5 extreme burpees you have to try

Burpees are an absolute work-out staple. Not only do they burn a whole load of calories, they’re also great for building endurance and muscle tone. But, if you’ve grown tired of the simple burpee, we have a solution.

WHL’s personal trainer Lucy Denver has lined up five of her top variations for us to try out, so we can fall back in love (as much as is possible) with burpees. Prepare to shake up your workout with these inventive twists on the traditional burpee.

One-legged burpee

How to: Balance on one leg, squat down to the floor and place hands under shoulders. Jump back into plank position, landing on one leg. Do a push up, jump back into a squat and then stand.

Lucy says: ‘When you try this one, you’ll be surprised by how much strength you need in your legs to get down and back up again! It’s also really good for finding out which one is your stronger leg. Start off doing five on each leg, and work your way up from there.’

Box jump burpee

How to: Start with a standard burpee. At the end instead of jumping from squat position back into standing, jump up onto a box, bench or raised object in front of you, then jump back to the floor.

Lucy says: ‘These require a lot of focus, because instead of jumping in the air to complete your burpee, you’re jumping onto a box. The burpee-box jump combination does wonders for your explosive power (useful for running for that bus/tube/taxi and in sample sale situations).’
 

Bear crawl burpee

How to: Do your burpee, jump in the air and twist round – then bear crawl out until your chest is flat to the floor; bear crawl back and jump round…then start all over again!

Lucy says: ‘This is basically two burpees for the price of one, which is why I love (and loathe) it so much. Do your burpee, jump in the air and twist round – then bear crawl out until your chest is flat to the floor; bear crawl back and jump round, then start all over again! Not for the faint-hearted!’

Press-up squat thrust burpee

How to: At the bottom of your burpee, perform a full, chest to floor press up, then jump your feet up towards your chest and back out in a squat thrust, before returning to an upright position.

Lucy says: ‘This is a brutal combination that really gets your arms (including bingo wings) working, and works your core to the max. If press ups are your nemesis, this is a great way to practice them in an innovative way!’

Pistol squat burpee

How to: A pistol squat is a single-legged squat. After completing a full burpee, raise one leg off the ground and go into an ‘ass-to-grass’ squat.

Lucy says: ‘This is probably my favourite type of burpee because it is such a great progression and gives a real indication of leg strength. If you can’t get all the way down, put a barbell plate under your heel to help (remember how easy squatting in heels is? The same theory applies here) or use a TRX to support your bodyweight.’