Burpees For People Who Can't Do (or Don't Like!) Burpees, Straight From 2 Trainers

The burpee: it's an advanced move to master, and one full of many different parts that might, if you're not careful, put strain on your wrists and knees [1]. First, there's squats. Then, there's the push-up portion, and don't forget about the jump squats at the end! Done in succession, these exercises all lead up to the total-body burpee, which CrossFitters and non-CrossFitters alike know all too well.

Jonathan Tylicki, certified personal trainer [2] and director of education for AKT [3], broke it down for POPSUGAR: "In the plank, you've turned on the entire core. Then lowering down and up through the push-up, you work your chest, triceps, and shoulders. You use power to bring your feet into a squat position, then use your glutes, hamstrings, and quads to jump off the floor." It gets your heart rate going, too, he said, and also works on strength, flexibility, and power. So, yeah, it's a lot in one move.

It's also easy to break your form during burpees. Stephen Foster [4], Trainiac personal trainer [5] and EXOS performance specialist [6], CSCS, said that you need to consistently keep a tight core and refrain from rounding your back and sagging your hips throughout your movements.

How to Build Up to a Burpee

The key to mastering this exercise, Jonathan said, is to develop your strength first. You can work on the components of burpees and increase the intensity. For instance, here's a list of progressions you can try:

Squats: air squats [7]; goblet squats [8]; jump squats [9].
Planks and push-ups: high planks; push-ups; negative push-ups [10]; froggers [11].

After you master these exercises, you can incorporate two elements together like "lowering through the squat and jumping back into plank, or pressing up from the push-up and then jumping your feet in," Jonathan recommended. But, he noted, be conscious of your own ability level. You don't have to progress in speed or intensity until you're ready. Also, Stephen suggested doing as much of the burpee as you can and working the components you have trouble with separately. "If you don't quite have push-ups down, skip them and add them into your workout programming individually to build strength," he said. Same goes if you have trouble with the jump squat portion.

The burpee is an advanced exercise that you can do if you're up for it, but we're here to assure you that you have other options as well. Try the progression Jonathan suggested above, and check out lower-impact moves from both trainers that will still work your entire body. These types of burpees will be your new BFFs in no time!

Squat Thrust

Stephen said that push-ups are entirely optional for burpees as a whole, which turns the move (minus the jump) into a squat thrust, as seen here. These are also sometimes referred to as half burpees [13].

Begin standing with the feet hip-distance apart.
Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
Keeping the abs engaged, jump your feet back so you're in plank position.
Keeping the arms straight, jump your feet forward behind the hands.
Stand up to complete one rep.

Elevated Burpees

Stephen and Jonathan both told us that incorporating an elevated surface like a box or a bench reduces the distance between you and the floor and makes the burpee easier. There's less range of motion here and also less impact on your joints.

Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the bench or whatever stable elevated surface you have.
Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position with your hands still on the bench.
Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
Jump the feet forward to the bench, and come into a squat.
Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can. This completes one rep.

Note: this video shows a modified version without push-ups.

Plank to Lunge

Jonathan said this variation works the same hip mobility as jumping your feet to a squat in burpees.

Start in plank position and bring your left foot to the outside of your left hand.
Return your left leg back to a plank position.
Repeat on the other side to complete one rep. See a video of this move here [14].

Frogger

Working on jumping your feet to your hands and back from a plank position builds your core strength and hip mobility, Jonathan said.

Begin in a plank position. Jump your feet to the outside of your hands, coming into a deep squat and keeping your hands on the floor.
Jump your feet back to a plank.

BONUS move: "Grincee" Burpee Modification

Angelo Grinceri, FAFS (fellow of applied functional science), head trainer at Performix House and Ladder coach, gave POPSUGAR this modified move in a previous interview [15]. He calls it the "burpee's well-behaved cousin."

Start in a high plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and your feet together.
Complete one push-up.
Return to a high plank position while stepping one foot up to mid-torso level.
Press your foot into the ground and drive up to a standing position. As you do, bring your opposite knee up to hip height and raise your hands overhead.
Slowly lower back down into a high plank by controlling through the hamstring of your standing leg.
Complete another push-up and repeat the stand-up motion on your opposite leg.
This completes one rep.