Get it Right to Make it Tight – How to Perform a Burpee

Burpees are basically the most dreaded exercise of them all.  Every time you hear someone talking about them, it is usually about how heinous they are or how hated.  Love them (weirdo!) or hate them, we should all do them for a simple reason…they kick your butt.  In a good way!  They are a full body workout that you can do for free, anywhere and they work your chest, arms, deltoids, thighs, hamstrings and abs all in one exercise.  And the best part is that they are a high intensity move which has been shown to burn up to 50% more fat than traditional strength training exercises.  Here is a simple breakdown of how to correctly perform a burpee so you can whip your body into shape!

Step 1:

From a standing position, jump down into a squat position, with your hands on the floor in front of you.

Step 2:

Kick your feet back into a plank position.

Step 3:

Perform a pushup and return to plank position.

Step 4:

Jump your feet back into the squat position, then immediately leap as high as you can into the air.

And that is one.

Yep, they are soul crushers, but if you stick with them, you’ll be amazed at the changes in your body.  Tabatas are a great option for working your way into burpees if you’ve never done them before.  A tabata consists of 20 seconds (or more, if you choose) of work and 10 seconds rest, repeating for multiple rounds.  20 seconds is a really reasonable time, just remember to put out 100% during that time.  You can also add other exercises into the tabata and work your way back to the burpee.  For instance, you could do a round with burpees, body weight squats, lunges and jumping jacks.  Doing 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest, repeat for 4-8 rounds.

Have you tried burpees in the past?  Do you have a love/hate relationship with them like I do?