The first time I did CrossFit, I was introduced to Burpee CrossFit Workouts. Burpees were the first exercise I learnt and the last move I’ll forget.
They’re a great introductory exercise, not too technical or complicated that people won’t get it and one that works your aerobic capacity, whilst also still good enough to feature at the CrossFit Games.
As for many movements, burpees can be adjusted to be harder: they can be done on walls or box jumps. Jump over the rower burpees are also a thing, together with backflip burpees.
An exercise that can be performed pretty much anywhere, there’s no equipment needed to perform a burpee and the constant repetition of getting up and going down can build your character as well as your endurance.
Chances are, you were punished by a sport’s teacher when you were younger for being late or chatting too much with some burpee reps, so they might stir up bad memories.
Burpees can get a bad rep amongst Crossfitters, but we wouldn’t put ourselves through WODs if we didn’t like a challenge. So go ahead and challenge yourself, here are five CrossFit burpee workouts to test you out.
BURPEE CROSSFIT WORKOUT 1 – BURPEES (WOD 12.1)
In 2012, the CrossFit Open stared with exactly that, just burpees. The workout looked like this:
- Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
- Burpees
Starting from a standing position, move from laying your body flat on the ground to touching an object with both hands that is 6 inches above their max reach.
BURPEE CROSSFIT WORKOUT 2 – GAMES QUALIFIER
- Time cap: 20 minutes
- 100x burpees over the rower
- Remaining time: row as far as possible
- Score: the total distance rowed in meters.
Burpee workouts usually come in sets of 50+. Performing the exercise as fast as you can is sure to get your heart racing.
WORKOUT 3 – PRISONER BURPEES
- For time:
- 20 burpees
- 10m sprint
- 19 burpees
- 10m sprint
- 18 burpees
- 10m sprint
- …
- 1 burpee
- 10m sprint
Burpees work your abs, arms, chest, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and core – they train the whole body together, unlike with isolated exercises.
BURPEE CROSSFIT WORKOUT 4 – BURPEE THRUSTER (WOD 14.5)
- For time:
- 21-18-15-12-9-6-3
- Thrusters (95/65)
- Bar facing burpees
Crossfit burpee workouts are performed at high intensity, yet the relative little skill required to perform them makes them a great exercise for anyone.
WORKOUT 5 – DEATH BY BURPEE
- 20-minute AMRAP:
- 5 burpees
- 10 air squats
- 4 burpees
- 15 sit-ups
- 3 burpees
- 10 push-ups
- 2 burpees
- 60-second plank
- 1 burpee
