Are Burpees Good For Cardio? Benefits & Exercise Routines

Key Takeaways

• Burpees strengthen your heart and make it work more efficiently.
• They provide a full-body workout, engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
• Burpees are a high-calorie burning exercise, which helps in weight management.
• They can be easily modified to suit different fitness levels.
• While burpees give you excellent cardio benefits, combining them with SOLE's fitness equipment creates a complete cardio training approach that develops all aspects of your heart health

Burpees for Cardio Health

What Are Burpees?

A burpee is a full-body exercise that combines several movements into one fluid motion. It starts with standing upright, then dropping into a squat position with your hands on the ground, kicking your feet back into a plank position, performing a push-up, jumping your feet back to the squat position, and finally jumping up with your hands overhead. This single exercise works nearly every muscle in your body! 

How Burpees Help with Cardio Health

When you do burpees, your heart rate goes up quickly since you’re using several large muscle groups at once, which require more oxygen. Your heart works harder to pump blood and deliver oxygen to these muscles. Over time, this extra work strengthens your heart and improves your stamina.

Burpees also enhance your overall fitness and strength by targeting:

• Upper Body: The push-ups target your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Core: Keeping your body straight during the plank position engages your core muscles.
• Lower Body: Jumping and squatting work your quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Benefits of Burpees

Full-Body Muscle Training

Burpees work every major muscle group in your body. From your shoulders and chest during the push-up to your legs when jumping, burpees give you a comprehensive workout that builds muscle strength and endurance.

Burns Calories Fast

One of the best things about burpees is how well they burn calories. Fitness experts say you can burn up to 10 calories per minute doing burpees, depending on your weight and how hard you work. This makes them great if you want to lose weight or stay at a healthy weight.

Because burpees are a high-intensity workout, they also create an "afterburn effect," where your body keeps burning calories even after you finish exercising. This means you get more calorie-burning benefits without spending hours at the gym.

Better Mobility and Flexibility

Doing burpees regularly can improve how well you move. The dynamic movements in a burpee, such as squatting, jumping, and planking, require a range of motion that improves joint flexibility over time.

Building Mental Toughness

Finishing a set of burpees can be mentally demanding. The exercise requires focus, determination, and resilience, all of which help build mental toughness. As you push through each rep, you develop a stronger mindset that can help you overcome challenges both in and out of the gym.

Adding Burpees Into Your Routine

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to perform a standard burpee:

1. Start: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
2. Squat: Lower your body into a squat position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
3. Plank: Jump your feet back to land in a plank position, keeping your body straight from head to heels.
4. Push-Up: Perform a push-up, lowering your chest to the ground and then pushing back up.
5. Jump Forward: Jump your feet back to the squat position.
6. Jump Up: Explode into the air, reaching your arms overhead.

Repeat these steps for the desired number of repetitions and always maintain good form throughout each movement to avoid injury. (Image courtesy of 100lbs Later)

Sample High-Intensity Interval Training Workout With Burpees

• Warm-Up: 5 minutes of light jogging or brisk walking.
• Burpees: 30 seconds of burpees followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat for 5 rounds.
• Jump Squats: 30 seconds of jump squats followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat for 5 rounds.
• Plank Holds: 30 seconds of plank holds followed by 30 seconds of rest. Repeat for 5 rounds.
• Cool Down: 5 minutes of stretching.

Integrating Circuit Training

Burpees can also be incorporated into circuit training. Set up a circuit with five different exercises, including burpees. Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest. Complete the circuit three times. Here’s an example:

• Burpees
• Push-Ups
• Lunges
• Mountain Climbers
• Russian Twists

Frequency and Progression Tips

Start with what feels comfortable, maybe adding burpees to your routine two or three times a week. As you get stronger and more used to the exercise, you can do them more often and with more intensity.

Progress is important for continued improvement. Begin with a manageable number of burpees, like five to ten, and gradually increase as your endurance and strength build. You can also challenge yourself by taking shorter rest periods between sets or adding a higher jump at the end of each burpee.

Safety Tips and Precautions

While burpees are very effective, it's important to do them safely to avoid injury. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Warm-Up: Always start with a warm-up to prepare your body for exercise. This can include light cardio and flexible stretches.
• Focus on Form: Maintain proper form throughout each movement. Keep your back straight during the plank and land softly when jumping.
• Listen to Your Body: If you feel pain or discomfort, stop and check your technique. Modify the exercise if needed.
• Rest and Recover: Allow enough rest between workouts to let your muscles recover and prevent overtraining. Make sure you get enough sleep since this is when most of the recovery happens. Hydration and nutrition also play big roles in recovery, so drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet rich in protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.

Warm-Up and Cool-Down Essentials

A good warm-up could include 5 minutes of light cardio, like jogging in place or jumping jacks, followed by dynamic stretches targeting your major muscle groups.

After your workout, cooling down is important. It helps your body transition back to a resting state and can prevent muscle stiffness. Spend a few minutes walking or doing gentle stretches to gradually lower your heart rate.

Maximize Cardio Benefits with SOLE Fitness Equipment

Burpees already give you great cardio benefits on their own, but adding SOLE fitness equipment to your workouts can take your heart health to new heights. SOLE machines work perfectly with high-intensity exercises like burpees, giving you a complete approach to heart health with better results.

The SOLE+ App adds to your burpee exercise with hundreds of workouts.

Here's how SOLE equipment makes your burpee workout even better:

• Better Heart Rate Control: SOLE treadmills and ellipticals have built-in heart rate monitors that help you stay in your ideal cardio zone between burpee sets
• Keep Going Longer: When burpees become too tiring, you can switch to SOLE equipment like the treadmill to keep your heart rate up without needing to rest, giving you more effective training time
• Hill Training Option: The incline features on SOLE treadmills (up to 15%) and ellipticals (up to 20 levels) mimic uphill training, challenging your heart similar to burpees but working different muscles
• Build Long-Term Stamina: While burpees are great for high-intensity training, SOLE bikes and ellipticals let you do longer, steady workouts that develop different aspects of heart health
• Active Recovery: The quiet drive systems of the SOLE bike allow for gentle recovery sessions that keep your blood flowing while letting muscles used during burpees recover

For the best cardio results, try combining burpees with SOLE equipment. For example, do burpee intervals (30 seconds work/30 seconds rest) for 5 minutes, then switch to a SOLE treadmill at 70–75% of your max heart rate for 10 minutes. This combo develops both your sprint and endurance energy systems better than either exercise alone.

Ready to kickstart your cardio workouts? Check out the SOLE equipment collections today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How Many Burpees Should I Do Daily?

That depends on your fitness level and goals. Beginners might start with 5–10 burpees per session, gradually increasing as they build strength and endurance. More advanced exercisers might aim for 50 or more, either in one go or spread throughout the day.

Listen to your body and progress at a pace that feels right for you. It's better to focus on quality and form rather than quantity, especially when starting out.

Can Beginners Do Burpees?

Absolutely! Beginners can start with modified burpees to build strength and confidence. For instance, remove the jump or push-up components initially. Focus on mastering the squat and plank positions first. As you become more comfortable, you can gradually add the full movements.

What Muscles Do Burpees Work?

Burpees are a full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups:

• Upper Body: The push-up targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Core: The plank position and transitions work your abdominal muscles.
• Lower Body: The squat and jump engage your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Are There Burpee Alternatives?

If burpees are too challenging or you're looking to mix things up, consider these alternatives:

• Squat Thrusts: Similar to burpees but without the jump, making them easier on the joints.
• Mountain Climbers: Focus on core strength and cardio without the impact of jumping.
• Jumping Jacks: A lower-impact way to increase heart rate and engage multiple muscle groups.

How can I use the SOLE treadmill to improve my burpee performance?

You can use a SOLE treadmill's precise speed and incline controls to do heart rate-based intervals (30 seconds at 85–90% max heart rate followed by 90 seconds at 65–70%). This proven method improves your body's ability to handle intense exercise, directly helping you do more burpees without getting tired.