Whether you love them or hate them, burpees will add a challenge to any fitness routine! Interestingly enough, burpees have been around since the late 1930’s when Royal H. Burpee (no kidding!) invented the first version as part of a fitness test.
The original version was what we would consider a “basic” burpee today….
- Squat down and place both hands on the floor in front of you
- Jump the feet back into a plank position
- Jump the feet forward
- Return to the standing position
Mr. Burpee had his clients perform only 4 reps and measured their heart rate before and after.
Since then, burpees have obviously become more challenging and have become a great total body exercise that can work the legs, the upper body, the cardio system, all while torching some calories!
A more modern version of the burpee might look something like this…
- Squat down and place both hands on the floor in front of you just outside your feet
- Jump both feet back into the plank position
- Drop down into a push-up with the chest touching the floor before pushing yourself back up
- Jump both feet back toward the hands
- Explosively jump up into the air while reaching your arms overhead
- Perform as many as instructed by your coach/trainer!
There are also many other versions that can incorporate a step or a bench to jump onto or over, substituting the push up for a t-plank, performing a high knee running motion at the top, etc.
Burpees are great for overall conditioning, agility, strength, coordination and burning fat!
So the next time your coach or trainer tells you to do 10, 20, or 30 burpees, make Mr. Burpee proud and give them your all!