Reenjoying Burpees
I teach fitness to anyone interested in knowing how to make their body healthy and strong. They learn that one doesn’t need to spend hours exercising, and that they can increase their own strength and mobility using just bodyweight and gravity. They also learn that there are more interesting and effective methods of movement than long aerobic (cardio) sessions. Inevitably, there is one movement which almost every person winces at hearing the name… the Burpee. This single movement seems to inspire dread in the minds of those who have heard of it. Given the numerous benefits of such a comprehensive movement, it’s helpful to know that one’s opinion can be changed.
The Burpee suffers from a negative image. The nervous system of those unaccustomed to the movement instantly rebels after attempting the first one. This isn’t surprising, the movement recruits multiple parts of the body in rapid succession, some of which may have been happily hibernating from lack of use. Most joints are called into action, as well as muscles in the chest, core, and legs. And then the heart, recognizing a full on mobilization of the body, kicks into rapid overdrive, instantly calling in favors to pump more oxygen ASAP.
The Burpee also has a marketing issue. The name itself comes from researcher Royal H. Burpee), who used the movement to measure fitness across test subjects in a study back in the 40s. And with the rise of CrossFit in the 2000s, the term “burpee” has been incorporated into many languages, including Spanish, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, and Vietnamese. It’s even used in French, though the exercise is also known as “saut de grenouille” or “accroupissement-saut,” which means “frog jump” or “squat-jump”. If it were called the “Body Transformer” or a “Fit maker” I bet the reaction would be more positive.
The real power of the Burpee is the full activation of the body, with each and every repetition. By combining multiple bodyweight movements (pushup, leg lift, squat, jump) into one, every part of the body gets involved. Engaging so many muscles and joints is what makes the movement difficult at the start. It also makes Burpees one of the most comprehensive movements in existance. When someone asks if there is a single movement they can do with the most impact on their fitness, a Burpee is the answer.
The Challenge
We’re aiming to feel more confident with completing the full burpee with proper form, and then one after another, by the end of the month. The total repetitions may be more than you may have attempted before. Thankfully, you can choose how to build the daily amount to your liking.
We will all become less bothered by Burpees by doing them every day. It’s not required to do the daily number without stopping, but you may find it possible to do so once your body begins to adapt. Also, if it makes it easier, you can spread the total through the entire day. Just keep yourself accountable to complete the total amount.
And while “reenjoy” is not an actual word, it seemed a fitting title for a movement with the potential to quickly tip the scale from pain to gain.
The Routine
The details of the Burpee standard we’ll follow is explained in this video…
You may choose one of the four options below. Once you choose, commit to it for the entire month. To make it more real, share your commitment with the chat group…
1. 10 per day, add 10 each week: 10,10,10, … 20,20,… 780 = (7*10)+(7*20)+(7*30)+(9*40)
2. 30 per day: 30,30,30, … 900 = (30*30)
3. 2x the date: 2,4,6, … 930 = ((30/2)*(1+30))*2
4. 3x the date: 3,6,9, … 1395 = ((30/2)*(1+30))*3
Efficiency Tips
When starting with burpees, they can feel tiring and uncomfortable. But I assure you, it’s possible to numb the negative feelings about the burpee. The easiest way I’ve found to accomplish this is to do them often, and to do them efficiently.
1. Place your hands on the floor near the front of your feet. This allows the position with the body on the ground to be similar to the pushup position, with hands directly beneath the chest. This can avoid additional fatigue in the arms when pushing the body upward 2. When kicking the feet up, try to land the feet flat on the floor. This may not be easy at first, but resist building the muscle memory of landing only on the front part of the feet. 3. Also when kicking up, try to extend your butt as high as possible. When the feet land and the butt is high in the air, only a hinge of the hip is required to be upright, rather than a full squat motion. 4. When jumping at the end, you just need to leave the floor. Jump high if you would like to give your legs extra training.
Progression Tips
If the full burpee feels difficult at the start, here are some modifications to build strength to do the full movement. Remember, the goal this month is to feel more confident with the full movement.
1. Instead of doing a strict pushup at hte bottom, simply push the upper body up while letting the hips lag on the floor a bit. You still need to be high enough to bring your legs under you, but it doesn’t have to be a straight body pushup. Another way to improve the kick back is to practice a modified version called an Up down: place hands on the floor, kick feet back to the plank position, then bring feet back up and stand. 2. If kicking back and the feet and landing an issue, kick back one leg at a time or step the legs back. Make sure to keep trying to kick the legs back from time to time to help the body adapt to the full movement. 3. If landing with the feet flat on the floor is difficult, practice just that part of the burpee. Lay on the floor on your stomach. Then push your upper body up and try to land the feet flat on the floor. Keep trying this from the laying position until it becomes a bit easier. Remember to aim to keep the butt as high as possible, which means keeping the legs extended and not bent.
Use any of the Funxion community group chats for questions, encouragement, and even rants. We can encourage each other to work through the Burpees all month. By staying consistent, the changes to your body may surprise you.