BY EMMET RUSHE: Ah the humble Burpee.
In all my years of training myself and training clients, I don’t think I have ever come across someone who truthfully loves doing Burpees.
During a class when the instructor calls out that dreaded word, grown men seem to shrink and women cower at the mere sound of the word Burpee.
Sure we all know those guys or girls who seem to light up when it’s Burpee time. They throw themselves into the exercise like people possessed; dropping, flailing and springing up and down, only to land and shrug off the experience like it was a walk in the park.
These same people can be found at the bottom of the shower around an hour later, rocking back and forth, praying that the warm flow of water will wash away their pain.
They are left wondering why they can’t just admit that they too hate burpees and doubly hate their trainer.
After all, every time they admit that the last session of Burpees was easy, the trainer throws in 10 extra.
Why would someone do that?
They must be some sort of a sadist who revels in seeing people in pain?
That must be it.
Why else would they make you do the exercise that could only be created by the illegitimate spawn of Satan??
If only they made you do them at the start of the workout, at least then you would be ready for them, but noooooooo, they always, ALWAYS throw them in at the end, like some last minute punishment.
Unnecessary, painful punishment.
Did we not look tired enough?
Was there not a big enough puddle of sweat below us?
Were our faces not the right colour of puce red?
Maybe it was that we were still able to stand, hmmmm, was that it???
After all, what purpose does the Burpee have?
Quite a few actually.
Let me break it down for you:
The Burpee consists of 3-4 moves depending on which variation you choose as your poison.
The Squat
The Sprawl
The Push up (some leave this out)
The Jump
The Burpee is a full body movement and when you read the above description, can you identify a major muscle group that isn’t involved in the execution of a Burpee?
No, they are full-body exercises—no part of you is immune.
Also, their explosive nature ups the intensity; not one, not two, but THREE jumps are required to complete a single Burpee. (1 standing and 2 on the ground)
You are working your legs, core, chest, shoulders and triceps and your heart and lungs all in one simple (simple?) movement.
As horrible as they may be, you cannot deny that they get the job done.
They will also be useful in escaping the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse when it arrives.
Having Burpees on your side means you are able to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge Zombies.
Have you had good experiences with Burpees? Let me know.
We also have to look at this from another angle.
If there were no Burpees, that trainer we spoke about a few paragraphs back would probably think up something else to punish us with; Something that would bypass the, I-can-taste-sick-in-my-mouth level of pain and go straight into full blown “talking to Huey and Ralph”.
Yes, I think we can all agree that, love them (love?) or hate them, Burpees keep us safe from the devil himself showing up at a training session near you.
#Trainsmart
For further information on how to avoid the Zombie Apocalypse, contact me through the link below. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushe-Personal-Training-and-Performance/120518884715118 * Emmet is the owner and operator of Rushe Fitness
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