Sunday December 16, 2012
By FIONA HO
starhealth@thestar.com.my
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| Positions one and three of the standard burpee. |
BURPEES sound like the kind of noise your tummy makes following a big curry lunch.
In reality, they are a simple exercise used in both strength training and aerobic workouts, which, like curry, have been known to make many a stomach churn.
The standard ‘four-count’ burpee is performed in these easy steps:
1. Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you.
2. Kick your feet back in one quick movement to a push-up position.
3. Immediately return your feet to the squat position in one quick motion.
4. Leap as high as you can from the squat position.
Sounds easy enough. But to talk about burpees and then actually do them is something akin to coming face-to-face with a vicious three-headed dog named Fluffy.
Tough exercise
There is a reason why burpees are so popular with football teams, elite military forces and CrossFit enthusiasts. Each repetition of the simple burpee engages the entire body, challenging the muscles in the chest, arms, thighs, hamstrings and abs.
Crank out 10 or 20 of these as fast as you can and you’ll know the meaning of pure hell. Your life may even start to flash before you.
But as the masochistic saying goes: “No pain, no gain.” Burpees, as one will find, can be incredibly rewarding for those who persevere.
Its benefits range from boosting one’s physical abilities, to helping you shape that elusive, sexy physique.
Besides, they will definitely come in handy if you ever need to run for your life.
This is because burpees are an excellent conditioning and endurance exercise, so doing lots and lots of them will help you last longer and go faster at whatever sports or activity you are doing, whether it’s playing futsal or running a marathon.
The high-intensity nature of the burpee also makes it one of the best exercises to facilitate fat burning.
Studies have shown that high-intensity exercises like burpees can actually burn up to 50% more fat than conventional cardiovascular exercises such as running on the treadmill.
They have also been shown to jack up your metabolism, which in turn helps you burn more calories throughout the day. This means you will be able to afford that extra slice of apple pie this Christmas.
Best of all, it is free! You can do burpees at home, in your office, and even in your prison cell. All you need is your body, a floor, and a never-say-die attitude.
A variety of burpees
For fitter folks or those who like more of a challenge (and more pain), there are many advanced burpee variations that you can do. Among them are:
·The push-up burpee
This is similar to a standard four-count burpee, except that after you kick out your feet to a push-up position, you go ahead and do a full push-up.
·The dumbbell burpee
The athlete holds a pair of dumbbells while performing this variation of the burpee.
·The box-jump burpee
Do a standard burpee, but instead of jumping up and down from the squat position, jump onto a box at the end of the movement.
·The ascending burpee ladder
Also known as “Death by Burpees” to CrossFit enthusiasts, and for a darn good reason! Here’s how it goes: Start a timer and do one burpee on the start of the first minute, two burpees on the second minute, three burpees on the third minute, and so on until you can no longer complete burpees for the number of minutes on the timer.
·The pull-up burpee
Instead of jumping up and down from the squat position like you would in a standard burpee, combine a pull-up with the jump or do a pull-up instead of the jump.
·The muscle-up burpee
Like the pull-up burpee, the muscle-up variation of the burpee combines a muscle-up with the jump, or a muscle-up is done instead of the jump.
This variation is only for the hardcore strong though.
Burpees and I
I personally HATE burpees. I’m not exactly the strongest girl around, but I’m not exactly made of tofu either. Yet, these bad boys invariably leave me down and out – every... single... time.
As it is, burpees happen to be the torture method of choice for the coaches at my CrossFit gym.
CrossFit burpees are typically performed with a push-up, which is a killer for me, considering my deplorable upper-body strength.
Just the other day, I was sentenced to 30 burpees for being the last one to get to the bar.
Days later, I did a workout that had some 75 burpees in it. I was literally lying flat-out on the floor by the time I was done!
Which is why I am now resolved to do at least 20 burpees every day, as fast as I can, with the hope of becoming fitter, faster and stronger.
And also, to somewhat placate the incorrigible kiasu in me who’s been busting her butt off to get to the top of the scoreboard for the gym’s daily timed workout challenges.
Just one thing to watch out for before you go all out with your burpees: Always make sure that the space you’re working out in is free from objects like furniture or gym equipment.
Also, when attempting burpees, you want to do it on a floor that is padded or carpeted, because burpees executed on hard ground can put a high degree of stress on your wrists, increasing the risk of injury.
Alternatively, you can also lay out a gym mat while doing burpees.
On a happier note, I am absolutely looking forward to stuffing my face in chocolate-chip cookies and tarts this Christmas!
As long as I drop to the floor and attempt some 18,654,723 (totally random number!) burpees to make up for it afterwards.
Happy holidays, everybody!
■ Fiona Ho is a certified personal trainer and a CrossFit enthusiast, who is dedicated to kicking one butt at a time.
Source: Simple, but strenuous
