It can feel like bodyweight training always has something harder waiting in the wings. The burpee is a great way to challenge your body and stay in shape.
The squat thrust, now known as the burpee, was used as early as World War II to test the fitness levels of soldiers. Burpees are an incredibly challenging movement to perform, especially when done without using weights. They are often seen in CrossFit classes, and can be a major part of many different types of workouts.
Burpees are becoming increasingly popular among health experts for their many benefits, and their simplicity makes them easy to include in any strength and conditioning program. Let's get rid of the nonsense and spend some time looking at the burpee in detail.
Are you ever going to fail a burpee?
The answer is no.
Falling down and getting up doesn't require much skill, but it can sometimes get ugly or messy. They are the perfect analogy for life – they way they handle challenges is the way you should handle challenges in your own life. Burpees are a great way to develop character.
What is a Burpee?
With a burpee, you may start by jumping your feet back, dropping your chest to the floor, pushing up off the ground while snapping your feet forward toward your hands and then jumping and clapping.
So why do people hate burpees?
Well, number one is that they are hard. That’s no lie. No other movement tires muscles and lungs as quickly as HIIT workouts do. Since they are often used as a form of punishment, push-ups may bring up negative memories for some people.
The following tips can help you make your workout routine faster and easier so that you don't dread going to the gym.
How to Do Burpees
The burpee is a relatively simple calisthenic movement in comparison to other, more technical movements. You can engage almost every muscle in your body by doing a push-up and jump squat. We can analyze the technique by looking at it one step at a time.
Step 1 — Crouch Into Plank
When you are doing burpees, it is important to make sure that you are on a stable and flat surface to avoid injury. Some people think that purposely destabilizing your exercises or using equipment that makes it harder to balance will improve your muscular control, but this is not the case. (1)
From a standing position, descend into a crouch/squat. When you are close to the ground, put your arms in front of you. After you have made contact with the ground, kick your legs out behind you so you are in a plank position with your arms straight.
If you are new to bodyweight training, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts. Before you start your workout, do a quick warm-up to raise your core temperature and increase blood circulation.
Step 2 — Push Up
From the straight-arm plank position, take a deep breath and brace your core. Next, lower your torso to the floor like you would for a standard push-up.
If you do multiple burpees in a row, you might be tempted to let your back sag when you get to the bottom of the push-up. In other words, keep your spine straight.
Step 3 — Recover and Drive
As you press your body off the floor, quickly move your legs back under your body and release your grip, so that you're in the crouching position again. In one smooth motion, push upwards with your legs and do a little jump.
Instead, think about jumping just high enough to reach the ball. Try not to jump too high, just high enough to reach the ball. Burpees are not a good way to measure vertical power, and doing multiple high jumps in a row is hard on your joints.
Benefits of the Burpee
The burpee affords some perks that can supplement your overall training, even though calisthenic movements won't always build strength like a heavy deadlift or grow muscle like a brutal arm workout.
Convenient Cardio
With no equipment needed and the ability to customize the move to your own fitness level, the burpee is a great way to get your cardio workout. You can use burpees as a warm up by taking them slowly until you feel ready for your main workout. If you want to get a good sweat in on your lunch break, try doing burpees in timed intervals. What distinguishes the burpee from other bodyweight exercises is that it can be easily adjusted to any level of difficulty.
Full-Body Stimulus
Push-ups are a good way to get a chest workout, and air squats are a good exercise to do in group classes and CrossFit. The burpee is a great exercise for engaging almost all major muscle groups at once because it combines two multi-joint movements and adds a ballistic element.
Fits In Anywhere
Although you can change the burpee to make it the main focus of your workout, it can also be used to modify other exercises. Burpees are often used in CrossFit workouts as a way to increase intensity. Burpees can be done before, after, or in between almost any other exercise as long as you don’t go too hard.
Convenient Cardio
The burpee is a great cardio exercise because it is simple and does not require any equipment. It is also easy to customize. If you're looking to use burpees as a warm-up, you can start off slow until you're feeling prepared for your main workout. If you want to get a good workout in during your lunch break, performing burpees in timed intervals will help you get sweating. What makes the burpee stand out from other bodyweight exercises is that you can easily adjust the level of difficulty.
Full-Body Stimulus
Doing push-ups is a great way to get your chest pumped up, and air squats are still a go-to in group classes and CrossFit. The burpee exercise is a great way to engage all major muscle groups at the same time. By combining two multi-joint movements and adding a ballistic element, the burpee is a great exercise for working all the major muscle groups.
Fits In Anywhere
You can customize the burpee to be the main element of your workout, or use it as a modification to other exercises. Burpees are often used in CrossFit workouts as a way of increasing the intensity. As long as you don’t overexert yourself, burpees can be done before, after, or in between almost any other exercise.
Heart
You shouldn't neglect cardio because the heart is a muscle. While any exercise can improve your heart health, a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise is the best way to reduce your long-term health risks. (2)
Who Should Do Burpees
The great thing about burpees is that even complete beginners can do them if they're shown how and supervised properly. If you think the burpee is too easy or too hard, there are other exercises you can try that are more scalable. But if you're willing to put in the effort, you'll get something out of the burpee.
Athletes on the Go
While it can be difficult to stay in shape while traveling, it is possible, especially if you have access to things like a hotel gym. You can do burpees in many places, as long as there is enough space above you. If you want to get a quick cardio session while also maintaining your muscle, HIIT workouts are a great option.
CrossFit Enthusiasts (or Masochists)
Burpees have been part of CrossFit since 2004 and are often included in the Open or Games. It is not surprising that the burpee is a good exercise for doing a lot of work in a short time. The burpee has a bit of a nefarious reputation among CrossFitters, some even ranking it among the dreaded assault bike or muscle-up. If you are a CrossFit jerk, you probably have a love-hate relationship with the burpee.
Powerlifters, Weightlifters, & Strength Athletes
Many people who lift weights do so because they do not enjoy cardiovascular activities. This is understandable, however athletes shouldn't forget to train their cardiovascular system. A better option for full-time strength athletes would be something low-impact like swimming, but not everyone has easy access to a pool or even a treadmill in their warehouse gym.
Burpees are very convenient for people who understand the importance of sweating during a workout and can be easily added to the end of a workout that focuses on weights.
Burpee Programming Recommendations
The move can be performed with any amount of space and with or without equipment The burpee is popular because it can be done in any amount of space and with or without equipment. You can control how often and how intense your workout is, making it a valuable part of your training plan.
For General Fitness
Even if you aren't trying to train for the Open or push yourself to your limits, burpees are still a good way to stay in shape. Rest intervals should be moderate, and movements should be eschewed if they are too difficult.
Do burpees three to four times a week without timing how long each set takes or how many repetitions you do. Your body will give you clear indications when you are getting close to your limits, so it is important to pay attention to that feedback. If you want to reduce joint stress, you can skip the jump squat and just stand up.
For CrossFit
If you're a fan of CrossFit, your gym probably has burpees as part of the class or individual WODs regularly. Do not try to change the burpee into something it is not if you are designing the program for yourself or a gym. Burpees are an effective way to finish a workout when you are trying to do as many repetitions as possible in a certain amount of time.
