Diary of a Fit Mommy: Why We Love to Hate Burpees

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Why We Love to Hate Burpees

The dreaded Burpee.

Some of you guys may ask, "What the heck is a Burpee?"

Let's go way back. The Burpee is a 4-step full body exercise that combines strenghth (bodyweight) and aerobics exercise; a favorite among CrossFitters. It was named after an American physiologist, Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee Test in 1940. He formed this exercise as a quick & simple way to assess the fitness level of an individual. The part that gets me every time is the word "simple." Hilarious!

The move eventually became a regular part of the United States Armed Forces training routines to assess the fitness levels of recruits when the US entered WWII to measure agility, coordination, and strength. Pretty cool, huh?

And how exactly are you supposed to do a Burpee? Well, there are many variances, but this is the basic simple version:

Begin in a standing position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Now, lower your body into a squatting position, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
Kick your feet back so that you are in push-up position. Keep your hands firmly on the ground to support your body.
Lower your chest to do a push-up. Bring your chest back up.
Kick your feet back to their original position. Stand up, and then jump into the air while clapping your arms overhead.
Repeat. Do 15 reps to complete one set. If you are a beginner or are out of shape, start off with 5 burpees in a row.

Sounds simple enough. So, why exactly does everyone hate Burpees so much?

Have you ever tried a Burpee? Man, is it ever challenging, but in the best way possible. Don't get me wrong-the burpee is an amazing exercise because you basically kill 5 birds with 1 stone by working almost all of your muscle groups in one complete sequence. We hate the Burpee because the truth is: it's hard. It is a true test of our physical ability as Royal H. Burpee had planned for it to be. It was not meant to be easy and once we get our minds wrapped around that idea, we will begin to love and appreciate this infamously hated exercise-and face the truth about where we stand with our fitness levels.