Burpee Variations To Progress Your Fitness

If you're training regularly, you might find that you’re ready for more challenging exercises.

I know burpees can be difficult to master, but they're included in High Intensity with Kayla Itsines (formerly BBG) because they're an effective, full-body exercise. And once you've nailed them, you can always progress to more difficult exercises. If you're ready to take your training to the next level, I’ve got some burpee variations for you!

Jump to:

• Burpee and box jump
• Broad-jump burpee
• Weighted burpee

3 burpee variations that will boost your fitness

Here are some burpee variations if you've already mastered the standard burpee. As your fitness improves, these challenging variations can help to keep your workout interesting. 

Burpee and box jump

The burpee with box jump is one of my favourite ways to step-up my burpees. You might not realise this, but burpees can be really helpful for improving your balance and coordination. So once you’ve got the hang of a burpee, you may want to challenge yourself even more by adding a box jump!

Here’s how to do a burpee and box jump: 

1. With a plyometric softbox directly in front of you, plant both feet on the mat shoulder-width apart. 
2. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. 
3. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains between 45 and 90 degrees of your hips. This is called a squat position.
4. Propel your body upwards and forwards into the air to land into the squat position on top of the box. When landing, ensure that you maintain ‘soft’ knees to prevent injury.
5. Carefully step backward off the box, one leg at a time.
6. Bend at both the hips and knees to place your hands on the mat on either side of your feet, ensuring that your spine remains in a neutral position.
7. Jump both of your feet back so that your legs are completely extended behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Your body should be in one straight line from your head to your heels.
8. Jump both of your feet forwards in between your hands, once again, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart.
9. Push through your heels and extend your legs to return to a neutral standing position.
10. Repeat.

Broad-jump burpee

Once you’ve done a few regular burpees, you’ll know all that jumping can really test your fitness level! 

A broad-jump burpee is similar to the basic burpee, only this one begins with a jump as well. It can help get your heart rate up and makes the exercise a little more difficult. 

Here’s how to do a broad-jump burpee: 

1. Plant both feet on the mat shoulder-width apart. 
2. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. 
3. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains between 45 and 90 degrees of your hips. This is called a squat position.
4. Propel your body upwards and forwards into the air to land back into the squat position. When landing, ensure that you maintain “soft” knees to prevent injury.
5. Place your hands on the mat on either side of your feet, ensuring that your spine remains in a neutral position.
6. Jump both of your feet back so that your legs are completely extended behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Your body should be in one straight line from your head to your heels.
7. Jump both of your feet forwards in between your hands, once again, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart.
8. Push through your heels and extend your legs to return to a neutral standing position.
9. Repeat.

Weighted burpee

You can make your burpees even MORE challenging by simply adding weights! Just as adding some resistance can make planks harder, you can give your arms and core some extra work by adding some dumbbells to your burpees.  

Here’s how to do a weighted burpee: 

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, and place the dumbbells on the floor directly in front of your feet.
2. Holding on to the dumbbells, jump both of your feet back so that your legs are completely extended behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Your body should be in one straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Jump both of your feet in towards the dumbbells, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart.
4. At the same time, push through your heels to extend your legs and bend your elbows to bring both dumbbells into your chest. Ensure that the heads of the dumbbells are facing forwards. 
5. Extend your arms and press both dumbbells up above your head.
6. Gently lower the dumbbells by firstly bringing them into your chest and then extending your arms down by your sides.
7. Repeat.

Burpees are such a great full-body exercise! You might not love doing them, but I’m sure you can appreciate how good they can be to work multiple muscle groups. 

These burpee variations will take your fitness to the next level!

While these burpee variations are a bit more advanced, you might also find a version you like doing more than a basic burpee. 

Just as it’s important to modify exercises if you find any of my High Intensity with Kayla workouts too hard, you should also keep challenging yourself when you start to feel stronger. If you’re looking for a workout challenge with a variety of exercises, try one of my challenges in the “On Demand” section in the Sweat app. 

I often post videos of workouts and exercise variations on Instagram, so follow me on social media for more exercise education!