Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe burpee is an excellent exercise for building anaerobic stamina, giving you the ability to work at near-maximal effort for longer periods of time. This is a great adaptation for improving performance at nearly any sport or fitness pursuit.
In this bodyweight workout, you’ll do a set number of burpees every two minutes (and rest for the remaining time), alternating periods of hard work with recovery, thereby allowing you to put maximum effort into each set.
The Workout
Every 2 minutes, complete the prescribed number of burpees. Go as quickly as possible. During any remaining time, rest.
Go for 20 minutes total.
- Advanced: Do 15 burpees every 2 minutes
- Intermediate: Do 12 burpees every 2 minutes
- Beginner: Do 8 burpees every 2 minutes
Movement Tips
To perform a burpee, begin at standing with your feet at hip width. Put your hands on the ground and kick back to a plank position, quickly lowering your chest to the ground (this is exactly like the bottom of a push-up).
Rapidly push back up to a plank (the top of a push-up), simultaneously jumping your feet back under you. Jump and clap your hands over your head. This is one repetition.
To reduce the difficulty of the burpee, you have several options:
- You can put your knees on the ground during the push-up portion.
- Rather than jump your feet back under you (or jump and clap at the end of each repetition), simply walk your feet back underneath you and return to standing at the end of each repetition.
Previously, he founded Again Faster Equipment, a functional fitness equipment company created to serve the CrossFit community. Established in 2006, Jon took the Company global in 2012, twice landing on the Inc. 500/5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies.
From 2007 to 2013, he served as a Senior Lecturer for CrossFit, Inc., training aspiring CrossFit trainers at over 100 seminars, including engagements in Iceland, Afghanistan, Moscow, Holland, the United States, and Canada. Jon also served on the CrossFit L1 Advisory Board, helping establish policy for the organization’s training efforts from 2011 to 2013.
He’s also done stints in state government, gym management, and consulting — and currently teaches classes at CrossFit City Line.
Jon graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2003, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in Psychology. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in Finance and Control from the Harvard Extension School, 2006, and has completed coursework in data analytics.
