Build total body strength, deep core stability and cardiovascular conditioning with this burpee workout. This full body workout focuses on all the muscles in the core, while also getting your heart rate up. Challenge yourself to complete 100 burpees by the end of this conditioning workout.
The burpee exercise is a total body movement that combines multiple compound exercises, including a squat, plank, and push up.
Burpees are a high-intensity strength training movement known for being both challenging and effective. This bodyweight exercise is an excellent way to work all the major muscle groups without any gym equipment. Different variations make the burpee exercise scalable for all fitness levels.
You’ll complete ten sets of ten burpees throughout the workout, for a total of 100 burpees.
Burpee Workout FAQs
What Is A Burpee?
A burpee is a full-body exercise that combines a squat, a plank, a push-up, and a jump. This high-intensity exercise works all the major muscle groups in the body, including the chest, back and hamstrings.
What Is A Beginner Burpee Exercise?
A beginner burpee is a modification of a traditional high-impact burpee. To perform beginner burpees, add an incline by placing your hands on a countertop, bench or box, then perform an incline burpee variation. Alternatively, sub towel slams for burpees.
What Are The Benefits of Burpees?
Burpees are an efficient way to improve cardiovascular fitness, build strength and endurance, and burn fat. They also can improve mobility, balance, and coordination.
30-Minute Burpee Workout (MetCon, Day 4)
Build total body strength and conditioning at home with this effective burpee workout.
This metabolic conditioning workout challenges you to complete 100 burpees. Although the muscular focus is the core, we’ll also engage the chest, shoulders, back, glutes and hamstrings.
I suggest doing this burpee workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.
Workout Equipment:
A medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells.
I suggest anywhere from 8-25 lbs. We’re using 15-20 lb dumbbells in this workout.
5 Circuits (one cardio exercise and one set of burpees in each circuit).
Timed Intervals for Core Exercises (30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest. Complete as many reps as you can in the timed interval.)
Count Reps for Cardio Exercises (Perform 10 burpees in each cardio interval for a total of 100 burpees. Or sub 30 seconds of towel slams for the burpees).
Repeat Each Circuit x2 Sets
Workout Outline
CIRCUIT ONE:
Core: Single Leg Deadlift, Two Back Rows and Knee Drive
Targets: Upper body (chest, arms, back, shoulders), lower body (legs, glutes, hips) and core.
A true full body HIIT exercise to build strength and endurance in every major muscle group.
How To Do Burpees
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides.
Bend your knees and drop your hips as you lower into a squat position, then place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet.
Shift your weight into your hands as you jump your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a high plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels.
Elbows fall back towards your body as you lower your chest towards the ground, bringing your chest to meet the floor. Press back up and return to high plank.
Jump your feet up, landing outside your hands in a loaded squat position. Then drive through your legs to explode up, reaching arms overhead as you stand tall, returning to starting position.
Modification: Substitute towel slams for burpees. Or perform walking burpees, stepping your feet in and out of plank position rather than jumping.
How To Do Single Leg Deadlifts, Back Rows and Knee Drives
Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold dumbbells in both hands, palms facing in (narrow grip).
Transfer your weight into your right foot and float your left foot off the ground, balancing on your right leg.
Then, perform a single arm back row on the right by pulling your right elbow to the right hip. Hold the dumbbell in your right hand at the top of this row position for the rest of the timed interval.
Next, perform a single arm dumbbell row on the left, pulling the dumbbell in your left hand towards your left hip, before lowering with control.
Then, drive your left knee up, knee bent at 90 degrees and left thigh parallel to the ground. Hold for a second.
Slowly and with control, reverse the motion, extending your left leg behind you and returning to a single leg deadlift position.
Modification: perform a staggered deadlift with both feet on the floor, feet shoulder width apart. Keep 80% of your weight in your front heel and 20% in your back toe.
Half Kneeling Dumbbell Pick Up and Toss
Targets: Deep core muscles, oblique muscles, hips, back, shoulders and core.
How To Do Half Kneeling Dumbbell Pick Ups and Tosses
Start in a kneeling position, knees under hips, core engaged. Keep your right knee on the mat and place your left foot flat on the mat, left thigh parallel to the ground (left knee in line with left hip).
Place one dumbbell vertically on the mat outside your right knee.
Hinge slightly at the hips, lowering your torso to pick up the dumbbell. Grab one head of the dumbbell in each hand.
Then, squeeze through your outer obliques to lift your torso, chest upright. Then rotate your shoulders as you “toss” the dumbbell over your left hip (without letting go of the weight).
Rotate through the torso to slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the mat outside your right knee, returning to the starting position.
Modification: omit the torso rotation, pressing the dumbbell straight out from your chest rather than performing a dumbbell toss.
Diagonal Dumbbell Dead Bug
Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abs, obliques, hips, shoulders and back.
How To Do Diagonal Dumbbell Dead Bugs
Lie on your back flat on the floor, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat. Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands.
Lift your knees to form a 90-degree angle (knees stacked on top of hips), and extend your hands straight overhead toward the ceiling.
Inhale, engaging your core. Then, extend your arms overhead and towards the right corner of the room, while simultaneously extending your left leg out towards the left corner of the room, forming a diagonal line from arms to left heel. Right leg remains in place, hips stable.
Then exhale as you draw your arms and left leg back to center, returning to starting position.
Repeat, this time extending your arms overhead towards the left corner of your room while kicking out your right leg towards the right corner.
Targets: Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, shoulders, chest and triceps.
How To Do Quarter Get Ups and Hip Lifts
Start laying on your back, holding a dumbbell in your right hand extended above your right shoulder, palm facing in. Set your gaze on the dumbbell in your right hand
Extend your left arm out at a 45-degree angle, pressing your palm into the mat.
Bend your right leg, placing your right foot flat on the mat just outside your right hip.
Then, push through your right heel and your left elbow as you squeeze your core to lift your neck, shoulders and torso off the mat. Stack the left shoulder over the left elbow, locking out your right arm as you gaze at the dumbbell.
Next, perform a hip lift, pressing through your right heel and squeezing through your obliques to lift your hips off the ground.
With control, reverse the motion by slowly lowering the hips, then rolling back down to the mat. Keep your right arm extended overhead throughout the movement.
Modification: omit both the weight and the the hip lift, performing quarter get ups with just your bodyweight.
Dumbbell Sit Up
Targets: Rectus abdominis (“six-pack” muscle), transverse abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques and hip flexors.
How To Do Dumbbell Sit Ups
Begin laying on your back, both knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest, crossing both arms over the dumbbell to hold it securely.
Squeeze through your core muscles to curl your upper body up towards your knees, lifting head, neck shoulders and torso off the mat.
Then, slowly lower your torso down to the mat, returning to starting position.
Modification: reduce range of motion, just slightly sitting back as you sweep your right arm back towards your right hip. Then, squeeze through your abs to sit tall, before sweeping your left arm back towards your left hip.
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6 comments
NML Team! LOVING this Metcon style, and especially this abs and cardio workout. Highly appreciate that you baked mobility into this work. Will for sure return to this series!
Mackenzie! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the MetCon Workouts and the built in mobility work! Keep up the great work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Another hard sweaty day! At 11 weeks pregnant I wasn’t sure I would be able to still do burpees, but I added a jump and took out the “hit the floor” part and was able to finish all 100!! Super proud of myself and so grateful for all your programs. My first pregnancy I felt uncertain about what I could do and was scared to push myself at all. After finding your postpartum plan I never looked back and have entered this pregnancy so strong and empowered! THANK YOU!
Leah! You’re amazing crushing these workouts at 11 weeks pregnant!!! You should be so proud of yourself!! Keep up the amazing work mama! -Lindsey
Dear Lindsey (and Rachel),
I want to express my gratitude for your incredible online workouts. As a former gymnast who transitioned to flying trapeze and lyra in my early 40s, I fell into unhealthy habits and abandoned exercise when the pandemic hit. The repercussions of my sedentary lifestyle were significant, leaving me feeling out of shape and uncertain in my daily movements.
Knowing I needed to change things, I searched online for a kettlebell workout and discovered your program on 10/22/22. I genuinely look forward to my time with you in my home gym. I am now in fantastic shape and am excited to return to trapeze this week! Thanks to you, I’ve regained that capable, athletic feeling back again.
I’ve recommended your videos to a ton of people and hope they are visiting your workouts too. Despite being 52 years old, I don’t feel it at all. This holiday season, I even moved up in weights, incorporating 20lb dumbbells into my daily workouts. Thank you for playing a pivotal role in getting me back into shape. I look forward to my workouts with you every day. I get into the gym and ask my iPad and nourishmovelove, “So, what are we doing today?” – Kris, Austin, TX
p.s. I am LOVING the MetCon 100!!!
Kris! This message just made my day — thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the workouts, and even more than that, feeling strong and athletic again! Thank you so much for choosing to sweat with us and sharing our workouts with others! I hope you are proud of all your hard work and strength gains! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey
Burpee Workout
Burpee Workout
NML Team! LOVING this Metcon style, and especially this abs and cardio workout. Highly appreciate that you baked mobility into this work. Will for sure return to this series!
Mackenzie! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the MetCon Workouts and the built in mobility work! Keep up the great work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Another hard sweaty day! At 11 weeks pregnant I wasn’t sure I would be able to still do burpees, but I added a jump and took out the “hit the floor” part and was able to finish all 100!! Super proud of myself and so grateful for all your programs. My first pregnancy I felt uncertain about what I could do and was scared to push myself at all. After finding your postpartum plan I never looked back and have entered this pregnancy so strong and empowered! THANK YOU!
Leah! You’re amazing crushing these workouts at 11 weeks pregnant!!! You should be so proud of yourself!! Keep up the amazing work mama! -Lindsey
Dear Lindsey (and Rachel),
I want to express my gratitude for your incredible online workouts. As a former gymnast who transitioned to flying trapeze and lyra in my early 40s, I fell into unhealthy habits and abandoned exercise when the pandemic hit. The repercussions of my sedentary lifestyle were significant, leaving me feeling out of shape and uncertain in my daily movements.
Knowing I needed to change things, I searched online for a kettlebell workout and discovered your program on 10/22/22. I genuinely look forward to my time with you in my home gym. I am now in fantastic shape and am excited to return to trapeze this week! Thanks to you, I’ve regained that capable, athletic feeling back again.
I’ve recommended your videos to a ton of people and hope they are visiting your workouts too. Despite being 52 years old, I don’t feel it at all. This holiday season, I even moved up in weights, incorporating 20lb dumbbells into my daily workouts. Thank you for playing a pivotal role in getting me back into shape. I look forward to my workouts with you every day. I get into the gym and ask my iPad and nourishmovelove, “So, what are we doing today?” – Kris, Austin, TX
p.s. I am LOVING the MetCon 100!!!
Kris! This message just made my day — thank you so much for sharing! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the workouts, and even more than that, feeling strong and athletic again! Thank you so much for choosing to sweat with us and sharing our workouts with others! I hope you are proud of all your hard work and strength gains! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey