The History of the Suicides Exercise – Why the Name Is Being Retired & What to Call It Instead

The exercise most people still call “suicides” — a brutal combo of a burpee immediately followed by a pull-up — has been a staple in athletic conditioning, military PT, CrossFit WODs, boot camps, high-school sports, and obstacle-race training for over 40 years. It’s one of the most efficient full-body finishers ever invented: explosive power, grip strength, pulling capacity, cardio, and sheer mental grit packed into one rep.

But starting around 2020–2022, and accelerating sharply by 2024–2026, the name “suicides” (or “suicide burpees”) has been widely recognized as insensitive, potentially triggering, and no longer acceptable in modern fitness culture. Many gyms, coaches, programming platforms, influencers, and online communities have already retired it in favor of neutral, descriptive, or empowering alternatives.

Here’s the full, detailed history of how it got the name, why the shift is happening now, and the respectful names most people use in 2025–2026.

1. Origins of the Movement (Not the Name)

• 1930s – Royal H. Burpee’s original burpee New York physiologist Royal H. Burpee Sr. created the basic squat-thrust + jump as a simple fitness assessment he called the “Burpee Test” — a quick way to measure overall conditioning.
• 1940s–1950s – Military adoption The U.S. military modified and popularized it during/after WWII for boot-camp conditioning and obstacle courses. Variations with push-ups and jumps appeared.
• 1960s–1970s – The pull-up addition The specific burpee + pull-up combo started showing up in military, police, firefighter, and high-school/college athletic training — especially in obstacle courses and “death-by” style workouts (e.g., 1 rep minute 1, 2 reps minute 2, until failure).

2. How & When It Got the Name “Suicides”

The nickname “suicides” almost certainly originated in U.S. high-school and college athletic training in the late 1970s to early 1980s — particularly in football, wrestling, track & field, and basketball programs.

Coaches and players noticed the rapid sequence — drop to floor, jump up, grab the bar, pull, drop again — visually resembled someone “jumping off a ledge” and then “pulling themselves back up.” It was a dark, edgy, locker-room-style joke that matched the drill’s punishing cardio spike and “this is gonna kill you” intensity.

The name spread quickly because it was:

• Short and memorable
• Carried the “tough guy” vibe coaches loved
• Fit the macho culture of many sports programs at the time

By the 1990s–2000s “suicides” was being used nationwide in:

• High-school and college strength & conditioning
• Military & law enforcement PT
• Early CrossFit affiliates (2000s)
• Boot camps and obstacle-race prep (Spartan Race, Tough Mudder era)

It stuck for 40+ years largely because no one seriously questioned the language until mental-health conversations became mainstream in the 2010s.

3. Why the Name “Suicides” Is Now Considered Insensitive & Is Being Retired (2024–2026 Perspective)

Mental-health awareness has changed dramatically since the early 2000s. Key reasons the term is being phased out:

• Trigger risk — For anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide, survived an attempt, or struggled with suicidal ideation, hearing “suicides” in a gym setting can cause immediate emotional distress, flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, or panic.
• Trivialization — Using a real cause of death as a casual nickname cheapens the gravity of suicide and reinforces stigma (“it’s just a joke”).
• Lack of inclusivity — Modern fitness spaces (especially post-2020) aim to be welcoming to trauma survivors, people in recovery, mental-health advocates, and everyone else. A triggering name creates an unnecessary barrier.
• Cultural evolution — Terms once seen as “tough talk” are now viewed as careless or harmful. Similar rebrands have occurred with other language (“retard,” “lame,” “gypped,” etc.).

By 2025–2026 the shift is widespread and visible:

• Many CrossFit affiliates updated programming language (2023–2025)
• Boutique studios (F45, Orangetheory, Barry’s Bootcamp, etc.) removed the term
• Military & law enforcement PT manuals revised wording
• Influencers, podcasts, YouTube channels, and social-media coaches now use neutral names
• Major platforms (BODi, Nike Training Club style guides, etc.) avoid it

4. Most Widely Accepted Rebrands in 2025–2026

The fitness community has largely converged on these respectful, descriptive alternatives:

1. Burpee Pull-Up (most common, clearest, and safest — widely adopted)
2. Pull-Up Burpee
3. Burpee + Pull
4. Phoenix Burpee (rising stronger after the drop — very popular in mental-health-aware spaces)
5. Warrior Burpee (emphasizes mental & physical toughness)
6. Up-Down Pull
7. Bar-to-Bar Burpee (common in CrossFit)
8. Thruster Pull (if a thruster-style jump is added)

Burpee Pull-Up is currently the most universal and recommended replacement.

5. How to Perform the Burpee Pull-Up Correctly

Equipment

• Pull-up bar at standard height (you can jump and reach it)
• Optional: low box/step if bar is very high

Step-by-Step Execution

1. Stand directly under the bar — feet shoulder-width, arms relaxed.
2. Drop into squat — place hands on floor shoulder-width apart.
3. Kick or step feet back into strong high plank (body straight, core braced, glutes tight).
4. Perform one push-up (optional — full range: chest to floor, full lockout). Many programs skip it for speed.
5. Jump feet forward explosively — land in squat directly under the bar.
6. Immediately jump upward — reach high enough to grab the bar (overhand or neutral grip).
7. Pull chin over the bar — full pull-up (strict or kipping depending on program).
8. Lower yourself with control — drop or lower to floor (soft landing on balls of feet).
9. Reset stance and repeat.

One full rep = burpee + pull-up.

Breathing

• Exhale on the jump and pull-up (effort phases)
• Inhale during reset/lower

Common Variations

• Strict — full push-up + strict pull-up
• No push-up — most common in conditioning WODs
• Kipping — allows higher volume (CrossFit Games style)
• Box-assisted — step up onto box to reach bar
• Negative finish — jump to top, lower slowly (strength focus)

Reps & Programming

• Beginners: 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps (rest 60–90 sec)
• Intermediate: 4 sets of 8–12 reps (rest 45–60 sec)
• Advanced: EMOM 10–15 min (5–10 reps every minute) or “death by” style

The movement is brutal, beautiful, and brutally effective — strength, power, endurance, grip, and grit in one rep. The old name carried a shadow that no longer belongs in fitness spaces. Rebranding to Burpee Pull-Up (or Phoenix Burpee, Warrior Burpee, etc.) keeps the intensity while making the gym more inclusive and respectful.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical. Always see a qualified healthcare provider for concerns about your health.