Small fitness challenges are the easiest way to maintain exercise consistency.
It’s easier to pump out a workout when you have a trigger. A single habit will motivate you to be more active. For me, this habit is burpees.
This year I added one exercise to my morning routine to start the day on a healthy note.
Burpees were my choice of poison. I did 50 burpees every day this year.
The first challenge of the year
My writer friend Hannah told me about this challenge in 2020. Since then I have tried and failed many times to make burpees a part of my routine.
But last year I finally got the hang of it. I did 50 burpees daily for 30 days. And I have since continued this challenge.
I struggled to find the perfect time to do these burpees, but gradually I decided to do them in the morning.
I made this micro workout a part of my morning routine.
Why burpees are the best warm-up exercise ever
Burpees are a full-body workout that you can do in less than 10 minutes.
They are a combination of two strength movements and two cardio movements.
Strength Moves:- Burpees contain the two ultimate strength movements to build a strong body — Push-ups and squats. Big booty and sexy back have never been more achievable.
Cardio Moves:- One standard burpee contains one jump and two crunches. It is a fast-paced exercise that raises your heart rate while torching fat.
You can do a full-body workout without any equipment easily with this calorie-burning exercise.
Super-Strong upper body
Push-up is the best strength-building exercise that works your upper- back, bicep, tricep, and wrist.
It works the two body part that you stress out the most while sitting all day long — the lower back, and neck.
So, crushing a few push-ups every morning can help you keep your back healthy and pain-free.
Legs you’ll die for
Burpees contain the best exercises for strong sexy legs — squats and jumps.
Burpees tones the booty, thighs, and calves. It is a great exercise if you want to improve lower body strength.
It can help you tone up your hip dips and reduce cellulite.
No trace of a beer belly
Burpees are great for killing the beer belly and muffin top.
I get a muffin top just by inhaling delicious food. Doing burpees daily have helped me keep my obliques tight.
I have more defined abs and a toned stomach. Burpees will help you keep your waist snatched and abs visible.
Easy & manageable weight loss
Burpees are strength-building exercises but they can give you the benefits of a cardio workout as well.
Fast reps can make this anaerobic exercise a perfect aerobic workout. It can boost your metabolism and it is the perfect warm-up.
My weight mostly stays stable, so I can’t make big claims about weight loss, but this exercise did help me build a strong toned body that I love.
Measure your fitness level with burpees
Jesse Itzler the owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks did an insane challenge where he trained with a SEAL for a month.
And that SEAL is the toughest man on the planet — David Goggins. He is known worldwide for his ruthless training style. He ran a triathlon without any training and ended up in the hospital with kidney damage.
Jesse writes about David Goggins’s fitness test when he shows up at his office and yells at him to do a burpee test. Do 100 burpees. The parameters of this test are based on how much time you need to complete this challenge.
- Less than 10 minutes — Solid
- 11 to 13 minutes — Acceptable
- More than 13 minutes — Unacceptable(Do it again!)
I am happy to announce that I can do 100 burpees in under 7 minutes.
Stupid mistakes that increased my time
In the initial months, it took me more than 13 minutes to do 100 burpees. They were hard and I hated them. But with consistent effort, I got better at them.
I improved my form and cut my time in half. I realized I was making some really stupid mistakes that were holding me back.
- Never do burpees barefoot.
- Don’t rush in the beginning. Maintain the same pace throughout.
- Make sure to put your hands in the same spot when you do push-ups.
- Take multiple short breaks rather than one long break.
- Remember to breathe.
How to make Burpees easy
The only way to make any exercise easy is through practice. The more you do it the better you will get at it.
Burpees are the most hated exercise on the planet because they are tough. But you can make some tweaks to make them beginner friendly.
- Do a knee push-up.
- Cancel out the jump in the beginning.
- Switch push-ups with a plank.
- Don’t jump into the plank position, go slowly.
You can tweak your burpees however you like to make them easier. For me, the push-up was the most difficult part of the exercise.
So, I did knee push-ups until I built the strength to do regular push-ups. Find what works for you.
The best way to customize burpees according to your needs is by doing them regularly.
The longest challenge in my fitness journey
I was addicted to cycling and went on a ride daily for months. Then I fell in love with yoga and did a one-year diploma course.
I am a cyclist and a yoga trainer yet I have never been this consistent in either of those sports.
Burpees are the one exercise that I have done all year round. This challenge has helped me build an unbreakable morning exercise routine. I have never been this consistent with exercise in my seven-year fitness journey.
A single fitness challenge can change your health forever, this burpees challenge has done that for me.
I went from hating this hellish exercise to loving it in a few months. It was difficult in the begging but now I can do the same 50 burpees with ease.
I have even passed David Goggin’s burpees fitness test many times.
A word of caution
Rest days are the pinnacle of necessity. No workout routine can be successful without rest days.
It is essential to take at least one day off from exercise every week. I did burpees daily. Unless I was sick or physically unable to do them.
There were no excuses. If I didn’t do them in the morning then I made sure that I did them before going to bed.
Daily exercise can lead to soreness and pain that can be intensified by a previous injury.
Be wary of burpees if you have any of the following problems.
Low back pain
Burpees are a dynamic exercise that requires a lot of movement. Jumps, squats, and crunches can cause a strain on your lower back.
So, if you suffer from back ailments then it is advisable to see a doctor before embarking on this awesome challenge.
Knee injuries
Burpees have powerful lower body movements — jumps and squats.
These powerful movements can inflame a knee injury.
So, the initial step is to take care of your knees. You should customize burpees if you experience knee pain.
Replace the jumps with full body stretch and squats with a forward bend. Do not push yourself to a breaking point.
Conclusion
This one fitness challenge has changed the meaning of fitness for me. I have been more consistent than ever before.
I did 50 burpees daily on good, bad, and worst days without even thinking. It has skyrocketed my productivity and self-esteem.
This habit protected my mental health by providing stability and consistency.
The effort is a small price for all the benefits that I have gotten. I will continue with my daily 50 burpees until I find a better exercise than it.