Fitness 101: Burpees

If you haven't done a burpee since high school gym class, we're here to tell you this retro move is back on trend. Also known as a squat thrust, the burpee is a bootcamp and CrossFit staple. It's great move to throw into almost any workout since it works your arms, legs, and core. Burpees will also get your heart pounding too.

If you have never done a burpee, read this little tutorial and then pound out 10 or 20 of them. Hopefully you will grow to love them.

Jump
Jump straight up — see how much air you can catch.

Crouching Squat
Land with control and continue into a crouching squat.

Keep reading to learn how to complete a full burpee.

Plank
Jump your feet back into a plank position.

Push-Up
Do one basic push up keeping your elbows close to your sides to work the triceps a little more.

Squat
Jump feet forward to hands and come into a squat and prepare to jump.

That's it. Just keep repeating the cycle. Start with 10 reps, and then work up to 20 continuous burpees. If you need to modify the movement to protect your knees or back, take out the jumps. To start the move, simply rise to your toes to test your balance, and walk in and out of the plank rather than jumping in and out of that position.