Break up your burpees into smaller sets or try modifications (or variations!) as you progress through the 30-Day Burpee Challenge.
Image Credit: Getty Images/LIVESTRONG.com Creative
In This Article
How the Challenge Works
The Challenge Calendar
How to Join
Proper Burpee Form
Burpee Modifications
Burpee Variations
The burpee is an exercise many of us love to hate. But you're never going to get better at them — or love them any more — if you don't actually do them. (Funny how that works.)
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Burpees are really three moves in one: a squat, push-up and jump. That makes them an incredibly efficient full-body exercise that strengthens every major muscle group while increasing muscular endurance. And if you do enough of them, your heart rate will spike for a dose of cardio, too. No wonder they're so hard!
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We put together this month-long challenge to help you build up your burpee stamina and perfect your form. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know.
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How the 30-Day Burpee Challenge Works
Every once in a while, we host the LIVESTRONG.com 30-Day Burpee Challenge in our Challenge Facebook Group, but you can start on your own at any time. Each day, you’ll do the designated number of reps in the challenge calendar below. The first day will be your warm-up: You only have to do one burpee. Every day after that, you’ll add two burpees. And every six days, you get a rest day. (Phew!)
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On Day 30 — the very last day of the challenge — you'll finish with 50 burpees. That might seem like a lot, but you'll work up to it throughout the month. Plus, we have suggestions below to help you scale the exercise to your ability. You can also break up your burpees into more manageable sets or try different variations to find what works for you.
The Challenge Calendar To help keep you on track, the challenge calendar below can be printed out or saved to your phone so you know exactly how many burpees to do each day.
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Image Credit:
LIVESTRONG.com Creative
Get a printer-friendly version of the challenge calendar here.
How to Join the Burpee Challenge
Print and/or Save Your Challenge Calendar Keep your calendar somewhere you can see it so you never forget what day you’re on. Cross off the days as you complete them so you always know how many reps you have to do the next day.
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Advertisement 2. Join Our Challenge Facebook Group Our community of more than 53,000 members is here to support and motivate you through this challenge. Tell the group how the day’s reps went, post photos or videos of your burpees or share your favorite burpee meme or motivational quote.
Focus on Proper Burpee Form Before you begin, make sure you nail your form. Poor form means you won’t get as much of out an exercise — and it could put you at risk for injury.
Advertisement Burpees require a good bit of coordination, but with some careful focus you’ll perfect your form. Let’s take a minute to go through proper burpee form, step by step. How to Do a Burpee
Skill LevelIntermediate Activity Body-Weight Workout Region Full Body
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your back straight. Make sure your hips hinge back without your lower back arching or your knees extend over your toes. Reach your hands toward the ground, placing them on the floor shoulder-width apart. Jump or step your feet back into a high plank. You should be in a straight line from head to heels — shoulders over wrists, back flat, hips level. If you want, add a push-up here, bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lowering yourself toward the floor. Keep your shoulders over your hands, abs engaged and hips level. Press back up to a plank. Jump or step your feet back to your hands, landing in a low squat position. Press through your heels to jump straight up with arms overhead. Land softly with knees slightly bent so that you’re ready to move into the next rep.
Show Instructions
Tip Check that you're not holding your breath — or making any of these other common burpee mistakes.
Know How and When to Modify Burpees There are several ways to make burpees a little easier. Try these suggestions to reduce the impact of the exercise:
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If the push-up is too hard: Lower to your knees for modified push-ups. Place your arms on a step, bench or chair to elevate your upper body. Skip it entirely.
If you have wrist pain: Do the plank and/or push-up on closed fists. If you have back pain or prefer lower-impact exercises: Step one foot at a time back and forth from the plank position instead of jumping. If you have knee pain or prefer lower-impact exercises: Instead of jumping up from the squat, reach your arms overhead and lift onto your tiptoes.
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Tip Fun fact: Over these 30 days, you’ll do 675 burpees. Impressive! As the daily total increases, think about spreading them out in smaller sets throughout the day.
Try Variations for Every Fitness Level This challenge is for everyone: Beginners can modify with the tips above, while more advanced exercisers can try doubling the push-up or the jump, switching to single-arm push-ups or adding a box jump. Experiment with the best burpee variations to keep challenging yourself. Tip Even if you’re not at the advanced level yet, you can try doing just a few reps each day of a harder variation.
Enjoy Your Rest Days Days off give your muscles and mind a chance to rest, recover and get stronger. If you’re feeling sore, a rest day is a great time for stretching or foam rolling. Focus on wherever you’re tight or achy; because the burpee is a full-body exercise, there are many muscles that might need some relief.
A 5-Minute Stretch Routine You Can Do Every Day by Sholeen Lagadien The Perfect 15-Minute Foam Rolling Routine to Ease Sore Muscles and Improve Mobility by Madeleine H. Burry This 20-Minute Morning Walking Workout Helps Fire Up Your Metabolism by Jaime Osnato 10 Stretches You Can Do Every Day That Will Make You Feel Like You Got a Massage by Brittany Risher 7. Celebrate Your Success
Making it to the end the 30-Day Burpee Challenge is a major accomplishment! Spend some time savoring that sweet, sweet victory. Then, consider trying a new challenge next month, like:
This 30-Day Squat Challenge Sculpts Powerful Legs and a Stronger Butt
by
Rachel Grice
Get a Stronger Core in One Month With This 30-Day Abs Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
Build Full-Body Strength in 4 Weeks With This Resistance Band Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
The 4-Week Butt Lift Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
You can do any of our challenges on your own whenever you're ready, or you can visit our Challenges page to see what we have planned for the full year.
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Break up your burpees into smaller sets or try modifications (or variations!) as you progress through the 30-Day Burpee Challenge.
Image Credit: Getty Images/LIVESTRONG.com Creative
Image Credit: Getty Images/LIVESTRONG.com Creative
- How the Challenge Works
- The Challenge Calendar
- How to Join
- Proper Burpee Form
- Burpee Modifications
- Burpee Variations
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative
Get a printer-friendly version of the challenge calendar here.
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Body-Weight Workout
Region
Full Body
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides. Bend your knees to lower into a squat, keeping your back straight. Make sure your hips hinge back without your lower back arching or your knees extend over your toes. Reach your hands toward the ground, placing them on the floor shoulder-width apart. Jump or step your feet back into a high plank. You should be in a straight line from head to heels — shoulders over wrists, back flat, hips level. If you want, add a push-up here, bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lowering yourself toward the floor. Keep your shoulders over your hands, abs engaged and hips level. Press back up to a plank. Jump or step your feet back to your hands, landing in a low squat position. Press through your heels to jump straight up with arms overhead. Land softly with knees slightly bent so that you’re ready to move into the next rep.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Body-Weight Workout
Region
Full Body
Check that you’re not holding your breath — or making any of these other common burpee mistakes.
- Lower to your knees for modified push-ups.
- Place your arms on a step, bench or chair to elevate your upper body.
- Skip it entirely.
Fun fact: Over these 30 days, you’ll do 675 burpees. Impressive! As the daily total increases, think about spreading them out in smaller sets throughout the day.
Even if you’re not at the advanced level yet, you can try doing just a few reps each day of a harder variation.
A 5-Minute Stretch Routine You Can Do Every Day
by
Sholeen Lagadien
The Perfect 15-Minute Foam Rolling Routine to Ease Sore Muscles and Improve Mobility
by
Madeleine H. Burry
This 20-Minute Morning Walking Workout Helps Fire Up Your Metabolism
by
Jaime Osnato
10 Stretches You Can Do Every Day That Will Make You Feel Like You Got a Massage
by
Brittany Risher
This 30-Day Squat Challenge Sculpts Powerful Legs and a Stronger Butt
by
Rachel Grice
Get a Stronger Core in One Month With This 30-Day Abs Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
Build Full-Body Strength in 4 Weeks With This Resistance Band Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
The 4-Week Butt Lift Challenge
by
Rachel Grice
You can do any of our challenges on your own whenever you’re ready, or you can visit our Challenges page to see what we have planned for the full year.
