Burpee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the seed company, see W. Atlee Burpee.
- For the museum of natural history, see Burpee Museum of Natural History.
 |
The quality of this article or section may be compromised by wording which promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. You can help Wikipedia by removing peacock terms or finding content which backs the claims. |
 |
The burpee is a calisthenic exercise performed to increase strength and explosiveness. Performed in repetitions, it also improves cardio-vascular fitness. Though there are several different variations of the burpee, some utilizing Weights such as Kettlebells or Weight Vests, the most common form is...
- Start in a push up position.
- Do one push up.
- Quickly jump feet forward to a squatting position, like in a squat thrust.
- Jump high into the air, bringing your knees up to your chest & raising your hands above your head.
- Land with feet together, on the balls of your feet..
- Drop back to a squat.
- Jump feet back to a push up position.
- Repeat many times.
With practice the exercise can be done in a fluid, constant movement without pauses. This exercise can be performed in a relatively small area. Many variations can be added, such as performing a sit up between steps #1 and #2. In one variation of the exercise called "whoopee jumps," a loud shout is added, which can help build endurance. Fitness experts such as Ross Enamait, RossTraining.com, proclaim
"A few minutes of Burpee conditioning will quickly convince you that your own natural bodyweight provides plenty of resistance for an ass-kicking workout that blasts your stamina and fat loss through the roof."[1]
The burpee is one of a series of exercises common in a soccer player's circuit training, along with the split jump and squat thrust.[citation needed] It is anecdotally popular in prisons, where exercise time, equipment, and space are all limited.[citation needed] It is also an important source of conditioning for several Mixed Martial Arts fighters including current UFC welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre.
Contents |
[edit] Caution
When extending the legs to position #1, be sure to avoid letting the hips drop too low (hyperextension of the lower back).
It is advisable to breathe forcefully as it is tempting to hold ones breath whilst performing the exercise
[edit] Super-burpee
The super-burpee is just like the burpee with a push-up and jump added, although it is usually done starting from a standing position.
- Start standing, in a light jog in place.
- Touch the ground in a squat position.
- Jump clear of the ground, bringing your knees up to your chest.
- Land in a squat position, jump feet out to push up position.
- Do a push up.
- Jump feet forward to a squatting position just like in a squat thrust.
- (optional: stand, light jog in place)
- Repeat many times.
The super-burpee is very similar to the yoga series commonly known as a "sun salutation", which has a back bend at the beginning and two more bends in the push up position.
Good examples of burpee routines and explanations can also be found here
[edit] 100 Burpee Challenge
A conditioning routine that is popular on various training sites is the '100 challenge' in which you time yourself doing 100 burpees (full push up, squat thrust and jump) with the aim of reducing timings and increasing overall conditioning. Anything sub-10 minutes is considered a good level of conditioning with people even breaking the 5 minute barrier. A popular Mixed Martial Arts website Sherdog is one place where for such a challenge is ongoing Sherdog.net Conditioning Forums
A race to 100 burpees is occasionally used to settle disputes between inmates in high security prisons.[citation needed]
One prisoner in Pelican Bay has been known to perform 1000 burpees in an hour.
