Dumbbell Burpees
Burpee with dumbbells in hand throughout — adds upper-body load to the standard burpee and finishes with an overhead press.
Level: Intermediate
Primary: Full Body
Movement: Compound
Tags: Explosive
Type: Anaerobic Intervals (HIIT / Bootcamp / Circuit) Functional Fitness (Obstacle & Hybrid)
Equipment: Dumbbell
Sports: Football MMA Rugby Wrestling
Target muscles
Everything, with extra demand on the shoulders, triceps, and grip due to the dumbbells. The standard burpee musculature (quads, glutes, chest, triceps, trunk) is all there, with the press finish adding direct shoulder and triceps work. The forearms and grip work continuously to hold the dumbbells through every transition. The trunk braces harder than in a standard burpee to manage the dumbbells overhead at the finish. Cardiovascularly more demanding than a standard burpee at equivalent rep counts.
How to perform
Setup
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at the sides. Pick a load you can press overhead for 5-10 reps strict — that's your working weight. Feet hip-width apart. Take a breath.
Execution
Hinge at the hips and place the dumbbells on the floor as you jump (or step) the feet back into a push-up position with hands gripping the dumbbells. Perform a push-up on the dumbbells. Press back to the plank. Jump (or step) the feet forward toward the hands. Stand up, bringing the dumbbells to shoulder height in a cleanlike motion. Press both dumbbells overhead to full lockout. Lower the dumbbells back to the sides. That's one rep. Continuous flow.
Common mistakes
- Dropping the dumbbells. Hold the grip throughout — that's the entire point.
- Sagging plank during the push-up phase. Body line stays straight.
- Pressing the dumbbells overhead with a soft trunk. Brace before each press.
- Skipping the lockout on the overhead press. Lock the elbows; finish each rep.
- Going too heavy. The burpee's transitions cap the working weight; pick a load you can press 8-10 reps unbroken.
Progressions and regressions
Regress to standard burpees (no dumbbells) until you can string ten clean reps. Then add light dumbbells (5-10 pounds). To progress, increase the load, work for time (max reps in 60 seconds), or chain into longer conditioning circuits with other dumbbell movements.
Programming notes
High-intensity conditioning. 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off for 6-10 rounds, or for-time benchmarks at moderate loads. Two or three times a week. The combination of grip work, full-body movement, and overhead press makes the dumbbell burpee one of the most demanding conditioning movements available. Don't program for-time efforts the day before a heavy upper-body session.
