Burpees have been part of fitness tests since 1939 and have become a popular exercise for weight loss and strength training. This exercise is one of the most intensive full-body workouts because it activates multiple muscle groups and raises your heart rate rapidly.
In this blog, we will explain in more detail what this exercise is, how it works, and how you can integrate it into your comprehensive full-body fitness workout.
What Are Burpees and How Do They Work?
Developed by Royal Huddleston Burpee, burpees are a type of exercise that combines several positions into one movement. Together, these movements tax the legs, arms, back, and core.
The Definition of Burpees
Originally, this exercise was only made up of 4 positions that you need to fluidly go through while remaining stable.
Generally, you need to start with a squat, drop your hands to the ground, and kick back into a push-up position or high plank. Then, you can jump back onto your feet and return to a standing position.
However, you can add up to two push-ups, lunges, or equipment such as dumbbells to intensify this movement.
The Mechanics Behind the Movement
At each step, this exercise requires you to use considerable amounts of energy to counterbalance the resistance caused by your own body weight.
During the initial squat, you exercise your glutes, thighs, and calves. Meanwhile, the high plank works your abdominal and lower back muscles.
As for the push-up, it exercises your core, chest, and arm muscles. Finally, the jump will make the muscles in your calves, thighs, and glutes.
The Role of Burpees in a Comprehensive Full-Body Fitness Workout
Since this exercise engages multiple muscle groups, it can be part of a comprehensive full-body fitness workout. It is quite taxing to the body and can easily be added to a high-intensity interval training routine.
The records show that the maximum anyone has managed to do in a minute is 38. Generally, 10 is the average count per minute for a fit individual.
The Benefits of Doing Burpees Regularly
Adding an exercise to your routine requires assessing its benefits. With this exercise, there are several benefits you will receive, ranging from physical fitness improvements to mental ones.
Full-Body Strength and Endurance
As part of your comprehensive full-body fitness workout, this exercise will help build the muscles in your legs, core, arms, and chest.
Over time, you will find that you can do more of these exercises over a longer time period. Ultimately, you will find that you have more stamina in general.
Cardiovascular Health and Fat Burning
During burpees, your body uses your stores of fat as energy. In addition, your heart pumps faster, distributing the oxygen your muscles need.
This way, it improves cardiovascular health and reduces body fat as long as you are in a caloric deficit.
Mental Toughness and Discipline
This exercise can be challenging to do regularly. It requires pushing past discomfort and fatigue.
However, finding the strength to finish your reps and keep a steady pace will help you build mental fortitude that you can apply elsewhere.
Note: Listening to your body's aches is crucial. If you feel a weakness in your elbows, wrists, shoulders, or hips, your posture may be wrong, and you could injure yourself.
Tips for Perfecting Your Burpee Form
Having a proper form during such an intense exercise is essential to avoiding injuries. With the following advice, you will be able to do burpees, modify them, and avoid mistakes.
Step-by-Step Guide to a Proper Burpee
This exercise can be broken down into different positions. During each step, you should be stable and keep an even pace.
1. Crouch into a Squat: To start doing this exercise, you will need to move from a standing position to a squat. For a proper form, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and lower yourself while keeping your back straight and reaching the ground with flat palms.
2. Drop into a Plank: Once you are in a squat, you will need to kick your feet back to get into a high plank in a controlled movement.
3. Jump into a Squat: After getting into a high plank position, you will need to tuck your feet back in to move into a squat.
4. Stand up: Finally, you will raise your arms to your full height. As you rise to a standing position, you will need to keep your feet flat on the ground to remain stable.
Wearing Open-Ear Headphones to Enhance Your Burpee Workout
Listening to music, a podcast, or even an audiobook can be a great addition to this workout. Using open-ear headphones like the OpenFit will be even better.
These headphones will redefine the sound of sport, allowing you to focus on your entertainment and hear your surroundings. This way, you can avoid coming into contact with others while exercising in a gym or outside.
Additionally, these headphones have a comfortable silicon exterior and stable design. So, you can wear these headphones and do vigorous movements, and these headphones will stay in place.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Any exercise can be dangerous if you do it improperly. In this exercise, a common mistake is falling onto your hands when entering the high plank position. This can strain your wrist and lead to injuries. Instead, you should be lowering yourself in a controlled manner.
Another common mistake is rushing through the exercise. Rather than going as fast as possible, you must keep an even pace through at least 8 reps.
Lastly, having poor form can lead to injuries. So, you will need to ensure your back is straight during the squat and high plank.
Variations to Modify Burpees for Your Fitness Level
For a more intense comprehensive full-body fitness workout, you should modify them or opt for alternatives such as the half burpees.
Also, you can add other exercises such as jumping jacks, long jumps, additional push-ups, or mountain climbers.
Alternatively, you can use equipment such as a box, dumbbells, or bosu ball to make it more challenging for fitness enthusiasts.
If you are only starting out, you can change the push-up for a knee push-up or remove it entirely.
Conclusion
This guide has shown that burpees are a beneficial addition to your fitness journey. Through 4 simple steps, they exercise muscles in your arms, chest, core, buttocks, thighs, and calves.
By exercising so many muscles intensely, you can burn many calories and improve your cardiovascular health. Plus, this exercise does not require any equipment, although you can use a box or dumbbells to intensify this exercise.
Make your comprehensive full-body fitness workout complete with open-ear headphones like OpenFit. These Shokz headphones will remain in place even as you jump and squat, giving you the entertainment you need to stay motivated throughout your workout.
