Burpees: how to do it
Main muscles: Rectus femoris. Helpers: Gluteus maximus, Middle chest, Front delts (anterior deltoid), Upper abs, Gastrocnemius (calves). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Bodyweight
Reps
8–15
Rest
90 s
Muscle group
Legs
How to do it
- From standing, squat down, put the hands on the floor and kick back into a plank.
- Do a push-up, then pull the feet to the hands and jump up.
- Keep an even pace and do not let the back round.
Common mistakes
Hips sagging in the plank, landing on straight legs, rushing at the cost of form.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Rectus femoris
- Secondary
- Gluteus maximus, Middle chest, Front delts (anterior deltoid), Upper abs, Gastrocnemius (calves)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Home, 3 days3 × 8–15
- Circuit, 3 days3 × 8–15
Alternatives: similar exercises
Bodyweight squat
Bodyweight · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Back squat
Barbell · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Lunges
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius
Sumo deadlift
Barbell · Gluteus maximus, Rectus femoris, Hip adductors (inner thigh), Erector spinae (lower back)
Goblet squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Bulgarian split squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Gluteus maximus, Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500