The Seals trusted it. Weightlifters and Spartan Race competitors practiced it hundreds of times. Even the Hall of Fame player Jerry Rice would use it like chilli sauce in his trainings.

Burpee is a combination of fast movements, which first appeared in military fitness tests in the 1940s and has been praised by many non-scientists. Some say it's the best general movement an individual can do, building upper body strength, improving endurance, and losing fat. But does the research support this argument?

Steve Bingley, an exercise physiologist, says there are not many studies comparing Burpee with other high-intensity exercises. There have been experiments to study the average number of Burpee done by athletes, and how Burpee improve metabolic rate better than rope-skipping. In addition, there is no scientific basis for this so-called perfect exercise. Mr. Bingley said: "At the moment we are doing Burpee because it is very tiring and employs a lot of muscles."

Bingley said there is no standard Burpee, which makes it more difficult to study. Over the past 80 years, there have been countless variations of Burpee, including some that omit push-ups or add superman jumps to make Burpee more difficult. While this makes it more appealing to fitness enthusiasts, it results in all sorts of consequences. 

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Still, Bingley is a supporter of Burpee. "If you keep doing Burpee, it can improve your mobility, flexibility, cardiovascular health, and upper and lower body strength," he says, "and merely needs the smallest amount of equipment, space, and guidance." But what makes Burpee so painful but effective? Bingley has been studying the problem for four years. In 2019, he carried out a study comparing the maximum oxygen uptake and muscle fatigue of two kinds of training carefully designed for the Australian Olympic boxing team. After a series of strength tests on 24 participants, the researchers concluded that Burpee were more strenuous than shuttle run, with upper body muscles nearly twice as tired.

This is not to say that Burpee is superhuman training. Corliss Fingers, strength-and-fitness coach at Bethune Cookman University, says, "For an ordinary person who wants to wear that college mini-skirt, it is true that Burpee may accelerate his heartbeat." With nearly 30 years of actual combat experience, she has trained athletes in more than 20 sports, but has yet to find a one-size-fits-all all-round training." If a college athlete wants to stay in shape after a muscle injury, I would instruct them into the pool because there's less impact. I don't want them to do 20 minutes of Burpee or two minutes of plank support, "says Fingers.

Gideon Akande, an iFit coach and Chicago Golden Glove boxing champion, takes a similarly cautious approach to Burpee. For those who work out occasionally, Burpee may be the best way to train multiple parts of the body in a limited amount of time. But some injuries and the freedom of experience level are required." If you can't stand the impact of hitting the floor, the Caterpillar Crawl -- moving from the toe to the push-up’s position with both hands -- works better," Akande says," It's also possible to do high knee-lift or mountaineering run instead of Burpee."

Akande prefers to use Skater training routines (you can learn about them by checking this video) for quick cardio." Lateral movements omit a lot of training, but they hold the demanding requirements for balance," he says. He's also a fan of plank support, but warns that the most important thing is whether they’re standard, rather than if they’re long-lasting or not." Most people misunderstand plank support. They think that the longer they stick, more awesome they are, "he explains." They’re at risks of injury by using the trapezius muscle and putting pressure on the lower back." To ensure movements are standard, Akande says, press your palms directly to the ground, contract your abdomen and hips, and breathe normally." The standard movements of 30 seconds are much better than nonstandard ones of a minute."

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For those who want to try Burpee but don't know where to start, Akande suggests starting with push-ups. First, practise the movements on a high surface, such as wall, table, or chair, keep your elbows tight and make sure your hips and core are tight. Then take a kneeling position to keep your whole body in a line and control your center of gravity. Make some adjustments each time to improve efficiency and reduce injuries.

Meanwhile, for those who want to have the complete Burpee, Bingley recommends that they stick to the original version of the push-ups." As you move from vertical jumps to horizontal support and push-ups, the change in posture and pressure causes your body to pump more blood. Even if you do it slowly and with restraint, it can be quite challenging." Bingley says you should only take care not to straighten your legs back until your hands are ready for performing the support - otherwise you'll get loss and your wrists will hurt more badly.

Bingley, as a coach and a scientist, stands for it regardless of what professional players and coaches think of it." It's like pushing shit up a hill and trying to get academics excited about Burpee," he says. "But we need to better understand isometric variables, such as arm and torso’s lengths, to create a better brief introduction of this training. It has become popular around the world, even my mom knows what Burpee is. That's amazing."