The ever so loved or hated burpee. A simple movement that encapsulates all of fitness. There’s a reason that nearly every fitness regimen uses the burpee. The burpee is one of the best movements to build strength and conditioning which is why we use them so often in our programming.
The burpee is a full body workout. You use your hamstrings, shoulders, chest, triceps, quads, glutes, core, and calves in every burpee. There are few movements like this that include so many muscles in one simple movement.
It’s also one of the safest movements in CrossFit. Well, all movements are safe when performed with proper form, but there are not too many ways to perform a bad burpee. Sure, a burpee can look a little ugly, but it isn’t going to hurt anyone. The burpee is safe and easy for everyone to do.
How do you get off of the ground? If you have fallen, if you are laying down in a tent, or if you’re in a CrossFit workout, how do you get off of the ground? Well, the answer is a burpee of course! Pushing off of the ground and then jumping or stepping up. This is where the burpee becomes functional for everyone in everyday life.
Burpees can also be done anywhere! Wherever you may be there is always a bit of ground that a burpee can be done. No barbell or machine is needed to perform the burpee so it can be done at any time to improve fitness, even when time is short.
The burpee is also transferable to sport. In volleyball you have to jump back up after you dive for a ball. In football after you make the game saving tackle you have to pick yourself back up off of the ground. After you slide home stealing the last run of the game you hop right back up and celebrate.
Explosiveness is learned from the burpee as well. Snapping the hips open and closed with speed strengthens the hip flexors and has transferability to other movements in CrossFit. The explosiveness in a clean or snatch, a kipping pull up or muscle up, rowing, and many more movements.
Whether you love or hate the burpee that fact of its effectiveness in building fitness cannot be denied. It can be done by anyone and can be done even when under extreme fatigue. This makes it one of the best movements for fitness.
– Coach Ryan (Lover of Burpees)
