BURPEES: FRIEND OR FOE?

Burpees

Who doesn't hate burpees? Me! LOL, but seriously, burpees are a tough workout, but they are one of the best and most effective workouts, because they work all the muscles in the body. Not only will you feel the burn during exercise, but the effects can still be felt the next day and the day after that. They are intense, and for a good reason! They exercise originated from the military.

Call me crazy, but i love burpees! Yes you read that right. I. LOVE.BURPEES. Are they difficult? Yes! Do they make me walk funny the next day? Yes! Am i crazy to be so in love with a tough workout? No! Let me explain....So what is a burpee? Definition: "a conditioning exercise in which a person squats, places the palms of the hands on the floor in front of the feet, jumps back into a push-up position, in some cases completes one push-up, returns to the squat position, and then jumps up into the air while extending the arms overhead." (Merriam Webster online dictionary).

Benefits of burpees

There are many benefits. I'll just list the few that i personally have experienced.1. Strength: Burpees greatly helped me strengthen my legs when i was recovering from an IT band injury caused by excessive running. They helped my injury heal faster and also strengthened my legs and glutes to prevent further injuries.
2. Fitness: Burpees helped me maintain my fitness during my two month + hiatus from running. When I started running again it was easier to get back to my previous futness level.
3. Speed: I realised that burpees helped me increase my speed when I started running again. I thought my running pace would dramatically reduce, but no! it was the same and after a week even faster than before. 
4. Toning: They helped tone my body. They helped me get and maintain my abs.
5. Acessible: Can be done by anyone, can be done anywhere. You don't need a gymn or any special equipment to do burpees. Its my best go to workout when I’m travelling and don’t have enough time for a run.
6. Fat loss: Burn calories in a shorter amount of time (and throughout the day) and also rev up your metabolism! Burpees basically turn your body into a fat burning machine.

How to do a burpee

1.  From a standing position get into a squat position with your hands on  the  floor in front of you
2.   Quickly drop down with your hands in front of you
3.   Kick your feet back into a push up position and drop your chest to the ground in a push up
4.   Pull your chest up, then return your feet back to the squat position as quickly as possible
5.   Immediately jump up into the air as high as you can

That’s how you do a burpee. Repeat as many times as you can until you are comfortable to do 10 in a row. It is very important that you maintain the correct posture as you are doing the burpee to avoid injuries.Burpees should be your best friend! Burpees love you! You should also show them some love. 
I hope I have somehow convinced you to give this amazing exercise a try. Who knows, you might end up loving and adding it to your workout routines. You don't have to do 50 burpees in a row. You can start with 10 and progress as your fitness levels improve. Give burpees a try You won’t regret the results ;). 

Have you tried burpees before? Do you love them or do you hate them? And why? Let me know in the comments below!


Stay healthy, Keep fit!