An up-down is a bodyweight exercise where you drop from standing into a plank position, then return to standing. It looks similar to a burpee but skips the two hardest parts: there’s no push-up at the bottom and no explosive jump at the top. That makes it a lower-impact option that still challenges your cardiovascular system and works muscles across your entire body.
How an Up-Down Differs From a Burpee
The confusion between up-downs and burpees is common because the movements share the same basic framework. Both start standing, move to the ground, and come back up. The differences are at the top and bottom of the rep. A burpee takes you all the way down until your chest touches the floor, then finishes with an explosive jump with arms overhead. An up-down keeps you in a plank position without lowering your chest, and you simply stand back up at the end without jumping.
Those two omissions matter more than they might seem. The jump at the end of a burpee drives heart rate to 85 to 95 percent of maximum, while skipping it in the up-down reduces impact forces by roughly 50 to 60 percent. That’s a significant difference for your joints, especially your knees and ankles. If you want the conditioning effect of getting up and down off the floor repeatedly but need to protect your joints or are building up your fitness base, up-downs are the logical starting point.
How to Perform an Up-Down
Start standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and place both hands on the floor in front of you, roughly shoulder-width apart. Jump or step your feet back into a high plank position, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. Hold the plank briefly, then jump or step your feet back toward your hands. Stand up. That’s one rep.
The tempo is up to you. For conditioning work, move quickly through reps with minimal pause at the top. For core-focused training, hold the plank for a beat or two before returning to standing. Either way, each rep should be controlled enough that your form stays clean.
Stepping vs. Jumping Back
You can modify the exercise further by stepping one foot back at a time into the plank instead of jumping both feet back simultaneously. Stepping reduces the impact even more and gives you greater control over your core position. As your fitness improves, jumping both feet back and forward adds speed and intensity without requiring the full leap of a burpee.
Muscles Worked
Up-downs are a full-body movement, though the demand shifts as you move through each phase. Your quadriceps and glutes do the heavy lifting when you squat down and stand back up. Your shoulders and chest stabilize your upper body as you land in the plank. Your core works throughout the entire rep to keep your hips from sagging or piking upward, especially during the transition between standing and plank positions.
Because the movement cycles between standing and floor positions repeatedly, it also taxes your cardiovascular system. Vigorous calisthenics like up-downs burn approximately 470 to 690 calories per hour depending on body weight (roughly 470 calories at 130 pounds and 690 at 190 pounds). In practice, most people won’t do up-downs for a full hour, but even a few minutes mixed into a circuit creates a noticeable heart rate spike.
Common Form Mistakes
The most frequent error is letting your hips sag when you hit the plank position. When your core disengages, your lower back absorbs the load, and repeated reps in that position can lead to soreness or strain. Think about pulling your belly button toward your spine as you land in the plank. If your hips start dropping, that’s a sign to rest before your next set rather than grinding out sloppy reps.
Hand placement is another common issue. Your hands should land directly under your shoulders, not wider or out in front of you. A good cue: imagine setting up a tabletop position on the floor, then straightening your legs. That’s where your hands belong. Placing them too wide shifts stress onto your shoulder joints unnecessarily.
On the way back up, push through your heels rather than your toes as you stand. Pressing through the toes shifts the work away from your glutes and can put extra strain on your knees. Your knees should track over your second toe throughout the squat-down and stand-up portions of the movement, without caving inward or bowing outward.
How to Use Up-Downs in a Workout
Up-downs fit naturally into several workout formats. In a circuit, they work well as a cardio station between strength exercises. Try 30 seconds of up-downs followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated for 5 to 10 rounds. For interval training, alternate up-downs with a less demanding exercise like marching in place: 20 seconds on, 40 seconds easy, for 8 to 12 rounds.
You can also use them as a standalone conditioning test. Set a timer for one minute and count your reps. Repeat that test every few weeks to track improvement. Because the movement is simple and scalable (step back for easier, jump back for harder, add speed for more intensity), it works for beginners building a fitness foundation and for experienced athletes looking for an active recovery day alternative to burpees.
If you’re using up-downs as a stepping stone toward full burpees, the progression is straightforward. Master the up-down with a jump back first. Then add a push-up at the bottom. Once that feels comfortable, add the jump at the top. Each stage layers on more impact and intensity, letting your joints and cardiovascular system adapt gradually.