Burpee Exercise!

I like burpee exercise because it's one of the few aerobic exercises that works your whole body. It's intense, simple, and all you need to do it is your body. I think it's pretty cool ;-)

Though if you're looking to start weight training, check out the 5 Day Beginner Weight Training Course!

First, remember that burpees are meant to be done explosively. They are fast and a great cardio workout; don't go slow.

So, let's learn...

How to do Burpee Exercise - Description & Photos

1. Drop to a lower squat position.

2. Kick your legs out, extend your arms, and do a pushup.

3. Tuck in your legs as you rise from the pushup and get into a lower squat position.

4. From that squat position you're in now, jump as high as possible.

5. Come down into a lower squat position.

Repeat as needed.

Be careful to go slowly when you start doing these, alright? Make sure to keep your lower back tucked in as well; it's easy to injure yourself there by having it rounded.Do as I say and do now, not as I did...

Making it Easier...

If you don't have the conditioning to start doing full burpees, or your body just can't do some of the movement, try these ways of making it easier. This is such a great exercise, it's a shame to not use it just because you can't do the whole movement.

No Push-up: Instead, just kick your legs out, hold there for a second in a plank position, and then tuck your legs in & go for the jump squat.

No Jump: Simple, just do a regular body-weight squat. This reduces impact on your knees and ankles, making it doable if you have joint issues.

Making it Harder...

OK, now you know burpees? Let's make it harder for you, since you need the challenge!

Compact: When you jump up, bring your knees up to your chest to work your legs more.

Weighted Vest: Add some more weight to your workout! It'll just make your burpee exercise that much more intense to use a vest with weights in it.

Tight Backpack: If you don't have a weight vest, a tight backpack that you can load up is the next best thing. Be careful though - it can flop around and might injure you on the explosive movements if it's not good & tight.

Dumbbells: Hold a dumbbell in each hand while you do this exercise. It adds weight & makes the squat deliciously painful.

Hindu Push-up: Why do a regular push-up? A Hindu push-up is a fun variation to add in.

Hindu & Regular Push-up: Why only do just one push-up? Doing more is just another way to make it harder.

One Arm: If you can, a one arm push-up will ramp this up another notch. This is only for those really advanced people out there.

And on And on... As you can see here, there're tons of ways to make burpee exercise harder. After you've tried the ones up there, I'm sure you'll be able to think of some other variation.

What To Do With Burpee Exercise:

Work burpees into your regular workout routine, or save it for when you don't have access to weights. They are versatile and get your blood pumping fast.

When you add them to your workout, place exercises that require other kinds of movements before and after them. Since the burpee uses a pushing action of the hands and legs, try sprinting, doing pull-ups or chin-ups, or crunches before and/or after your burpees.

Also, burpees are great to add to a beginning weight training routine for agility and speed!

That will give your body a little time to recover from them. So, get out there & go try 'em!

Oh, and be sure to sign up for the e-zine Starting Strong to get monthly strength training, exercise, and diet tips e-mailed to you - and access to the free e-book Train Smart, Eat Smart: Exercise Nutrition Hacks!

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