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This workout comes to you from DailyBurn trainer Anja Garcia. You can find more high-intensity moves in her program Inferno, available at DailyBurn.com.
What move is king of the bodyweight exercises? The one that leaves no major muscle group untouched? The almighty burpee, of course! This full-body movement delivers plenty of bang for your buck when you’ve got no equipment at hand. Think about it: You’re combining a squat, a plank, another squat, and an explosive jump. Both your upper and lower body are working hard each time you drop to the floor for a set.
Burpees target your quads, glutes, core, chest, back and shoulders, explains DailyBurn trainer Anja Garcia. And they’re great for cardio, too. Your heart rate will skyrocket as your endurance levels are put to the test. If the goal is going all-out, Garcia is a fan of Tabata-style burpees. That means eight rounds of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Just four minutes and you’ll be done!
RELATED: Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises for Beginners
7 Burpees You’ll Love to Hate
The standard burpee is all about strength and conditioning. But why not take things up a notch? We asked Garcia to demonstrate seven burns-so-good burpees for those ready to graduate from the basics. Follow along with the GIFs below to push past your comfort zone or add variety to your next HIIT workout.
If you’re in need of modifying any of these challenging moves, Garcia recommends stepping instead of jumping back into plank position for each burpee variation below. This modification will still engage your core and help increase your mobility. Let the battle of burpees begin! Pick your poison from the seven exercises below, listed from beginner to more advanced.
1. Push-Up Burpee
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Quickly lower into a squat position and place your palms on the ground about a foot in front of your feet (a). Shoot your feet out behind you so you’re balanced on your hands and toes in a plank position, with shoulders directly over your wrists (b). Maintaining a straight line from head to toe, complete one push-up by lowering your chest to the floor, then press upwards back into plank position (c). Next, jump your feet forwards so you are in a low squat (d). To finish of the move, jump straight up, exploding from the heels, while bringing your hands above your head (e). Land with your hands at your sides in the neutral starting position. Repeat.
2. Star Jump Burpee
How to: Begin by performing a standard burpee (minus the push-up) detailed above. After dropping down, hitting plank position, and hopping your feet back to meet your hands, prepare to tack on a little extra! (a) Instead of jumping straight up, in this variation, you'll generate enough power to jump into a star position, arms and legs spread away from your body (imagine your entire body forming the letter "X") (b). Land softly, bringing your feet back together and your arms by your sides (c). Repeat.
RELATED: 5 Advanced Push-Up Variations to Try Now
3. Superman Burpee
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Perform a standard burpee, lowering your chest down to the floor after plank position (a). With your chest on the ground, take your hands off the ground and shoot them out in front of your shoulders. Your upper and lower back should be engaged here (b). Bring your hands back under your shoulders, press upwards back to the plank position (c). Jump your feet forwards so you are in a low squat (d). Explode through your heels, jumping straight up and bringing your hands above your head (e). Land with your hands at your sides in the neutral starting position. Repeat.
4. Side Burpee
How to: This move begins like the basic burpee: Lower into a squat position and place your hands on the ground about a foot in front of your feet (a). Next, instead of jumping your feet back directly behind you, shoot them out diagonally to the left so you’re balanced on your hands and your toes, with your shoulders directly over your hands. You should feel your oblique abdominals engaged on the right side (b). Jump your feet back under your body so you are in a low squat (c). Jump straight up and bring your hands above your head (d). Repeat movement and shoot your feet out to the right.
5. Mountain Climber Tuck Jump Burpee
How to: From a standing position, quickly drop down, placing your palms on the ground and jumping your feet back behind you so you’re in a plank position (a). Perform mountain climbers by rapidly alternating between bringing one knee up under your chest while keeping the other leg extended. Switch legs four times total and be sure to keep your hips down and your back straight. Your core should be engaged (b). Jump your feet forwards so you are in a low squat (c). Push through your heels, jumping straight up into a tuck jump. Your legs should come as close to your chest as possible (d). Land as softly as possible and repeat.
RELATED: The 20-Minute Tabata Workout You Need to Try
6. Dive Bomber Burpee
How to: Perform a regular burpee up until you reach plank position (a). From there, slide your hips back while shifting your weight until you reach down dog position (b). Next, do a “cobra” push-up: Bend your elbows and dive your upper body towards the floor. Let your hips follow your shoulders with the diving motion. Then, press your upper body away from the ground but let your hips stay close to the floor so you are in an “upward dog” position (c). Reverse the motion by bending your elbows and coming into downward dog position (d). Hop your feet forwards so you are in a low squat, then jump up while bringing both hands overhead (e). Land with your hands at your sides in the neutral starting position. Repeat.
7. Box Burpee
How to: Have a plyo box or access to a sturdy step or ledge? Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides. Go through the movements of a regular burpee until you’ve jumped out of plank position and into in a low squat (a). Now, perform a box jump. With your knees slightly bent, hop up on a plyo box or stable, elevated surface (b). Hop or step down, and repeat from the beginning.
For more high-intensity moves from Anja, head to dailyburn.com/inferno and try DailyBurn free for 30 days.
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