Unpopular Opinion: Burpees are FUN!
Anybody with even a little knowledge or following of training protocols has heard of a burpee. And how often is what you hear about them positive? Think about it... I’ll wait. The answer is probably never. The truth is, these monsters of an exercise get an unwarranted bad wrap. As much as I love to hear complaints about them in a workout from my clients, or even curse them myself, they’re the epitome of a love-hate relationship. After all, who wouldn’t love a full body, muscle building, cardio intensive, fat burning exercise that can be done in a matter of minutes for maximum results?
Now it goes without question that burpees suck when they’re plastered throughout a workout. But nothing worth having comes easy... right? The simple fact is that there are only a few exercises as efficient in working your full body, building muscle, burning fat, that don’t require any equipment and burpees are the granddaddy of them all. Burpees are part of what’s known as high intensity interval training (HIIT as we will refer to). HIIT involves short(er) periods of maximal effort alternating with periods of recovery. The frequency, mode, intensity, and duration of these periods can be modified depending on what it is you’re training for. I will break down some of my favorite interval styles at the end of this article. But first, let’s break down what is so special about HIIT and specifically the underrated exercise giants we know and love/hate as BURPEES:
1. BURPEES MAKE YOU STRONGER. According to a 2019 study from the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, burpees were shown to have a better full body activation/response in blood lactate concentrations and perceived exertion than that of sprinting alone[1]. Burpees were shown to also elicit more of an upper body fatigue and therefor more neuromuscular function than its HIIT counterpart. In other words, burpees taxed the entire body’s workload more than just sprinting, as well as had a higher perception of effort. This means, while you feel more tired, you also feel more accomplished. In a short bout of maximal effort, your body will respond greater to burpees than many other traditional forms of HIIT.
2. BURPEES PROMOTE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. In a 2014 article published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a high intensity intermittent calisthenic protocol consisting of burpees elicited similar cardiovascular responses as interval sprint cycling[2]. In as simple as four, 30 second bouts of maximal effort burpees with 4 minutes in between each bout, cardiovascular results were shown to be similar to those of the same bouts of sprinting or all out exertion of standard modes of cardio (i.e. sprinting, cycling, swimming). Each of these forms of high intensity cardiovascular training, doubled endurance time to exhaustion for participants. In other words, in under 20 minutes, research shows that we can achieve the same if not better cardiovascular results than hours on a treadmill or bike or in a pool. Realistically, unless you’re specifically training for a long-distance event, who has time for that?? Even then, HIIT can be a beneficial mode of training.
3. BURPEES BLAST CALORIES AND FAT STORES. A 2011 meta-analysis in the Journal of Obesity concluded that “regular HIIT has been shown to significantly increase both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. HIIT also significantly lowers insulin resistance and results in a number of skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance.”[3] In layman’s terms, HIIT exercises, with burpees being at the top of the list, train our short burst and longer distance cardio/energy production, which means they can help us get faster and go longer. Burpees also play a big role in improving the body’s tolerance and cleanup of those pesky sugars in our blood and stored in our fat - glucose. By helping us build more healthy muscle on the body, burpees help with the oxidation (i.e. melting) of fat and help us keep from storing more in the future.
4. BURPEES CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE. As a trainer I hear a lot of reasons why a client couldn’t train on a particular day. Working with high level athletes, I get it to an extent. They don’t have access all the time to a training facility or certain equipment, but, like I tell them every time, you don’t have to get fancy to train. Yes, depending on your goals and athletic levels the fancy workouts and the trainers and the equipment are beneficial, but they are not necessary all the time. No matter what level you are at, the bottom line of training remains the same - put that work in! That means training hard, training smart, and training anywhere. If only there was an exercise that did all those things... oh wait! There is - burpees. Burpees don’t need equipment, they don’t need a trainer telling you what to do, they don’t need to be fancy, they just need to be done. Given that the biggest reason most of us have not to train is time or effort, burpees are appealing in the sense that a little can go a long way. In as little as four minutes, you can be laying on the floor drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Four minutes! We all can find that time in our busy days to treat our body and invest in our health.
5. BURPEES ARE A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY WORKOUT. In 2017, a study was performed that compared the physiological effect of circuit training with strictly a functional based HIIT protocol or with a combined protocol of HIIT and high-volume, low-intensity[4]. This study found that each protocol significantly improved body composition, increased variables of functional strength, and increased certain dimensions of quality of life in its participants. The HIIT group did show a greater increase in peak oxygen uptake, but with a higher perception of pain, while the combined group reported a greater perception of general health. In conclusion, HIIT exercises like burpees on their own are great for improving your athleticism and overall fitness, and when added to your existing workout plan, can compound the benefits while giving you a greater sense of accomplishment and feeling of health.
So, there you have it. Five reasons we should all add burpees to our workout regimens. They’re a well-rounded, tightly wrapped present of muscular building, cardiovascular improving, fat melting, relatively simple HIIT exercise. Now you know burpees are good and you want to start utilizing them, but just how do you put them into your workouts? As a fitness professional, I can tell you so many various ways we can use burpees but the simplest answer is just to do them. Do them as a warmup. Do them in between sets of your normal exercises. Do them as a superset. Do them at the end of your workout. Do them as your only workout for the day. Just do them! That’s what makes them so great. They will always work. Don’t overthink it. Whether it’s burpees or other exercises, HIIT should be included somehow, someway in your pursuit of health. Here are some of my favorite HIIT routines:
· 20sec work, 10sec rest for 8 rounds. Can use one exercise or supersets of multiple exercises to form a circuit.
· 60sec work, 30sec rest for 6-8 rounds
· 30sec work, 4min active rest for 4 rounds
· Set number of reps done at the beginning of every new minute. Rest the remainder of the 60sec.
Remember, don’t overthink burpees… Just do them. You’re not alone to hate them, just be sure to find the space in your heart to love them. Your heart will thank you, trust me. Go forth and get to burpee-in’!
Written by: Robby Buckreis, M.S., B.S., CPT.
[1] Bingley, S., Witchalls, J., McKune, A., Humberstone, C. (2019). Sprint running & burpees: comparison of acute physiological and neuromuscular effects of two high intensity interval training protocols. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.08.194
[2] Gist, N.H., Freese, E.C., Cureton, K.J. (2014). Comparison of Responses to Two High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise Protocols. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28, 11.doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000522
[3] Boutcher S. H. (2011). High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. Journal of obesity, 2011, 868305. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/868305
[4] Sperlich, B., Wallmann-Sperlich, B., Zinner, C., Von Stauffenberg, V., Losert, H., & Holmberg, H. C. (2017). Functional High-Intensity Circuit Training Improves Body Composition, Peak Oxygen Uptake, Strength, and Alters Certain Dimensions of Quality of Life in Overweight Women. Frontiers in physiology, 8, 172. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00172