The burpee is a universally recognized exercise used in high-intensity workouts and physical fitness tests globally. This single, fluid movement demands total body engagement, combining elements of strength, cardio, and coordination. It is a staple in gyms, military training, and athletic conditioning programs due to its efficiency as a full-body conditioning tool. The widespread adoption and challenging nature of the burpee often obscure its academic origins and original intent.
Dr. Burpee and the Original Four-Count Test
The exercise was conceived in the late 1930s by American physiologist Royal Huddleston Burpee Sr. Dr. Burpee, a Ph.D. candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University, developed the movement as part of his 1939 doctoral thesis. His goal was to create a quick, simple, and objective method for assessing an individual’s physical fitness level.
The original movement was a straightforward four-count exercise, far less strenuous than the version known today. It began with the participant standing upright, then moving into a squat with hands on the floor. The sequence continued by kicking the feet back into a plank position, followed immediately by bringing the feet back to the squat position. The movement concluded with the subject returning to a standing position.
This early version, sometimes called the squat thrust, did not include any push-up or vertical jump components. The test itself involved taking five heart rate measurements before and after only four successive burpees, rather than performing high repetitions. This data allowed Dr. Burpee to calculate the heart’s efficiency in pumping blood and how quickly the heart rate returned to normal, providing a reliable measure of overall physical condition.
Military Adoption and Standardization
The burpee transitioned from an academic assessment tool to a mainstream fitness measure following its adoption by the United States Armed Services. Starting around 1942, the military needed a fast, scalable way to evaluate the physical preparedness of recruits mobilizing for World War II. The simple, no-equipment nature of the burpee made it an ideal candidate for mass testing.
The military standardized the movement for high-volume testing, removing the heart rate measurements impractical for large groups. Instead, they focused on how many repetitions a soldier could complete within a specified time, initially 20 seconds and later a full minute. This shift transformed the test from a physiological assessment into a measure of muscular endurance and stamina.
To increase the challenge and better simulate combat readiness, the military introduced modifications to the sequence. The four-count movement was expanded into a more rigorous six-count burpee. This new standard incorporated a push-up after assuming the plank position and a vertical jump at the end of the movement. This amplified version is the direct predecessor of the exercise recognized today.
Defining the Modern Burpee
The burpee exercise performed today is the six-count, military-modified version, which provides a comprehensive full-body workout. This sequence requires the body to move quickly through a series of level changes, activating major muscle groups. Muscles in the chest, arms, shoulders, core, glutes, and legs are engaged in a single, continuous effort.
The modern burpee rapidly elevates the heart rate, making it an effective compound movement for improving cardiovascular endurance and burning calories. Because the exercise requires no equipment, it is frequently used in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and functional fitness programs. This intensity stands in stark contrast to Dr. Burpee’s original, simpler test.