For many, the word Burpee is synonymous with fear.
Not surprisingly, it is a demanding exercise that will require a lot of effort if you want to get the most out of it.
Have you ever wondered why CrossFitters (regulars at CrossFit) are so punctual to their workouts?
Guess.
In many boxes, the punishment for being late is to do burpees. Why not make an effort to be punctual...
(You know what punishment to give your children the next time they miss their curfew).
In this post we are going to tell you all about this exercise, so that you no longer have to fear them and can start doing them safely.
The benefits are worth it.
Let’s go!
What are burpees and how did they come about?
Although burpees have become very popular in recent years, especially in CrossFit, they are not new.
They owe their name to Royal H. Burpee, a physiologist at Columbia University (USA) in the 1930s, who, during his thesis, developed this exercise
He wanted to be able to assess a person's physical condition with a simple exercise without any equipment, but which was demanding and very intense.
The US Army then started to use it to test the endurance of its Army and Navy personnel in preparation for World War II.
Royal H. Burpee only asked for 4 repetitions and measured the pulse before and after them. It is not known at what point changes to the exercise were implemented and the repetitions were increased.
The Burpee is an anaerobic exercise, which means it is high intensity, short duration, does not involve breathing and is performed solely with muscular energy. But the reality is that for most mortals, not running out of air is impossible.
This exercise is aimed at toning, but its benefits are many, many more. In the Burpees you perform several movements that activate different muscle groups, working the whole body: legs, arms, abdomen, back and chest.
Types of Burpees
Here are the most common types of Burpees. You can choose depending on which muscles you want to work and your physical condition.
Simple Burpee.
The original, that Royal H. Burpee designed.
Start by doing a squat until your hands touch the floor, then straighten your legs back to a plank position and bring them back to the squat and stand up.
Easy? Now let’s see how things get a bit more complicated...
Burpee without squat.
In this variation, we forget about the squat, going to the plank position with one jump and returning to the upright position with another jump.
With this version you work less on your legs, but increase your endurance and push your cardiovascular system to the limit.
From here, we add movements.
Burpee with vertical jump.
From the squat you go to a plank position and once you return to the squat, you do a vertical jump, as high as you can.
Burpee with lateral jump.
This time you will do a squat, move into a plank position, but quickly go into a side plank. You then change sides with each repetition.
Burpee Jack.
For this variation, in the plank position you do a jumping plank (you open and close your legs with a jump).
Burpee with box jump.
For this variation, you will do one of the previous versions, but the final jump is to a box, step, bench, etc.
The higher you have to jump, the more intense the exercise.
These are just a few types of burpees. You can combine them with other exercises such as pull-ups, Hindu push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.
You can also adjust it to your capabilities. For example, if at the beginning you lack the strength to do the push-up, you can support your knees
The most common mistakes when doing burpees
We don't want you to get injured, so we're going to share with you the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Not mastering the exercises separately first.
You'll have to do squats, planks, push-ups, lunges, etc., and you'll want to do them fast to get more reps in (or to get the suffering over with). If you don't master the exercises beforehand, you will end up neglecting technique and risk injury.
If you don't quite get an exercise right (or don't know if you're doing it correctly), it's best to practice it beforehand with your coach.
Not warming up properly.
Many people use burpees as part of their warm-up.
Wrong!
This type of exercise is very demanding and requires prior preparation in order to be able to perform it without hurting yourself.
Not staying focused.
We know you want to finish as quickly as possible and it's easy to let your mind wander, but it's important to stay focused on each movement so that you don't neglect technique and can minimize the risk of injury.
Bending the back.
Make sure you keep your back straight when you are in the plank position.
Tighten the core (abs, lower back, etc.)
Not cushioning the fall.
Not jumping properly will have a big impact on your knees.
Remember to land on your toes first, bending your knees slightly.
Incorrect shoulder positioning.
Planks and push-ups are tricky.
Your shoulders should be level with your wrists, neither in front nor behind. This saves your shoulders and wrists unnecessary strain, reduces the risk of injury and ensures you get the most out of the exercise.
Not listening to your body.
He too has a limit.
It is important that you listen to it and don't overdo it just to do a few more repetitions.
Benefits of practicing burpees
I'm sure some of the benefits of this exercise will surprise you and convince you to include them in your workouts:
- You don't need any material: you can do it wherever you want.
- Accelerates your cardiovascular system and metabolism: puts your heart and lungsatpeak performance.
- You work several muscle groups at the same time: few exercises work the whole body.
- You lose fat without reducing muscle mass: with a good technique, applied intensively, you can burn up to 10 kcal per minute while working on your strength. Of course, this figure is an average that will vary depending on your weight, speed, type of exercise....
- You can measure your fitness: you test yourself by monitoring the number of repetitions and checking how your endurance increases.
- You improve your coordination: a plus.
In which Crossfit training sessions will we find burpees?
You'd better get along with the burpees because you're going to run into them a lot.
They are widely used in AMRAP combined with other exercises or on their own. You know, so many burpees as you can in X minutes.
You will also find them in the EMOMThe "The exercise", where you have to do a set number of repetitions in one minute, resting only for the remaining seconds (if any) before starting the next minute with another exercise.
In addition, there is the version Death by burpees, where you will have to do as many burpees as many burpees as you can in one minute, and in the following minutes, too!
Is it to die for or not?
And, for very advanced levels, there is a type of Endurance, called Pukie Brewster, in which you will have to perform 150 burpees in the shortest time possible.
Go ahead and adjust your wristbands.
As you can see, the different types of burpees will be your demanding partners in CrossFit.
Conclusions
It will take you time to master the burpees as well as you'd like, but it's worth the effort.
This complete exercise brings out your full potential, improving your technique and working virtually every muscle group.
Whether you're looking to lose weight or increase your strength and endurance, in short, to get in better physical condition, you're already late to start with the first burpee.
Will you get Royal H. Burpee proud?
P.S. Let us know how your love-hate relationship goes with this exercise. 👇
