I am not the biggest fan of burpees. However, I’m usually up for a challenge which is why this 7 day burpee challenge is perfect.

Burpees challenge and strengthen all your systems at once. Burpees are strength and cardio in one; they require no equipment. 

Don’t stop reading right here or click away.

What’s the challenge? 50 burpees every day for seven days

You don’t have to do them all at once. You can split them up any way that works for you as long as you get 50 in sometime between when you wake up and before you go to bed each day. 

How should you do it? You can do 25 x 2, 10 x 5, or 20 + 20 + 10. They all equal 50.

How to do a Burpee

Traditional burpee

• Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you.
• Kick your feet back to a pushup position.
• Do a pushup
• Immediately return your feet to the squat position.
• Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.

In the traditional burpee, you begin in a squat, jump your feet out behind you, then lower into a push-up. After you complete the pushup, you jump your feet back in and then jump up explosively with hands towards the sky.

Modified no pushup burpee

If you’d like to dial it back a bit, there are a few simple adjustments you can make. The first option is simply to remove the pushup. You’ll still get the heart-rate up but it won’t seem quite as taxing.

• Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you.
• Kick your feet back to a pushup position.
• Immediately return your feet to the squat position.
• Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.

Step back burpee

In this version, instead of jumping your feet out behind you and back in after the push-up, you’ll walk your legs back and forward. 

• Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you.
• Step your right leg back and then your left leg; complete a pushup
• Step your right leg back in and then your left leg; returning to a squat position
• Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.

When performing burpees, the key is to perform them in quick succession in order to get the conditioning benefits this exercise is famous for.

What are the benefits of burpees?

The burpee is a full-body, strength exercise. Each burpee works your chest, arms, shoulders, thighs, hamstrings and abs. 

Because you are using your entire body, it is one of the best exercises to burn fat.

A 2016 study referenced in the May/June edition of the ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal compared the energy expenditure (calorie burn) of 13 different exercises. Out of all 13 exercises, burpees ranked the second highest for calorie burn, losing only to intervals performed with a battle rope.

One of the best reasons to do them is that you can do them anywhere. You can do them at home, at the gym, at the park, outside or anywhere. 

Conclusion

Just remember, as you fatigue, you’re more likely to ignore proper form and open yourself up to injuries. To prevent this from happening, continue modifying your burpee variation as you go, making the exercise less challenging the more tired you become. Remember: listen to your body.

Are you a pushup or no pushup person in your burpees?