How to: Do a Burpee

Burpees

Name:  Burpees Also known as:  (Do you know them by another name?  If so, leave a comment below) Main muscles used:  Legs, bum, shoulders, arms, heart. Other muscles used:  Most of the muscles in the body. Top tips:

  • Jump high in the air as you come up to the standing position.
  • Try to do the whole movement in one, flowing action.
  • Try not to cut down the move.  Make it as big as you can.

Common mistakes:

  • Don’t let your belly sag down when you are in the pressup position.
  • Not using the legs to get your hands on the floor.  Don’t just flop forwards from the hips and spine, bend the knees.
  • Doing the jump as an afterthought after you have stood up.  The standing up and jump should be integrated as one move.

Comments: Burpees are either loved (by masochists) or loathed (by everyone else) the world over (I almost got into a big argument on Tuesday when someone saw that I had included them in their workout!)  But it is a fantastic exercise that does loads of good stuff for you and is a classic example of a Keystone Ability.  The exercise is made up of a couple of others we have already covered. Take what you learned from the Bodyweight Squat and apply it as you drop to the floor in a crouched position.  Then, take what you learned in the Squat Thrust and apply it as you drive your feet far back, then return to the crouched position.  Take what you learned in the Bodyweight Squat and apply it as you come back up from the floor.  But do it fast, so you can finish the Burpee with a vertical leap into the air.  Then, repeat… Start slowly at first and break the move up into parts.  But gradually increase the duration and speed of the workout as you progress.  After a while, when you are proficient at Burpees, there are many variations of the move you can try that will make them even more challenging… If you like what you read here, you can subscribe to this blog via email or RSS using the buttons at the top right of the page.