High school gym class can seem like four years of punishment. The running drills, mediocre games of baseball, and seemingly pointless exercises often do not have a positive lifelong impact; however, one exercise used as an actual punishment in high school gym classes is actually one of the most important (and easy) ways to tone your body.
The burpee is an incredibly easy exercise that involves squatting, standing up, and extending the legs. After five of these, however, the athlete can already feel the burn of the core muscles being toned. For all of those looking for a cheap, easy, and effective way to build core strength, the burpee reigns supreme. This year set aside your bad memories of this fat burner and get ready to do some burpees!
Football teams, personal trainers, and even elite military forces use the burpee as an important part of their workout routine. One simple movement quickly builds core strength as well as aerobic capacities. The burpee has many benefits that are not apparent on the surface. The burpee uses the strength of the whole body. Each repetition works the chest, arms, thighs, hamstrings, and most importantly, abs. After a complete set of burpees, your legs and core should burn from the intense workout. Burpees done in repetition burn fat better than any weight lifting. Studies have shown that burpees burn up to 50% more fat than conventional core strength training exercises, including sit ups. Burpees also have been scientifically proven to speed up your metabolism and burn more calories consistently throughout the day. For those looking to lose the winter belly, skip the elliptical and start doing burpees.
While many spend time at the gym on weight lifting machines, the muscles they are building are not effective at actual tasks where strength is required. Gym muscles may look nice, but burpees help build muscles that can conquer any vigorous activity. The fact that the burpee builds endurance is why military forces and athletic teams use them.
The burpee is such a great workout mostly due to the fact that it is free and portable. There are no machines or gym memberships required to get the benefits of the burpee. Going on vacation? Burpees can be done literally anywhere, from a beach to a hotel room.
To perform the standard variation of burpees, follow three simple steps. Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor. Kick the feet back into a pushup position and immediately return your feet to the squat position. Then jump as high as possible and return to the squatting position. The key is to perform burpees in a rapid succession in order to get the greatest benefits.
Complete five sets of ten burpees each per day, and you will be on your way to a core of steel in no time.
