Burpee Modifications

by Andrew Peterson | Nov 15, 2015 | Exercises, Training tips, weight loss

This month we have our most intense challenge yet. This guide is here to show you 3 burpee modifications to tailor this intense exercise to your current ability level. The Burpee is beloved by trainers and clients everywhere because of it’s raw effectiveness at helping you lose weight. Practicing this move will wake your body up by  re teaching it movement patterns it has long forgotten.

The burpee is a true test of total body conditioning. It consists of 3 different moves done in succession. Each move works a different part of the body and together makes for an intense full body cardio and strength workout. Each move should be done linking to the next as smoothly as possible.

Level 1 Burpee Modifications  – don’t overthink it

If you have never done a burpee before this is where you start.

• From a standing position get down on the ground, all the way until you are lying flat on your stomach. If you can hop both legs out behind you great, if not walk out one foot at a time.
• Step two, stand back up, jump up and clap your hands over your head.

Level 2 Burpee Modifications  – building form

If you have some good fitness built up you can break this move down into 3 different moves done in succession and try to nail them with the best form you can.

• Squat Thrust (core) – an exercise in which the legs are thrust backward to their full extent from a squatting position with the hands on the floor.
  • Level 1. Walk one foot at a time back, and one foot at a time forward.
  • Level 2 Walk one foot at a time back and hop both feet forward. If you can’t do this go back to level 1.
  • Level 3 Hop both feet out together, hop both feet back in together.  If you can’t do this go back to level 2.
• Pushup (upper body) – lower your upper body to the ground with you arms and shoulders. Warning: Push-ups are tough.
  • Level 1. get all the way to the ground and get yourself up any way you can.
  • Level 2 put your knees down and lower your body all the way to the ground before pushing up. If you can’t do this go back to level 1.
  • Level 3 lower yourself all the way to the ground and perform a full strict pushup. If you can’t do this go back to level 2.
• Flying Squat (lower body) – jump as high as possible, work your upper body by reaching up and clapping above your head at the peak of your jump. Land softly by absorbing impact with bent knees as you hit the ground. If you have bad knees or can’t jump you can skip this one. Do as much of the movement as you can.

Level 3 Burpee Modifications  – taking it to the next level

This is such a valuable move because of all of the things you can do with it. The possibilities are limitless. Once we get good at the basic moves we can add on with other fun exercises.

Sample level 3 burpee modifications we perform:

• Box Jump Burpees – Jump onto a step and back down instead of just up in the air to finish the move.
• Burpee Pullups – Jump up, grab a bar and perform a pullup an the end of the move.
• Burpee Deadlifts – Pick up weights at your side to finish with a deadlift instead of a plyometric jump at the end.
• Ball Slam Burpees – Finish with a ball slam for an extra boost of fat burning cardio.

Reminder about Burpee Modifications – If you have preexisting injuries it is perfectly fine to omit parts of this move which cause pain. For instance if you have bad knees you might want to finish by standing up straight instead of jumping. If you have shoulder injuries you might want to skip the pushup and just pop out into a plank without lowering your body. Now that you’ve read this list of burpee modifications you should be able to chose the difficulty that is right for you. This one is going to be tough so leave your questions and favorite burpee modifications in the comments below!