The humble burpee is an exercise named after its creator, Royal Burpee, who developed it as an assessment tool for determining physical capacity for military service. Initially, the exercise was a 4 count front leaning rest without a pushup (squat down and touch ground, kick legs back into front leaning rest, kick legs back forward into low squat touching the ground, stand up). This sequence was either performed for a set number of repetitions with a set cadence, or attempted for as many repetitions as possible in 20 seconds or 1 minute time intervals. The assessment portion initially consisted of measuring the heart rate of the participant before, immediately after, and after a set rest interval to test cardiovascular response to movement and recovery rate. Simultaneously, the participant was monitored for any physical movement compensations or dysfunctions (inability to properly squat, support bodyweight with the arms, or the presence of positive symptoms such as pain, or inability to complete the prescribed amount or duration of movements). This original intent of the burpee has been largely forgotten in the modern military, since the original assessment was designed to quickly and easily screen the physical readiness of a very large army of draft conscripts with minimal equipment, rather than assessing the combat fitness capacity of trained volunteer recruits, which is more compatible with modern military assessment practices.
Although the assessment intent of the burpee was lost to history, the movement was found to have hidden utility as a framework for sequential movement. It turns out that adding a pushup, or more, to the burpee can turn the movement into an incredibly exhausting calisthenics sequence that allows for training of compliance with uncomfortable orders, tolerance of physical fatigue, concentration on tasks, and discipline in the face of pain. This 'bug' of the burpee (pain and exhaustion combined with sequential compliance) has since become a feature in bootcamp training programs, prison hierarchies, and civilian fitness centers. These modifications are numerous, and include the following variants of the burpee, now used more for building physical capacity than assessing it.
1 pump burpees: This is the classic training variant, which consists of lowering into a front leaning rest, but now adds a pushup before returning to the low squat and standing up. These can quickly increase fatigue through the whole body, especially with the fast turnaround time between the pushup and standing back up. Some also do this version with a jump and clap overhead at the end to increase the intensity of the exercise and the full body power requirement.
2 pump burpee: This is the same as the 1 pump with two pushups added instead of one.
Navy Seals: This is a 3 pump burpee, with added knee tucks for the first and second repetitions in the upper position of the front leaning rest (first left knee, then right knee). The third pushup is performed without any knee raise.
4 pump, 5 pump: Self explanatory.
8 count bodybuilder (Marine Corps): Drop into low squat, kick feet back into front leaning rest, drop chest to floor, push up, kick legs apart in front leaning rest, kick legs back together, kick forward into low squat, stand up.
.357's: Drop down into a low squat, kick back into front leaning rest, perform 3 pushups, kick feet forward into downward dog, kick legs back into front leaning rest, perform 5 pushups, kick back into downward dog then forward into front leaning rest again, perform 7 pushups, kick forward into low squat, stand up.
8 count bodybuilder with kickback (12 count bodybuilder): Drop into low squat, kick feet back into FLR, drop chest to floor, push up, kick legs apart, kick them back together, kick feet forward into downward dog, kick them back into FLR, drop chest to floor, push up, kick forward into low squat, stand up.
The variations on burpees are innumerable and lend well to a great deal of modification. To prevent boredom or failure to complete a movement, it is common to vary slightly across repetitions, always by adding to the movement, never by subtracting. Things to add include a standing toe touch followed by a deep squat prior to kicking back into the front leaning rest to build flexibility, a sharp blow to the midsection prior to beginning each repetition to build toughness, mountain climbers or kick backs in the FLR to target the core, or any number of pushup repetitions or variations of pushup. Another common modification is to add a pullup at the end of each repetition to target the back musculature and prevent pushing muscle imbalances in the shoulder girdle. If a movement is not being completed, another good idea is to jog in place or for a small number of yards to recover between repetitions or between sets.
If complemented with kettlebell swings, pullups, dips, or other calisthenics, and running, burpees are a foundation for uncommon levels of fitness and musculature strength as well as endurance.
I would also like to recommend my own preferred burpee variation specifically appropriate for martial artists. It's the 12 count bodybuilder followed by one kick with each leg. Set a goal to cover every type of kick a set number of times in the workout and the workout is only over after every type of kick has been performed for the goal number. As you increase in fitness, add one upper body strike of each type for a set number as well. Also add forward falls and backwards falls to initiate every other technique to maintain practice with those techniques. This can easily expand a workout to an hour or more of continuous burpees and technique practice with obvious benefits for endurance, flexibility, and strength. Adding a pullup to the burpee sequence at least once per week should be sufficient to maintain pulling and grip strength as well.
Muscles Worked
Just about any muscle imaginable, although most common variations target the anterior chain much more heavily than the posterior chain, which means burpees are best supplemented with deadlifts, swings, pullups, or back bridges.
Why Do Burpees?
Because they amplify the conditioning effect of a sequence of exercises by compressing the time to completion and encouraging continuous movement. My former practice of 100 kicks and 100 pushups in sets of 10 never increased my endurance or muscle definition. Incorporating both into a compressed burpee sequence increases both. If I can build adequate muscle size for my martial arts practice through pushups alone by distributing them out in the form of burpees, why lift heavier? The intensity of the exercise alone actively facilitates hypertrophy as well as recovery speed. Increasing one's speed of recovery is one reason to prioritize burpees as a method of distributing physical practice.
Likely Results of Burpees
These world record holders in the burpee are exemplars of how the body adapts to the exercise at extreme repetitions. Notice the proportional distribution of muscle, no excess fat deposits, and no areas of underdevelopment. These body types are ideal for functioning well in the rigors of combat.
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