Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sam Kang
Am I a burpee lover? No. But for the sake of journalism — and my goal to incorporate more compound movements into my workouts — I tried Funk Roberts‘s “Ultimate Burpee Workout Challenge.” It features 10 rounds of three different exercises, and each round begins with 10 burpees. Yes, 10 rounds of 10 burpees equates to 100 burpees total. Though I wasn’t thrilled, I was determined.
Roberts is a certified MMA conditioning coach and master metabolic trainer with a background in professional sports. He describes this high-intensity workout as metabolic resistance training for muscle growth. “We’re building a bit of muscle, we’re taxing the endurance, we’re doing everything here, and we’re having fun,” he says mid video.
The roughly 25-minute workout, seen ahead, requires a set of dumbbells and an open space. I also recommend a yoga mat.
Trying the 100-Burpee Workout
This was a heart-pumping and full-body advanced workout that left me noticeably sore the following day. I felt the moves in my core and upper body the most, but the beginning rounds did work my legs with squats and lunges. Those next-day aches radiated from my shoulders down to my calves.
While Roberts performed “bear burpees” for all 10 rounds — similar to a squat thrust with a jump — I got through the first five rounds doing either burpees or chest-to-ground burpees without the full push-up. Then, I switched to the squat thrust with jumps variation for the remaining rounds. I also opted to do the separate set of push-ups in round four from my knees, and I encourage you to make modifications as needed, too.
I’m always ready for a challenge, and I appreciated how difficult the workout was. Even with the included short breaks, I was continuously trying to catch my breath. Roberts, who admits to struggling through the workout of his own creation, advises at the end to choose heavier dumbbells, move faster, or add a weighted vest next time. While I may not take him up on that offer, I’ll consider tackling this routine — or metabolic training in general — more often.
If you want to try the workout sans Roberts, do the 10 rounds by yourself using the chart below. He goes a bit fast during the push-ups and weighted arm exercises in the video, so doing the sweat session without him might suit you better. And if you’re a fan his workout, give our four-week 100-burpee challenge a go.
| Round | Exercise 1 | Exercise 2 | Exercise 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 10 burpee | 20 basic squat | 60 alternating flutter kick total (30 each side) |
| Round 2 | 10 burpee | 30 alternating forward lunge (15 each side) | 20 wide crunch |
| Round 3 | 10 burpee | 30 alternating reverse lunge total (15 each side) | 20 reverse crunch |
| Round 4 | 10 burpee | 30 push-up | 20 bicycle total (10 each side) |
| Round 5 | 10 burpee | 20 alternating bicep curl (10 each side) + 14 alternating hammer curl (7 each side) | 20 butterfly crunch |
| Round 6 | 10 burpee | 30 chest press | 20 bicycle (10 each side) |
| Round 7 | 10 burpee | 10 each side | 60 alternating flutter kick total (30 each side) |
| Round 8 | 10 burpee | 30 bent-over row (15 each side) | 20 reverse crunch with legs raised (he calls these hip raises) |
| Round 9 | 10 burpee | 10 chest press + 20 alternating single-arm chest press | 40 heel touches total (20 each side) |
| Round 10 | 10 burpee | 10 alternating front shoulder raise + 10 lateral raise | 40 alternating flutter kick total (20 each side) |