The burpee is a full-body exercise created in the 1930s by American physiologist Royal H. Burpee. It was first designed as a simple fitness test for measuring strength and agility. Over time, burpees have become a staple in workouts worldwide, especially in high-intensity interval training (HIIT), boot camps, and CrossFit. Today, the burpee workout is valued for its effectiveness, simplicity, and versatility.
A standard burpee combines a squat, plank, push-up, and jump into one smooth movement. This move uses multiple muscle groups at once, making it excellent for building fitness. Most burpees follow these key steps:
Burpees require no equipment and little space, making them ideal for home and gym workouts.
Burpees are a full-body workout that targets the legs, chest, arms, shoulders, core, and back. As you move from squat to plank to jump, you activate your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abs, pectorals, triceps, and more. This makes burpees a great option for overall muscle development.
Burpee workouts are famous for raising the heart rate quickly. They combine strength and cardiovascular training, helping to burn calories and improve fitness. In just a short time, you can get a high-intensity session that burns fat, builds muscle, and boosts endurance.
Metabolic conditioning, or metcon, means training that maximizes the body’s energy systems. Because burpees recruit many muscles and involve explosive movements, they increase metabolism during and after exercise. This “after-burn” effect helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
In 2026, burpees remain a key part of HIIT and CrossFit classes because they provide fast, scalable total-body training. Many group workouts use burpee intervals to boost heart rate and encourage group motivation.
Burpee challenges—aiming to do a set number in a day or month—have become viral on social media. New versions include adding weights, integrating with other moves, or using fitness apps to track reps. These challenges can help build motivation, but always use good form and recovery plans.