Is there a push-up in a Kettlebell Burpee?

Not in this version: the arms stay straight in a high plank on the bell handles and the feet jump straight back in. Some coaches add a push-up on the handles, which adds chest and triceps work and makes the plank harder to keep stable.

How heavy should the kettlebells be?

Start with a light, matched pair that you can jump and land with softly on every rep, well below what you would use for a deadlift. Go heavier only when the plank stays solid and the landings stay quiet through the whole set.

Is the Kettlebell Burpee harder than a regular burpee?

Yes. The bells add load to the squat and the jump, the grip works the whole time, and a plank on the handles is less stable than one on the floor. Holding the handles does keep the wrists straighter than flat palms, which some people find more comfortable.

What can I do if I can't jump?

Step the feet back and forward one at a time, then stand up from the squat with the bells at your sides as in a Kettlebell Deadlift instead of jumping. That keeps the pattern without the impact, and the Squat Thrust is a bodyweight option.

Kettlebell Burpee

What Is the Kettlebell Burpee?

Kettlebell Burpee is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, calves, core, shoulders and grip. It is an intermediate-level movement that adds a pair of kettlebells to the classic Burpee: the hands grip the bell handles through the squat and the plank, and the final jump is made with a bell held at each side.

The burpee began as a short fitness test devised by Royal H. Burpee and is now a staple of conditioning circuits, interval sessions and CrossFit-style workouts. It trains the whole body to get down to the floor and back up quickly, which makes it useful for work capacity and general athleticism. In a study of moderately trained college students, four 30-second all-out bouts of a modified bodyweight burpee drove heart rate to about 85% of peak, not significantly different from all-out sprint cycling intervals. The kettlebell version keeps that conditioning effect and adds load to the legs and grip.

Compared with the bodyweight burpee, the bells make the squat and the jump heavier, so the quads, glutes and calves do more of the work, and the grip and upper traps hold the bells through the whole rep. This version has no push-up: the arms stay straight in a high plank on the handles, so the shoulders and core work to hold the plank still rather than to press. Adding a push-up on the handles shifts more work to the chest and triceps, while replacing the jump with a stand-up like a Kettlebell Deadlift removes the hardest landing. The Dumbbell Devil's Press is a related dumbbell complex that finishes by taking both dumbbells overhead instead of jumping.

The Kettlebell Burpee suits people who can already do a smooth bodyweight Burpee, hold a solid Plank and land a Jump Squat softly. If it is too hard, build up with the Squat Thrust, the Plank Jump-In and the Kettlebell Deadlift, then add the bells to the burpee with a light pair. The bells are jumped with and landed with, so they should be far lighter than the ones you would deadlift.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): High
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): High
Gluteus Maximus: High
Rectus Femoris: High
Deltoid: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium

Instructions

Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at your sides with your arms straight.
Squat down with your chest up and your back flat, and set both bells on the floor just in front of your feet, about shoulder-width apart, keeping hold of the handles.
Shift your weight onto the bells, press them straight down, and jump both feet back into a high plank with your arms straight and your shoulders over the handles.
Brace your core so your body forms a straight line from head to heels, without letting your hips sag or pike.
Jump your feet forward to land flat-footed in a deep squat just behind the bells, still gripping the handles.
Drive through your feet and jump straight up, lifting the bells off the floor and keeping them at your sides with your arms straight.
Land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees bent and tracking over your toes, then stand tall to finish the rep.
Squat back down and set the bells on the floor to start the next rep.

Common Mistakes

Sagging hips in the plank
Letting the hips drop when the feet land behind you arches the low back and loads the spine instead of the core.
Pushing the bells sideways
Pressing the handles outward or at an angle can tip the kettlebells over, so press straight down through the center of each bell.
Rounding the back to reach the bells
Folding the spine over to grab the handles instead of squatting down with a flat back puts the low back under load before the plank even starts.
Stiff-legged landings
Landing the jump on locked knees or flat heels with a bell in each hand sends the extra load into the knees and back instead of the legs.
Bells too heavy to jump with
A pair you would deadlift turns the jump into a shrug and makes every landing heavier than it needs to be.

Injuries

Kettlebell Burpee is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The wrists and shoulders take the body's weight as the feet jump back into the plank, and on kettlebell handles that plank sits on a narrow base that can tip or roll. The low back is strained when the hips sag in the plank or when the spine rounds to reach the bells, and the knees and ankles absorb every landing, which the bells make heavier.

Use two matched bells with flat bases, set them on a non-slip floor about shoulder-width apart, and press them straight down rather than outward once your weight is on them. Keep the bells light enough to jump and land with softly, land on the balls of the feet with the knees bent and tracking over the toes, and end the set when the plank starts to sag or the landings get loud.

To regress, step the feet back and forward one at a time, stand up from the squat instead of jumping, or go back to the bodyweight Burpee or the Squat Thrust. Progress by using heavier bells, adding a push-up on the handles, or doing longer conditioning sets once every rep stays clean. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the wrists, shoulders, knees or low back, or if you get dizzy, short of breath beyond normal effort, or have chest pain.

Overview

Primary Focus: Full body
Equipment: Kettlebell
Modality: Cardio
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a push-up in a Kettlebell Burpee?: Not in this version: the arms stay straight in a high plank on the bell handles and the feet jump straight back in. Some coaches add a push-up on the handles, which adds chest and triceps work and makes the plank harder to keep stable.
Q: How heavy should the kettlebells be?: Start with a light, matched pair that you can jump and land with softly on every rep, well below what you would use for a deadlift. Go heavier only when the plank stays solid and the landings stay quiet through the whole set.
Q: Is the Kettlebell Burpee harder than a regular burpee?: Yes. The bells add load to the squat and the jump, the grip works the whole time, and a plank on the handles is less stable than one on the floor. Holding the handles does keep the wrists straighter than flat palms, which some people find more comfortable.
Q: What can I do if I can't jump?: Step the feet back and forward one at a time, then stand up from the squat with the bells at your sides as in a Kettlebell Deadlift instead of jumping. That keeps the pattern without the impact, and the Squat Thrust is a bodyweight option.