12 Burpee Alternatives For Bad Back and Wrists

The burpee is one of those exercises that you either love or hate. Over my 35-year fitness career, I’ve met far more people who hate it than love it.

I’ve often wondered why that is, considering it is such a great exercise. 

You’re probably searching for a burpee alternative for one of 4 reasons:

• Traumatized from PE lessons
• You have bad knees, wrists, or a bad back
• You want a more interesting variation
• You’d like to progress the movement using equipment such as using dumbbells i.e. thrusters

As a personal trainer, I’ve had plenty of clients who hate the very idea of doing burpees. Rather than fighting them on it, I’ve taken to simply replacing the burpee with an alternative exercise.

While none of them are quite as effective as burpees in terms of calorie burn for the time investment, they all come pretty close. And arguably these exercises are more effective at working specific muscle groups, whilst expending a lot of calories.

In this article, I lay out the dozen best burpee alternatives for those who hate burpees. 

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Benefits of the burpee 

1. Cardio fitness: Research proves that burpees are a high-intensity activity that can raise your heart rate and help you become more cardiovascularly fit.
2. Full-body workout: Burpees are a really efficient full-body exercise since they engage your chest, arms, shoulders, abs, glutes, and legs all at the same time.
3. Strength training: Burpees can help you increase your upper body, lower body, and core strength and muscular mass.
4. Improved flexibility: Burpees force you to go through your whole range of motion, which can help you become more flexible and mobile.
5. Weight loss: Burpees are a high-intensity activity that can aid in calorie burning and weight loss.

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Proper burpee form

It’s easy to perform this exercise incorrectly, especially when fatigue starts to set in. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the proper technique:

1. Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself down into a squat position and place your hands on the ground in front of you.
3. Quickly jump your feet back into a plank position, keeping your core engaged and your back straight.
4. Lower your chest down to the ground for a push-up.
5. Push yourself back up to the plank position.
6. Jump your feet back up towards your hands, landing in the squat position.
7. Quickly jump up as high as you can, extending your arms overhead.
8. Land softly back in the starting position and repeat steps 2-7 in a continuous motion.

Burpees – muscles worked

Burpees are a full-body movement. It also improves your cardiovascular endurance. They target most muscle groups in the body but here are the main ones…

Primary muscles used:

• Abs (core)
• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Calves

Secondary muscles used:

• Triceps
• Chest
• Shoulder

Personal Trainer Tips :

• Focus on proper form throughout the exercise, keeping your core engaged and your back straight.
• Land softly to reduce impact on your joints.
• Start with a few repetitions and gradually increase the number as you get more comfortable with the exercise.
• For an added challenge, you can increase the speed or intensity of the exercise, or try variations like adding a push-up or a tuck jump.

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Equipment needed for these exercises

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12 burpee alternatives that replicate the same movement pattern

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1. Medicine ball slams

Equipment needed for the medicine ball slam:

• Medicine ball

How to do the medicine ball slam:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a medicine ball at chest height.
2. Lift the ball above your head, fully extending your arms and standing on your toes.
3. Use your core muscles and upper body strength to forcefully slam the ball down onto the ground in front of you.
4. Catch the ball as it bounces back up and lift it back up above your head to repeat the movement.

Medicine ball muscles worked:

• Obliques
• Intercostals
• Latissimus dorsi
• Shoulders
• Chest

If you like this exercise, also check out our medicine ball slam alternatives and variations article, and explore similar exercises.

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2. Plank jacks

Equipment needed for plank jacks:

• None

How to do plank jacks:

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
2. Engage your core and keep your spine neutral, making sure your hips aren’t sagging or piked up.
3. Jump your feet out to the sides, keeping your upper body and hips stable.
4. Quickly jump your feet back together to return to the starting position.
5. Continue to alternate jumping your feet out and in while keeping your upper body and hips stable.

Plank jacks muscles worked:

• Abs
• Obliques
• Lower back
• Shoulders
• Quads
• Glutes

Note: Check out our cable crunch alternatives if you are on the lookout for abs-engaging exercises.

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3. Jumping jacks

Equipment needed for jumping jacks:

• None

How to do jumping jacks:

1. Stand up straight with your feet together and your arms at your sides.
2. Jump up and spread your feet apart while raising your arms above your head. Your arms should be straight and your palms facing each other.
3. As you land, bring your feet back together and lower your arms back to your sides.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 in a continuous motion, jumping up and down and spreading your feet apart and bringing them back together.

Jumping jacks muscles worked:

• Quads
• Shoulders
• Abdominals
• Calves

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4. Mountain climbers

Equipment needed for exercise:

• None

How to do exercise:

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
2. Engage your core and keep your spine neutral, making sure your hips aren’t sagging or piked up.
3. Lift your right foot off the floor and bring your right knee towards your chest, while keeping your left leg straight and engaged.
4. Quickly switch legs, bringing your right leg back to the starting position while bringing your left knee towards your chest.
5. Continue to alternate legs in a quick, running-like motion while keeping your hips low and core engaged.

Exercise muscles worked:

• Shoulders
• Triceps
• Abdominals
• Obliques
• Intercostals
• Quads

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5. Box jumps

Equipment needed for box jumps:

• Step-up box

How to do box jumps:

1. Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself into a quarter squat position, swinging your arms behind you.
3. Quickly explode upward, swinging your arms forward and jumping onto the box with both feet.
4. Land with both feet on the box, making sure to fully extend your hips and knees.
5. Step or jump back down to the starting position, landing softly with bent knees.

Box jumps muscles worked:

• Quads
• Calves
• Glutes

Are knee problems preventing you from doing box jumps? Check out our top 10 box jump alternatives.

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6. Jump squats

Equipment needed for jumping squats:

• None

How to do jumping squats:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Lower yourself into a squat position, bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
3. Quickly explode upward, pushing through your feet and extending your legs while jumping as high as you can.
4. Land softly, lowering yourself back down into a squat position.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 in a continuous motion, jumping up and down while maintaining proper form.

Jump squats muscles worked:

• Quads
• Calves
• Glutes

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7. Air squat

Equipment needed for the air squat:

• None

How to do the air squat:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Engage your core and keep your spine neutral as you lower yourself into a squat position, bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
3. Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
4. Drive through your heels and push yourself back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 in a continuous motion, squatting down and standing up while maintaining proper form.

Air squat muscles worked:

• Quads
• Hamstrings
• Glutes

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8. Jump rope

Equipment needed to jump rope:

• Jump rope

How to jump rope:

1. Hold the jump rope handles in each hand, with the rope behind you and the handles at waist height.
2. Swing the rope over your head and jump over it with both feet.
3. Land softly on the balls of your feet and keep your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact.
4. Continue to jump over the rope in a continuous motion, swinging the rope over your head each time.
5. To increase difficulty, try jumping higher or faster, or doing variations like single leg jumps or double unders.

Jump rope muscles worked:

• Quads
• Calves
• Hamstrings 
• Glutes
• Shoulders
• Biceps
• Forearms
• Wrists

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9. Broad jump

Equipment needed for the broad jump:

• None

How to do the broad jump:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
2. Lower yourself into a quarter squat position, swinging your arms behind you.
3. Quickly explode forward, swinging your arms forward and jumping as far as you can.
4. Land softly, bending your knees to absorb the impact.
5. Stand back up to the starting position and repeat the jump.

Broad jump muscles worked:

• Quads
• Calves
• Hamstrings 
• Glutes

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10. Squat thrusters

Equipment needed for squat thrusters:

• Dumbbell

How to do squat thrusters:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
2. Hold a dumbbell at your chest, with your elbows bent and your palms facing each other.
3. Lower yourself into a squat position, bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if sitting in a chair.
4. Quickly explode upward, pushing through your feet and extending your legs while pressing the weight or dumbbell overhead.
5. Lower the weight or dumbbell back to your chest and lower yourself back down into a squat position.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 in a continuous motion, squatting down and pressing the weight overhead while maintaining proper form.

Squat thrusters muscles worked:

• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Shoulders
• Triceps

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11. Kettlebell swings

Equipment needed for kettlebell swings:

• Kettlebell

How to do kettlebell swings:

1. Begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and a kettlebell on the ground in front of you.
2. Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and grabbing the kettlebell handle with both hands.
3. Drive your hips forward and swing the kettlebell up to chest height, keeping your arms straight and your core engaged.
4. Let the kettlebell swing back down between your legs, bending your knees slightly and hinging forward at the hips.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 in a continuous motion, swinging the kettlebell up and down while maintaining proper form.

Exercise muscles worked:

• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Shoulders
• Triceps
• Intercostal
• Obliques

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12. Hand release push ups

Equipment needed for hand release push ups:

• None

How to do hand release push ups:

1. Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
2. Engage your core and keep your spine neutral, making sure your hips aren’t sagging or piked up.
3. Lower yourself down towards the ground, bending your elbows and keeping your body straight.
4. When your chest and thighs touch the ground, lift your hands off the ground and release them from the push-up position.
5. Place your hands back on the ground and push yourself back up to the starting position.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 in a continuous motion, lowering yourself down, releasing your hands, and pushing yourself back up while maintaining proper form.
7. For an added challenge, you can add a clap at the top of the push-up or elevate your feet on a bench or step.

Hand release push ups muscles worked:

• Chest
• Shoulder 
• Triceps

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Burpee Alternatives: The bottom line

The burpee is the exerciser that most people love to hate. If you’re among the haters, you’ve now got a dozen good excuses not to do the dreaded burpee.

Give each one a try, then rotate through the half dozen that work best for you as you take your cardio workouts to the next level.