I recently saw this slogan "BURPEES - Make America Fit Again" on a bumper sticker and it has been on the forefront of mind ever since. I thought it was clever in light of the recent campaign slogan and I'm all about getting America fit. Burpees are one of my favorite body weight exercises and is very effective for many reasons. Burpees are a great tool to get the blood pumping, and get you fit fast. But, for most of us there is a love hate relationship with the infamous burpee.
10 reasons why I love burpees:
1. They work the entire body.
Unlike isolation exercises like biceps curls and tricep kickbacks, burpees are a full body exercise. That means they work pretty much every muscle in the body while doing them.
2. They burn mega calories.
Burpees make your body a fat burning machine. Because burpees are an intense fully body exercise, they burn a ton of calories. Plus, research shows that high intensity exercises like burpees burn up to 50% more fat than moderate exercising.
And better yet, they speed up your metabolism throughout the day-meaning you’ll burn more calories all day long.
3. They can be done anywhere.
Since burpees require nothing more than your own body to do them, you can seriously do them anytime, anywhere, in any weather. It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling, have no access to a gym, or if you’re working out outdoors.
4. They make you stronger.
Burpees are the ultimate example of functional fitness, meaning they'll not only help you meet your weight loss and fitness goals, they'll also help you perform better during everyday activities.
With every rep, you’ll work your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles. After a few sets of burpees, your legs will feel somewhat like lead, your arms will shake and you’ll feel your muscles getting stronger.
5. They boost your endurance.
Want to get fit in a hurry? Whether your goal is to train for a race or just to look good, burpees will get you there, fast.
Burpees are one of the best exercises to boost your conditioning and endurance for sports and other activities. Just 10 burpees in a row will make your heart pound and your breath get quicker.
6. They are a great addition to any workout.
Burpees are a dynamic, fast-paced, never-boring exercise, and a perfect addition to any workout.
7. They work at any level.
Burpees are super versatile and can be tailored to any fitness level. To slow the move down and make it a bit easier, move into a plank position by stepping, rather than jumping, the feet behind you. Or if you want to crank things up a notch, turn your plank into a push-up, your jump into a tuck jump, or both. Do as many or as few as you want. Do them quickly with intensity and you’ll get an even bigger calorie burning effect that will last all day long.
8. They are easy to learn.
Burpees are easy to learn. See below.
9. & 10. Zero cost. Zero equipment
The best thing about burpees is they cost nothing and require absolutely no equipment.
Now, for the hate relationship:
This exercise is exhausting, and will probably feel very uncomfortable the first time doing it. The heart will start racing VERY fast, quite possibly faster than it ever felt before. You may get really nauseous. Sweat will be dripping and dizziness may even occur. This exercise is pretty extreme for people who aren’t conditioned and despite it’s fat burning abilities, I would advise against it if you aren’t somewhat conditioned.
That being said, if you are still interested in doing this exercise and your out of shape, proceed with caution, be careful, and be ready to stop if things get too bad. Do not let not being able to do this workout diminish your determination to do other exercises. Just work on doing push-ups and squats and you’ll be ready for burpees in a few weeks.
How to do a burpee:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight in your heels, and your arms at your sides.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body into a squat.
- Place your hands on the floor directly in front of, and just inside, your feet. Shift your weight onto them.
- Jump or walk your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to heels. Be careful not to let your back sag or you butt stick up in the air, as both can keep you from effectively working your core.
- Jump or walk your feet back so that they land just outside of your hands.
- Reach your arms over head and explosively jump up into the air.
- Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.
How often:
If you are not out of shape and able to complete this exercise without too many adverse effects, start with 2 times a week and work up towards 3-4 times a week. If your just starting out, then a good starting point is 5 sets of 10 burpees, with 1 minute of rest in between sets.
You can add this to your existing workout, or even incorporate into your interval training. Depending on your fitness level, you can do either the basic burpee or one of the more advanced variations. If your really feeling up for a challenge, try doing the 100 burpee challenge for the ultimate burpee workout.
Another slightly more difficult burpee workout would be to do burpees using the Tabata format:
Here you do as many burpees as you can for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for 8 rounds. It doesn’t sound like much, it takes only 4 minutes, but trust me, it will be a killer 4 minutes, and you’ll be gasping for air at the end.
Some people look at burpees as an impossible workout - but it's all about pacing yourself, and most of all, believing in yourself.
If you never done burpees before, give em a try and let me know what you think. If you've been doing burpees for a while, let me know what you think as well - LOVE em or HATE them.
Reba