Do Burpees Burn A Lot Of Calories?

When you're in the middle of a set of burpees during a bootcamp class or an at-home high-intensity interval training workout, you might feel like you're working harder than you've ever worked before, and that you must be torching hundreds, if not thousands, of calories as you jump, drop to a pushup position, pop back up and repeat. The good news is that the effects of burpees over the next few hours will boost your overall caloric burn for the day, but the bad news is that in the moment, despite how out of breath you feel, you're not burning that many calories.

A minute of vigorous burpees — roughly 20 of them — will burn between 10 and 15 calories, depending on your body weight, according to Healthline. However, over the course of the day, they burn much more than that. Because they combine a strength exercise with high-intensity cardio activity, they actually boost your metabolism while also helping build muscle, which eventually will help you burn more fat even at rest (via Men's Health). 

In fact, one YouTuber credited 13 pounds of fat loss over the course of the month to doing two short bursts of burpees each day (via Men's Health). Spreading them out into two sets might seem easier, but really, those two short bursts ensure that your metabolism is constantly shifting, and that you're burning fat for longer.

Don't let your burpees get sloppy. Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., recommends focusing on being efficient rather than fast, making sure that you're engaging your core muscles when you hop back into high plank position. Don't "jellyfish" by letting your body relax entirely, he adds, especially as your body hits the ground, if you're doing a burpee with the optional up-and-down pushup before jumping back up.

If you're hoping to drop weight by starting burpees, start small and slowly increase your repetitions. Because they're fast, explosive movements requiring almost every muscle in your body, beginners should start slow and build up. Active.com recommends starting with beginner burpees that start with simply getting into a plank position, then standing up, then stepping back into a plank. After that, add in the jump once you're standing, then set your hands on the ground and hop back, adding the more explosive movements. And for maximum challenge, add a pushup while in the plank before hopping back up. Build reps slowly, and you'll see results!