Burpee Jack
- Primary muscleCardio
- EquipmentBodyweight
- DifficultyAdvanced
- TypeCardio · Complex
Splitting the plank phase into a jumping-jack of the feet is what separates this from the plain Burpee: your legs snap wide and back together while the shoulders hold the plank, adding hip work and coordination exactly where most people pause. That extra beat raises the cost of every rep, so expect lower totals.
How to do the Burpee Jack
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body into a squat position, placing your hands on the ground in front of you.
- Kick your feet back, landing in a push-up position.
- Perform a push-up, lowering your chest to the ground and then pushing back up.
- Jump your feet forward, landing in a squat position.
- Jump up explosively, reaching your arms overhead.
- Land softly and immediately lower back into the squat position to begin the next repetition.
Tip: Breathe out as you jump and keep a steady rhythm rather than sprinting.
Muscles worked
Primary
Cardio · Cardio
Burpees are a conditioning movement first and hit the heart rate hard within a few reps, so use them in timed rounds.
Common mistakes
- Collapsing to the floor — lower yourself with control rather than dropping, since flopping into the push-up position is how wrists and shoulders get hurt.
- Sloppy push-up — if the burpee includes a push-up, do a real one with the chest to the floor and a flat back, or skip the push-up.
- Landing stiff on the jump — bend the knees on landing and go straight into the next rep.
- Sprinting the first ten — pace to the length of the set or you will be walking through the last half.
Where it fits in a workout
Burpees go at the end of a session as a finisher or as part of a circuit. Alternate them with kettlebell swings for a simple two-movement conditioning round.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.