burpees in 20 seconds is considered poor, 10 is fair, 13 or more excellent. The Army also considered that a soldier fit enough for the rigor of war should be able to perform 40 or 50 burpees non-stop in an easy rhythm.

During World War II, he worked as the overseas program director for the United Service Organizations (USO). From 1946 to 1964, Burpee served as Executive Director of the Bronx-Union Branch of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in New York City.

Variants

; Box-jump burpee : The athlete jumps onto a box, rather than straight up and down.

; Dumbbell burpee: The athlete holds a pair of dumbbells while performing the exercise.

; Eight-count push-up or double burpee: The athlete performs two push-ups after assuming the plank position. This cancels the drive from landing after the jump and makes the next jump harder. Each part of the burpee might be repeated to make it even harder. ; Hindu push-up burpee: Instead of a regular push-up, do a Hindu push-up. ; Jump-over burpee: The athlete jumps over an obstacle between burpees. ; Knee push-up burpee : The athlete bends their knees and rests them on the ground before performing the push-up. ; Long-jump burpee : The athlete jumps forward, not upward. ; Muscle-up burpee : Combine a muscle-up (a variation of a pull-up) with the jump or do a muscle-up instead of the jump. ; One-armed burpee : The athlete uses only one arm for the whole exercise including the push-up. ; One-leg burpee : The athlete stands on one leg, bends at the waist and puts hands on ground so they are aligned with shoulders. Next jump back with the standing leg to plank position. Jump forward with the one leg that was extended, and do a one-leg jump. Repeat on opposite side.

World records

Chest-to-ground burpees

One minute

On April 29, 2023, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, Philippe Jouan achieved a record 38 chest-to-ground burpees in one minute.

One hour

On June 25, 2021, in Singapore, Cassiano Rodrigues Laureano achieved a record 951 chest-to-ground burpees in one hour.

12 hours

On July 7, 2019, in Milford, Michigan, Army ROTC Cadet Bryan Abell set the Guinness World Record for most chest-to-ground burpees performed in 12 hours by completing 4,689 burpees. On December 1, 2019, this record was broken and the new record was set as 5,234 by Samuel Finn from Canada. On May 11, 2024, a new record of 8,523 burpees in 12 hours was set in Narbonne, France, by Joseph Salas.

References

References

1. (19 October 2019). "International Standards for the 3-Minute Burpee Test: High- Intensity Motor Performance". Journal of Human Kinetics.
2. "Burpees Benefits".
3. Sheryl Dluginski. (January 4, 2013). "The Real Story Behind the Exercise You Love to Hate: The Burpee". DNA Info.
4. Burpee, David A.. (16 December 2011). "Biographical Sketches of Extraordinary Burpees from North America". Trafford.
5. Rodio, Michael. (25 June 2016). "The Badass History of the Burpee and the Legendary Man Who Created It". Men's Journal.
6. "Reference extract from Teachers College, Columbia University archive". Teachers College, Columbia University.
7. "Definition of burpee". Oxford University Press.
8. Tamarkin, Sally. (2014-05-02). "A Brief History Of The Burpee".
9. "definition of burpee from Oxford Dictionaries Online".
10. (2014-08-15). "Effektive Ganzkörperübung Burpee: Liegestütze mit Flugphase [Effective full-body exercise Burpee: Push-ups with flight phase].".
11. (2014). "History of United States Army physical fitness and physical readiness training". U.S. Army Medical Department Journal.
12. (February 1944). "Can we make our soldiers tough enough?". Popular Science.
13. "Demonstrations: Box-Jump Burpee". Crossfit Endurance.
14. (Feb 22, 2013). "Reebok CrossFit ONE Movement Demo "Dumbbell Burpee"". Reebok Crossfit One.
15. (February 1944). "Can we make our soldiers tough enough? from Popular Science, 1944".
16. "The Burpee Box Jump-Over".
17. (2023-04-29). "Most chest to ground burpees in one minute (male)". guinnessworldrecords.
18. (2021-07-21). "Brazilian sets burpee Guinness Record in Singapore". Reuters.
19. (August 21, 2019). "Burpee beast: ROTC cadet sets world record during fundraiser".
20. Stephenson, Kristen. (27 July 2020). "This Canadian did 12 hours of burpees and raised $58,000 to honor the memory of his late brother". Guinness World Records.
21. "8 523 burpees en 12 heures : Le record du monde établi à Narbonne par Joseph Salas a été validé par le Guinness World Record".
22. (1942). "Review of Seven Quickly Administered Tests of Physical Capacity". Educational Research Bulletin.

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