Burpee Fitness Test Calculator

What is the Burpee Fitness Test?

The burpee fitness test is a simple but challenging test of strength endurance, agility, balance and coordination. Participants attempt to complete the maximum number of burpees within a set time period, typically ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. The burpee exercise is also known as the Squat Thrust & Jump, combining multiple movements into one demanding exercise that tests your whole-body fitness.

Test Purpose: This is primarily a test of strength endurance, though body control, balance, coordination, and anaerobic capacity are also significant factors. The burpee engages major muscle groups including the legs, core, chest, shoulders, and arms, making it an excellent assessment of overall functional fitness.

Equipment Required: Stopwatch or timer, non-slip surface, and adequate space for movement.

How to Perform the Burpee Test

Pre-test Preparation: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, and test conditions. See more details of pre-test procedures.

Burpee Technique

The standard starting position for the burpee is standing erect with the arms by the side. From the standing position:

1. Squat down and place the hands on the floor in front of the feet
2. Putting the bodyweight on the hands, thrust the legs back to a push-up position with a straight line from the shoulders to the heels
3. Pull the legs back and return to the squatting position
4. Stand up to complete one burpee cycle

One complete burpee is from the standing position back to the standing position. In the Spartan SGX Fitness Test, a 5-minute burpee test is conducted. In their test protocol, at the 'bottom' of the burpee the chest must touch the ground, and at the 'finish' of the burpee, the feet must leave the ground with the hands reaching above the ears.

Burpee exercise fitness test demonstration

Test Procedure

The test requires the athlete to perform as many burpees as possible within the chosen time limit. Common test durations include:

• 30 seconds - Quick assessment of power and speed
• 1 minute - Standard short-duration test
• 3 minutes - International standard duration (most validated)
• 5 minutes - Extended endurance test (Spartan protocol)

Time how many correctly performed burpees are completed within the time limit and enter your score in the calculator above for instant feedback.

Burpee Test Scoring Standards

Performance standards vary by test duration and gender. The following norms are based on international research by Podstawski et al. (2019), which studied 9,833 participants aged 18-25 across four countries.

30-Second Burpee Test

A good result for a 30-second test is greater than 16 burpees for men and greater than 12 for women. This quick test primarily assesses anaerobic power and explosive strength.

3-Minute Burpee Test (International Standard)

The 3-minute burpee test is the most validated duration with established international norms:

• Men average: 56.69 burpees (range: 47-66 for average category)
• Women average: 48.84 burpees (range: 37-60 for average category)
• Best recorded male: 82 burpees in 3 minutes
• Best recorded female: 73 burpees in 3 minutes

5-Minute Spartan Fit Standard

To be considered Spartan Fit, adults need to complete over 80 burpees (women) or 85 burpees (men) in five minutes using proper Spartan form (chest to ground, feet leave ground with hands above ears).

Benefits of the Burpee Test

Advantages: This is a simple test to conduct, as no specialised equipment is required—just a watch or stopwatch. It can be conducted almost anywhere, and can be self-administered. The test provides a comprehensive assessment of multiple fitness components in a single exercise.

Fitness Components Assessed:

• Strength endurance (primary)
• Anaerobic capacity
• Coordination and agility
• Balance and body control
• Cardiovascular fitness
• Mental toughness

Sport-Specific Applications

The burpee test is used across various sports and fitness contexts:

CrossFit and Functional Fitness

Burpees are a staple of CrossFit workouts and competitions. Athletes use regular burpee testing to track conditioning improvements. Elite CrossFit competitors can often exceed 25 burpees per minute with proper pacing.

Military and Tactical Fitness

Many military organizations use burpee variations for fitness assessment and training. The Mountain Tactical Institute (MTI) developed the Burpee Beep Test, a progressive test adding 2 burpees per minute until failure.

Obstacle Course Racing

Spartan Race and other obstacle course events use burpees as a penalty for failed obstacles—typically 30 burpees per missed obstacle. The 5-minute burpee test is directly relevant to Spartan fitness preparation.

Team Sports Conditioning

Basketball, soccer, rugby, and other field sport athletes use burpee testing as part of pre-season fitness assessments. The test's combination of strength and cardio demands mirrors game requirements.

How to Improve Your Burpee Test Score

Improving your burpee performance requires a combination of strength, endurance, and technique work:

For Beginners

• Start with step-back burpees (no jumping)
• Use an elevated surface for hands to reduce difficulty
• Practice 2-3 sessions per week with adequate rest
• Build to 3 sets of 10 standard burpees before timing tests

For Intermediate Athletes

• Practice EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) workouts: 10-15 burpees every minute for 10 minutes
• Incorporate strength work: squats, push-ups, box jumps
• Focus on efficient movement patterns to conserve energy
• Aim for 10-15% improvement over 4-6 weeks

For Advanced Athletes

• Add variations: burpee box jumps, burpee pull-ups, weighted burpees
• Train with Tabata intervals: 20 seconds max effort, 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds
• Practice race-pace burpees for target test duration
• Work on cardiovascular base with running or rowing

Similar Tests

• Push-up test - Upper body strength endurance
• Ins & Outs Core Strength Test

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