Beginners Burpee Workout

The burpee is an all-in-one exercise. Doing burpees works every major muscle group while giving you cardiovascular workout. If doing seven-step burpees is daunting or if you have physical limitations, there are ways for beginners to get a workout.

How To

Begin standing with your back straight, shoulders back, abdominals engaged, feet hip-width apart. Squat with your knees over the toes, arms extended straight out in front of you. Go into a push-up keeping your back parallel with the floor, eyes forward. Lower yourself until you can briefly touch your chest to the floor. Keep the eyes forward. Straighten your arms as you raise yourself to the top of the pushup and jump your feet back toward your hands so you're in a squatting position. Your hip crease will be below your knees, which are again out over your toes. Jump up while reaching the hands overhead toward the ceiling. Repeat.

Health Benefits

Doing burpees strengthens your arms, shoulders, chest, back, core and lower body. The number of calories that you burn doing burpees will vary depending on your body weight, but a 130-pound person will burn 620 calories per hour doing vigorous calisthenics, a 155-pound person will burn 739 calories per hour and a 180-pound person will burn 858 calories per hour doing vigorous calisthenics such as squats, pushups, situps and burpees.

Upper Body Modifications

If you're unable to do exercises that place your body weight on your hands and wrists or are unable to reach to the floor, modify by raising the burpee to new heights. Stand in front of a table, kitchen counter or sturdy piece of furniture up to 3 feet high. Place your hands on the edge as you go through the seven steps of the burpee.

Slowing it Down

Slow down your burpees if you're new to doing calisthenics or are unable to repeatedly jump in and out of position. Begin with just one burpee per day and add one more burpee to your routine every day after that. As you gradually increase your repetitions, take breaks during your burpee workout. Do 10 burpees, take a one-minute walking break, do 10 more burpees followed by another break, and so on.