If You Can Do This Many Burpees Without Stopping Your Conditioning Is Elite

Burpees have a reputation. They’re your favorite full-body burner or your least favorite metcon punishment from CrossFit class. Either way, you can’t deny their potency. These high-intensity, no-equipment-needed movements exploded in popularity thanks to bootcamp workouts, CrossFit, HYROX, and home HIIT routines. And here’s why: burpees don’t just test your strength. They simultaneously push your lungs, legs, core, coordination, and mental grit.

What makes burpees unique is their simple complexity. One rep blends a squat, plank, push-up, and jump into a single, sweat-inducing package. You don’t need a gym. You don’t need gear. All you need is space, effort, and the will to keep going when your body is screaming for a break.

Burpees are a conditioning benchmark. If you want to know how fit you really are, try doing as many burpees as possible without stopping. Your number will tell you everything.

How to Perform the Perfect Burpee

Before we rank your burpee game, let’s clean up your form. A sloppy burpee doesn’t count. Here’s how to do burpees the right way:

1. Start standing tall. Feet shoulder-width apart, arms relaxed by your sides.
   2. Squat down. Drop into a deep squat and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
   3. Jump your feet back. Land in a strong plank position with your body straight from head to heels.
   4. Do a push-up. Chest hits the floor, elbows tucked tight.
   5. Jump your feet back in. Bring them toward your hands in one quick motion.
   6. Explode up. Jump as high as you can and clap overhead.

That’s one rep. Now do it again. And again. And again.

Pro tip: Keep a steady rhythm. Rushing your first ten will crush your second ten.

How Fit Are You, Really? Let’s Rank It

Burpee performance is a gut check. It tests your cardio, power, strength, and mental toughness all in one sweaty package. So, how do you stack up?

Welcome to the Burpee Bracket Breakdown:

• Beginner: 10 to 20 reps
  You’re building the base. If you hit 20 without collapsing, you’re off to a strong start. Focus on form and pace. This is your launch pad.
• Intermediate: 21 to 35 reps
  Solid engine. You have some gas in the tank and can hang in a group workout without getting left behind. Still room to grow, but you’re above average.
• Advanced: 36 to 50 reps
  Now we’re talking. You’re moving with control, your heart rate is sky-high, and you’re pushing through fatigue. Most athletes stop here. You don’t.
• Elite: 51+ reps (unbroken)
  Welcome to the burpee hall of fame. You’ve got lungs of steel, legs that don’t quit, and a mindset that’s locked in. If you can crush 50+ clean reps without stopping, your conditioning is elite.

Want an extra challenge? Time it. Fifty burpees in under 3 minutes? That’s savage.

How to Improve Your Burpee Ability

Burpees are challenging because they hit everything. You need to boost your power, endurance, and efficiency to level up. Here’s how to do that.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

1. Build Better Burpee Muscles

Target the major muscles that burpees demand with these moves:

• Push-ups: Strengthen your chest and triceps so the push-up portion doesn’t slow you down.
• Jump squats: Build explosive leg drive for that final jump.
• Mountain climbers: Improve core control and cardio at the same time.
• Plank-to-push-ups: Practice fluid floor transitions without wasted movement.

2. Burpee EMOMs & AMRAPs

• EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute): Do 8 to 10 burpees every minute for 10 minutes. This is great for pacing.
• AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible): Set a timer for 2 to 5 minutes and go for max burpees. Focus on consistency, not sprinting.

3. Pace Like a Pro

Most people blow up in the first 20 reps. Your goal? Smooth and steady. Take short breaths at the top. Keep your transitions tight. Don’t stand still.

4. Master the Mental Game

Burpees are as much mental as they are physical. The best way to improve? Keep doing them. Once a week, test yourself. Track your number. Compete against your past self.

Final Rep

Burpees are brutal, but they’re one of the best ways to test and train your conditioning anywhere. If you can knock out 50+ clean reps without stopping, your lungs, muscles, and mindset are on another level. So the next time you want to see what you’re made of, hit the floor and start counting. Your number never lies.

Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS