The Burpee is very simple, can be performed anywhere, above all improves cardiovascular endurance and is perhaps the most hated exercise in the world of Functional Fitness.
This is not only due to the physical effort involved in this exercise, but also because you alternate between an upright position and a flat position on the floor. During my many years as a coach, I have repeatedly noticed that even well-trained endurance athletes quickly reached their limits and even become nauseous. While cycling or running, you do not have to switch between an upright or lying position, and the movements are very regular and cyclical while running or cycling.
In addition to the pure physical strain, the psychological aspect of the Burpee cannot be underestimated. If you think about it in a rested state, you always think you can make an extra Burpee. But with multiple reps above 20 Burpees, even the best trained athletes often take a break. Try to overcome psychological blocks with the Burpees. This form of “mental resilience” is invaluable and can be applied not only during training, but also in everyday life.
Meet Mr. Burpee: the inventor of the world’s most hated exercise
Royal Huddleston Burpee Sr, is the inventor of the famous burpee exercise that is done all over the world. He invented this movement as part of his PhD studies. It was invented in 1930, and still used to this day.
As part of his doctoral research, Burpee was dedicated to figuring out a simple, fundamental concept: How to determine a person’s physical fitness. Burpee used the exercise as part of the seven main “Tests of Physical Capacity” he created in his thesis. He’d measure an athlete’s standing heart rate, then have them do four burpees, and then test to see how long it took for their heart rate to return to normal.
Learn how to perform the Burpee correctly in the Beginner Course through the Functional Fitness App. Download here.
