THE BURPEE
A Part of Fierce Play’s Grounded Gymnastics Series
The burpee is a full-body exercise where the athlete, starting in a standing position, lowers him/herself down to the ground in order to touch the chest the ground, and then stands fully back up and jumps and claps at the top. The burpee is effective in getting the heart rate up and engaging the legs, arms and core muscles, making it a great aerobic and fully-body exercise. The burpee is an excellent movement to add to any workout to increase intensity and work all the major muscle groups in the body.
Watch the video clip below for a full explanation of technique, tips and tricks for performing the movement with efficiency, as well as precautions for staying safe.
MOVEMENT BASICS:
- Control Your Fall: Instead of completing a push-up in order to get the chest to the ground, think about doing a controlled fall into the ground where you end up in the bottom of a push-up position. This saves energy and still gets you to the ground and also speeds up your pace in completing burpees.
- Chest All the Way Down: Once in the bottom of the burpee, it’s easy to not lower the chest all the way to the ground. However, the standard for the movement states that the chest does need to come down and fully touch the ground.
- Feet to Hands: To stand back up, think about springing upward from the ground and bringing your feet to your hands. Seasoned athletes will be able to spring upward quite quickly, and newer athletes may find that they need to slowly step back up into a standing position. Both are acceptable for the standard in performing the movement.
- Stand and Clap: Once back on your feet, stand fully upright and then jump and clap at the top. This may seem trivial, but this little extra piece gets the heart rate up while working the arms and legs to give you more bang for your buck.
TIPS + TRICKS:
- Create Tension: Once on the ground at the bottom of the burpee movement, raise your chest up and create tension in your upper body and arms. This tension will actually provide you with some momentum as you spring upward and focus on bringing your feet to your hands.
- Keep Feet Shoulder-Width Apart: As you come back into a standing position, try to keep your feet about shoulder-width apart. This stance provides maximum stability for you, versus if you attempt to keep your feet very wide or close together.
- Step Up: If the burpee movement is too difficult to quickly jump back up in a single, fluid motion, step back up into a standing position one leg at a time. This still is considered completing the standard for the movement. This method of completing the burpee is also a great way to scale if you’re still newer at completing the position and will help you stay safe and prevent injury!
QUESTIONS: Ready to get started, or curious to learn more about how Fierce Play can help you meet your health and wellness goals? Contact us for more information. Also feel free to check out more of our videos series to learn how to perform the basics with solid form and efficiency.
GROUNDED GYMNASTICS SERIES: Technique at Every Stage
Fierce Play’s Grounded Gymnastics Series focuses on proper technique, as well as tips & tricks, to master some of the foundational movements that will be integrated into many of the workouts you will perform. Start your next workout with the confidence and skills to do the movement safely and effectively.
