How to Do a Burpee Safely: Beginner to Advanced Progressions
Burpees are one of the best full-body exercises, engaging the core, lower body, and upper body all at once. However, many people do burpees incorrectly, leading to injuries in the hips, knees, lower back, and shoulders.
If you’ve tried burpees before and found them too difficult or painful, don’t worry. Today, I’ll show you a safe, step-by-step progression so that you can build up to doing a burpee with perfect form.
Let’s start with beginner variations using a sturdy chair and work our way toward advanced burpees with a full push-up.
Step 1: High Chair Burpee Walkout (Beginner Level)
This is the safest burpee variation for beginners. It helps build strength, flexibility, and coordination without putting excessive strain on the body.
How to do it:
Stand behind a sturdy chair with your toes facing straight forward.
Push your hips back (not rounding your back) and place your hands on the chair.
Step one foot back into a plank, then the other foot.
Engage your glutes and core, keeping your back straight.
Step your feet forward one at a time, stand up, and raise your arms overhead (palms facing inward).
Repeat slowly, maintaining control.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Rounding the back instead of pushing the hips back.
Sagging or arching the lower back when stepping into the plank position.
If this feels easy and you can maintain good form for 60 seconds, move on to the Low Chair Burpee Walkout.
Step 2: Low Chair Burpee Walkout
Lowering the surface makes this movement more challenging by requiring more strength and flexibility.
How to do it:
Stand about a foot away from the chair.
Push your hips back and place your hands on the seat of the chair.
Step one foot back at a time into a plank position.
Engage your glutes and core, keeping your back flat.
Step forward one foot at a time, stand up, and raise your arms overhead.
Modification for Wrist Pain:
Place your hands on the outer edges of the chair instead of flat on top to reduce wrist strain.
If you can maintain good form for 60 seconds, progress to the next level.
Step 3: Burpee Walkout on the Floor
This version requires more flexibility and strength, so only progress if you can keep a flat back while lowering your hands to the ground.
How to do it:
Stand with feet hip-width apart.
Push your hips back, keeping a flat back, and lower your hands to the ground.
Step one foot back at a time into a strong plank (glutes and core engaged).
Step one foot forward at a time, then stand up and raise your arms overhead.
Important Notes:
Avoid rounding your back when bending forward.
Keep your knees in line with your toes when stepping forward.
If this is too hard, use a step or elevated surface before transitioning fully to the floor.
If you can do this for a minute with good form, move on to the jump-back variation.
Step 4: Jump-Back Burpee (No Push-Up Yet)
This version introduces the explosive jump-back and jump-forward, increasing difficulty while still focusing on safe movement patterns.
How to do it:
Push hips back, place hands on the floor.
Jump both feet back into a strong plank position (glutes and core engaged).
Jump both feet forward, keeping a flat back.
Reset your posture and stand up.
Modification:
If jumping back is too hard, you can step back and jump forward or jump halfway and step forward the rest of the way.
If this feels easy for 60 seconds, it’s time to add the push-up.
Step 5: Burpee with Kneeling Push-Up
Adding a push-up makes this a full-body movement, strengthening the chest, arms, and core.
How to do it:
Start in a jump-back burpee position.
Lower your knees to the ground and perform a push-up (elbows tucked close).
Lift your knees, jump forward, and stand up.
Important Tip:
Keep elbows close to the ribs (not flared out) to protect your shoulders.
If you can complete 10 repetitions, move to the next variation.
Step 6: Burpee with Half-Kneeling Push-Up
Now, you’ll lower with a full push-up and press back up from the knees.
How to do it:
Jump back into a plank.
Lower your chest in a full push-up.
Drop your knees, then press up.
Jump forward and stand up.
If you can do 10 repetitions with good form, move on to full burpees.
Step 7: Full Burpee with Push-Up
Now, it’s time for the classic burpee, combining all elements into a fluid motion.
How to do it:
Jump back into a plank.
Perform a full push-up.
Jump forward and stand up.
Repeat smoothly for 10–15 reps.
Once you can do 10–15 full burpees in a row, increase speed to make it more challenging.
Burpee Progression Review
High Chair Burpee Walkout – Gentle introduction to the movement.
Low Chair Burpee Walkout – Increases strength and flexibility.
Burpee Walkout on the Floor – Builds lower body mobility.
Jump-Back Burpee – Adds explosiveness without a push-up.
Burpee with Kneeling Push-Up – Introduces upper body strength.
Burpee with Half-Kneeling Push-Up – Strengthens push-up endurance.
Full Burpee with Push-Up – The complete movement for total body conditioning.
Final Thoughts
By following this step-by-step approach, you will safely build strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. Choose the right variation for your level and practice 3–4 times a week to improve.
If you want full-body workouts that adapt to your fitness level, We Shape provides personalized follow-along programs with progressive movement options like this.
Stay consistent, focus on good form, and your burpees will feel easier and more natural over time.