It’s that time!!! You guessed it- this movement tip video is on the infamous burpee.
The burpee will increase the intensity of ANY workout, which is why it gets a bad rap. However, this explosive cardio movement uses the entire body which is why coaches love to use them so much. The burpee itself is difficult enough, especially once that heart rate gets up there, but we see common errors made by people in the gym all the time that can actually make the burpee more difficult. (No one wants that!). So here are some tips to help you get more efficient with your burpees and make them as easy to perform as they can be:
1. Controlled Fall- The first movement is to drop to the floor, in a controlled fashion. Place hands on the ground and let your body drop, touching chest to the ground. Try NOT to perform a strict pushup.
2. Explosive Push- Once you are on the ground, now you have to get back up! 🙂 Push your body up into a full plank position as hard as you can, so your feet have a clear path to jump forward. Try not to worm your way up.
3. Jump Your Feet- Next, keeping your hands on the ground, jump your feet forward and try to replace your hands with your feet. This will allow you to have your feet in a good squat position which will keep the stress off your knees and have you in the right position to go into the last phase of the movement. Try not to jump your knees ro your chest and land on your toes or the balls of your feet.
4. Jump- Once you jump your feet forward, stand up and jump or hop off the ground. A good rule of thumb is to jump only as high as you need to to clap your hands above your head. So this does not need to be a max vertical jump. That expends even more energy than needed. Just be sure to stand all the way up for your jump.
Watch the above video for full demonstrations and tip breakdown. I hope these tips get you thinking about your burpees in a different way and make them feel more efficient. You still may not love this movement, but hopefully you feel more successful when doing them in your next workout!