Exercise guide
Silent Burpee
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Back
- Chest
- Lower arms
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Waist
The Silent Burpee is a low-impact, high-intensity variation of the standard burpee that removes the jump to reduce joint stress while maintaining full-body engagement. It builds cardiovascular endurance and functional strength through a controlled squat-to-plank sequence.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides.
- Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine with your gaze forward.
- Ensure you have enough space behind you to fully extend your legs into a plank.
How to do it
- Hinge at the hips and squat down to place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
- Step one leg back into a high plank, followed immediately by the other, inhaling as you move.
- Step the lead leg back toward your hands, followed by the other leg, returning to a deep squat position.
- Exhale as you drive through your heels to stand up tall, returning to the starting position.
Form checklist
- Keep your back flat and core tight during the plank to prevent hip sagging.
- Stack your shoulders directly over your wrists when your hands are on the floor.
- Land your feet softly and quietly to ensure maximum muscle control.
- Ensure your heels are planted firmly on the ground before standing up from the squat.
Pro tips
- Alternate your lead leg on every rep to ensure symmetrical development of the hip flexors and glutes.
- Focus on 'peeling' your feet off the floor and placing them back down with zero noise to increase time under tension.
- Maintain a steady, rhythmic pace to keep your heart rate in the aerobic zone.
Make it harder
- Incorporate a slow, controlled push-up when in the plank position to increase upper body demand.
- Hold the bottom of the squat for two seconds before standing up to increase quadriceps fatigue.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the silent burpee work?
- The silent burpee primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the obliques and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the silent burpee?
- The silent burpee requires no equipment — just your body weight.
- Is the silent burpee good for beginners?
- The silent burpee is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Burpee Over The DumbbellIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- Burpee ShuffleIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- Burpee Single Leg JumpIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
- Burpee TwistIntermediate · abs, calves, glutes, hamstrings, obliques, and quadriceps