The ManicaPost
DESPITE the funny name, and perhaps not being as well-known as push-ups or squats, burpees are a challenging exercise that work for many of the major muscle groups in your body.
A burpee is essentially a two-part exercise: a push-up followed by a leap in the air.
Doing several burpees in a row can be tiring, but this versatile exercise may be worth the payoff, especially if you’re looking for a way to build strength and endurance, while burning calories, and boosting your cardio fitness.
Here’s a look at how to do burpees correctly and safely, and variations you can try if you want an easier or more challenging burpee option.
What are the benefits of a burpee?
If you’re not sure whether to jump on the burpee bandwagon, consider the following benefits.
Burns calories
Most people can do about 20 burpees in a minute.
Based on this, the table below shows how many calories you can burn by doing burpees nonstop for a minute.
You’ll burn more calories if you do burpees at a higher intensity.
Offers a full-body workout
Burpees are a calisthenics exercise.
This means they use your body weight for resistance.
With burpees, the focus is on a full-body calisthenics workout that aims to build muscle strength and endurance in both your lower and upper body.
A standard burpee exercise works to strengthen the muscles in your legs, hips, buttocks, abdomen, arms, chest, and shoulders.
Boosts cardio fitness and burns fat
Burpees can be performed as part of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen.
HIIT is a type of cardio workout that requires you to do short bursts of intense exercise, followed by a short rest period.
Research has shown that HIIT may be an effective way of burning body fat, especially around the abdomen and stomach area.
Also, according to a large study done in 2015, researchers found that doing more vigorous forms of exercise seemed to be associated with living a longer life.
In addition to burning fat, including burpees in your workout routine can help you reap many other cardio benefits, such as:
Stronger heart and lungs
Improved blood flow
Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
Improved cholesterol levels
Improved brain function
Convenient and versatile
You don’t need any equipment to do burpees.
All you need is your own body weight and enough space to do the move.
So, even if you’re in a small apartment, a hotel room, or a tiny office, you can still get your blood pumping by doing burpees.
If you want variety, it’s easy to make some modifications to the standard burpee by including weights or adding an extra pushup or jump.
How to do a burpee
Burpees are a calisthenics exercise.
This means they use your body weight for resistance.
With burpees, the focus is on a full-body calisthenics workout that aims to build muscle strength and endurance in both your lower and upper body.
A standard burpee exercise works to strengthen the muscles in your legs, hips, buttocks, abdomen, arms, chest, and shoulders.
Boosts cardio fitness and burns fat
Burpees can be performed as part of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen.
HIIT is a type of cardio workout that requires you to do short bursts of intense exercise, followed by a short rest period.
Research has shown that HIIT may be an effective way of burning body fat, especially around the abdomen and stomach area.
Also, according to a large study done in 2015, researchers found that doing more vigorous forms of exercise seemed to be associated with living a longer life.
In addition to burning fat, including burpees in your workout routine can help you reap many other cardio benefits, such as:
Stronger heart and lungs
Improved blood flow
Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
Improved cholesterol levels
Improved brain function
Convenient and versatile
You don’t need any equipment to do burpees.
All you need is your own body weight and enough space to do the move.
So, even if you’re in a small apartment, a hotel room, or a tiny office, you can still get your blood pumping by doing burpees.
If you want variety, it’s easy to make some modifications to the standard burpee by including weights or adding an extra pushup or jump.
How to do a burpee variation
For this variation, you’ll need a plyo box or a bench or other solid object that will support your weight.
Stand in front of the box in your usual squat position, but instead of dropping down to the floor for a pushup, place your hands on the box or bench, and do a modified pushup.
Then, instead of jumping into the air, jump up on the box instead.
Land gently on the floor, with your knees bent, and move straight into the next repetition.
Burpee with a Bosu ball
With this variation, you’ll use a Bosu ball with the flat side up.
Start in a squat position with your knees bent, holding the outer edges of the Bosu ball.
Lower your hands to the floor, holding the Bosu ball.
Place the Bosu ball directly beneath you, and place your hands on the flat surface while you do a pushup.
Then, grab the opposite edges of the Bosu ball and lift it above your head as you stand straight up.
Lower it to the floor and repeat.
Burpee with dumbbells
Start in a squat position holding a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand.
Lower yourself to the ground, with the dumbbells beneath your shoulders.
Hold onto the dumbbells while you do the pushup.
Instead of jumping up, stand and raise both dumbbells above your head.
Lower the weights to your side and return to the starting position.
For an even greater challenge, you can jump while holding the dumbbells, but only if you can easily control the weights.
Safety tips
Like any exercise, burpees are only effective if you do them safely and avoid injury.
Start slowly and just do a few reps at first.
Once you get used to the move and can do it easily with no pain, try adding more reps.
Try to work up to doing 8 or 10 reps in a row before pausing, then doing another set.
Because you need to drop to a pushup, burpees can put extra stress on your wrists and shoulders.
Be careful not to go so fast that you twist your wrist when you land.
Make sure you have the basic components of the exercise down before you add weights or extra pushups or jumps.
The bottom line
Burpees can be exhausting.
What makes them tiring and challenging is what also makes them a highly effective exercise that can help build strength, endurance, and cardio fitness.
If you’re unsure of how to do a burpee, ask a certified personal trainer to help you.
Also, if you’re new to exercising or high-intensity interval training, or if you have a health condition, talk to your healthcare provider first to make sure burpees are safe for you.—https://www.healthline.com/
