Join the 30-Day Burpee Challenge to Build Full-Body Strength

The burpee is an exercise many of us love to hate. But you're never going to get better at them — or love them any more — if you don't actually do them. (Funny how that works.)

Burpees are really three moves in one: a squat, push-up and jump. That makes them an incredibly efficient full-body exercise that strengthens every major muscle group while increasing muscular endurance. And if you do enough of them, your heart rate will spike for a dose of cardio, too. No wonder they're so hard!

We put together this month-long challenge to help you build up your burpee stamina and perfect your form. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know.

Every once in a while, we host the LIVESTRONG.com 30-Day Burpee Challenge in our Challenge Facebook Group, but you can start on your own at any time.

Each day, you'll do the designated number of reps in the challenge calendar below. The first day will be your warm-up: You only have to do one burpee. Every day after that, you'll add two burpees. And every six days, you get a rest day. (Phew!)

On Day 30 — the very last day of the challenge — you'll finish with 50 burpees. That might seem like a lot, but you'll work up to it throughout the month. Plus, we have suggestions below to help you scale the exercise to your ability. You can also break up your burpees into more manageable sets or try different variations to find what works for you.

To help keep you on track, the challenge calendar below can be printed out or saved to your phone so you know exactly how many burpees to do each day.

Keep your calendar somewhere you can see it so you never forget what day you're on. Cross off the days as you complete them so you always know how many reps you have to do the next day.

Our community of more than 53,000 members is here to support and motivate you through this challenge. Tell the group how the day's reps went, post photos or videos of your burpees or share your favorite burpee meme or motivational quote.

Before you begin, make sure you nail your form. Poor form means you won't get as much of out an exercise — and it could put you at risk for injury.

Burpees require a good bit of coordination, but with some careful focus you'll perfect your form. Let's take a minute to go through proper burpee form, step by step.

There are several ways to make burpees a little easier. Try these suggestions to reduce the impact of the exercise:

• ​If the push-up is too hard:​
  • Lower to your knees for modified push-ups.
    
  • Place your arms on a step, bench or chair to elevate your upper body.
  • Skip it entirely.
• ​If you have wrist pain:​ Do the plank and/or push-up on closed fists.
• ​If you have back pain or prefer lower-impact exercises:​ Step one foot at a time back and forth from the plank position instead of jumping.
• ​If you have knee pain or prefer lower-impact exercises:​ Instead of jumping up from the squat, reach your arms overhead and lift onto your tiptoes.

This challenge is for everyone: Beginners can modify with the tips above, while more advanced exercisers can try doubling the push-up or the jump, switching to single-arm push-ups or adding a box jump.

Experiment with the best burpee variations to keep challenging yourself.

Days off give your muscles and mind a chance to rest, recover and get stronger.

If you're feeling sore, a rest day is a great time for stretching or foam rolling. Focus on wherever you're tight or achy; because the burpee is a full-body exercise, there are many muscles that might need some relief.

Making it to the end the 30-Day Burpee Challenge is a major accomplishment! Spend some time savoring that sweet, sweet victory. Then, consider trying a new challenge next month, like: