Table of Contents
Welcome to the #28DayBurpee exercise challenge, adapted from my monthly challenge for February (#FEBURPEE), and yes, you guessed it! It features one of the old-time greats in body weight & functional training, the BURPEE. Commonly unpopular with exercise participants due to it’s demanding nature and loved by personal trainers due to its excellent full-body activation and effectiveness. If you already know what a burpee is, it likely brings tears to your eyes and for those that don’t, you are in for a treat. This one is a full-body calorie busting exercise you’ll love and hate at the same time.
The 28 Day Burpee challenge has 3 target levels and 3 exercise variations to challenge anyone regardless of your fitness level. Starting with the Beginner Burpee for the newbies, the Regular Burpee for a little more intensity and the Full Burpee with a Press Up for the ultimate calorie destruction.
The 28 Day Burpee challenge has 3 target levels and 3 exercise variations to challenge anyone regardless of your fitness level. Starting with the Beginner Burpee for the newbies, the Regular Burpee for a little more intensity and the Full Burpee with a Press Up for the ultimate calorie destruction.
Why is it called a Burpee
Great question, all thanks to one guy I’m afraid. That’s right, you can blame someone for this one. Check out our Blog Post on ‘Why it’s Called a Burpee’
If this sounds daunting, do not worry, there are variations for all ability and fitness levels.
What you’ll need?
You won’t need much at all for this challenge, just yourself and some willpower, you might want a gym mat depending on where you plan on doing the burpees. Indoors, most surfaces will be fine without a mat.
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Scoring the Challenge
The challenge is split into 3 levels for which you can score your progress, you don’t need to keep to one level, You can mix & match and go up or down a level. Each level has a score associated with it, use the free-scoring sheet available for download below to track your progress and tally your total score for the month
You get either 1,2 or 3 points for the target level and either 1, 2 or 3 points for the Burpee variation. That’s a maximum of ‘6’ per day, minimum of ‘2’ unless you skip a day in which case it would be ‘0’.
e.g, if you choose the LEVEL 2 target guide and the REGULAR BURPEE you will get two points for the targets achieved and two points for the exercise variation for a grand total of four points for the day, simple.
Download the Scoring Sheet
28 Day Burpee Challenge Scoring Sheet 78 KB 44 downloads
Scoring Sheet and exercise targets for the 28 Day Burpee Challenge …Exercise Challenge Design
This challenge is designed as a progressive pyramid training plan. The challenge targets increase steadily before a short drop, raising again above the level previously achieved. This type of training allows for a steady progressive increase in intensity. The chart below shows the target increase throughout the month.
Let’s do it! Pick your level below or Mix ‘n’ Match
Burpee Challenge Target Guides
Don’t forget to use the Scoring Sheet
The Burpee Exercise and Levels
The burpee is a fundamental compound exercise activating many muscle groups, The exercise combines a Squat, A SQUAT THRUST, a PLANK and an EXPLOSIVE SQUAT (or Squat Jump) into one movement making it extremely dynamic and functional.
If looking at the movement pattern your unsure of how to safely perform it or have never done much exercise before, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the SQUAT, a push pattern exercise, from here you can progress to the beginner burpee.
Never done a Burpee? Check out Burpees for Beginners
Beginner Burpee
To start, adopt a ‘Squat’ stance with feet at about hip-width apart and soft knees, squat down to the floor, placing your hands on the floor in front of you, first take one leg back, then the other so you hold a plank position before bringing one leg back and then the other and push through the floor to return to a standing position.
The most burpees 24 hours by a male is 10,110 and was achieved by Lee Ryan (UK) in Dubai, UAE, on 10 January 2015.
Guinness Book of Records
The most burpees in 24 hours (female) is 12,003 and was achieved by Eva Clarke (Australia) at Dubai Autodrome, in Dubai, UAE, on 10 January 2015.
Guinness Book of Records
Regular Burpee
To start, adopt a ‘Squat’ stance with feet at about hip-width apart and soft knees, squat down to the floor, placing your hands on the floor and hop both feet back to perform a Squat Thrust, that is, a double-hop back to a Plank position. Now hop both feet forwards again bring your knees up towards your chest, now perform an explosive push through the floor to drive yourself into a squat jump making sure your feet leave the floor.
The most burpees in one minute (male) is 47 and was achieved by Mario Silvestri (Italy) in Venafro, Italy, on 19 March 2016.
Guinness Book of Records
The most burpees in one minute (female) is 40, achieved by Leigh Scott (UK) in Rotherham, UK, on 23 May 2018.
Guinness Book of Records
Full Burpee with Push Up
As with the regular burpee, this time once you get into the plank position you’re going to do a push-up and explosively press out of it to complete the burpee as normal.
The most para jumps (or burpees) in one hour is 1,840 by Paddy Doyle (UK) at the Bull´s Head, Polesworth, Birmingham, UK on 4 February 1994.
Guinness Book of Records
The most burpees in one hour (female) is 1,321 and was achieved by Kathryn Beeley (Australia) at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on 27 February 2017.
Guinness Book of Records
Alternative – Chest to Floor Burpee
Chest to Floor Burpee, the above Full Burpee with Push Up can be altered to have the chest touch the floor, it’s a demanding version of the Burpee exercise which is almost identical to the above exercise except you let the chest and body touch the floor before pushing up.
The most chest to ground burpees in 12 hours (male) is 4,689, and was achieved by Bryan Abell (USA) in Milford, Michigan, USA, on 7 July 2019.
Guinness Book of Records
The most chest to ground burpees in one minute (female) is 25, and was achieved by Louise Roberston (Australia) in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, on 1 June 2019.
Guinness Book of Records
The most chest to ground burpees in one hour (female) is 709 and was achieved by Louise Robertson (Australia) in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 20 October 2018.
Guinness Book of Records
Challenge yourself and don’t forget to join in the conversation with hashtag #28DayBurpeeChallenge
Need more inspiration? Check out these 28 Burpee Variations
