Burpees!! Love Em? Hate Em?

TO BURPEE OR NOT TO BURPEE? This is the question! Skills…..CrossFit readily builds our skills across its big bank of prescribed exercises that are cleverly, thoughtfully and most often disgustingly put together for our daily undoing in what we know as the WOD (Workout of the Day). Whether its spinning the rope double under our foot, or thrusting our chest up to that unforgiving bar, let’s face it doing CrossFit means we unleash many talents. As a new Dad to our 5 week old, I’m thinking about the tried and true burpEE while I master the art of burpING….a skill I’m still working on…..and wonder if its just a matter of time before I get the hang of this new WOD (Will-she-spew-on-me of the Day). But back to the burpEE…..It’s the exercise everyone loves to hate, and guaranteed each week they pop up somewhere. A brief history…..Royal Huddleston Burpee was an American physiologist in the 1930’s who birthed the mild version of the movement (squat, jump back to plank, jump forward, stand) as a way to evaluate fitness. The military adopted it in 1942 as part of its fitness test for men enlisting during WWII and by 1946 the military required burpees for one full minute - a score of 41 was the number to chase!! Now CrossFit with its military roots welcomed the beloved burpEE into the family during 2004 with this WOD: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Toes to rings, Wall balls & Burpees Yuck. 😩 And ever since 2011 CrossFit Games we’ve seen the inclusion of the burpEE, leaving many of us crying like babies post WOD. Its a bundle of joy coming at us in many forms - burpEEs to the bar, over the bar, onto a plate, over a box, the list goes on…..just as the skill of burpING takes many shapes - over the shoulder, tiger in the tree, sit and pat……oh the joys! So let’s take a look at a couple of key points to get you burpEEing better! 1- place your hands on the floor, close to your feet 2- kick both feet back together, lowering your chest all the way to the floor offering enough resistance so as not to face plant 😬 Whilst also avoiding your hips dropping and placing unnecessary strain on your lower back! 3- squeeze your bum and press up snapping your feet back as close to your hands as possible 4- stand up tall with your hands up above your head, jump making sure both feet leave the ground So So Simple..........Right!! 😉 Let’s swaddle it up by acknowledging the satisfaction at the conclusion of your burpEE or burpING experience….as the reps find their finish, as the seconds tick away, as you hear the tummy thunder come closer….BURP! Ahhhhhhhhhhh :-)