How to do a burpee? Burpees is one of the most popular exercises that can be done with no equipment. How to do a burpee properly? Well, there are several ways in which burpees can be done, and there are several points to keep in mind while doing a burpee. We’ll discuss more about how to do a burpee in this article.
1. What is Burpee?
A burpee is a type of full-body exercise. Burpee consists of a combination of a bunch of exercises like squatting, jumping, and a pushup. One of the unique features of the burpee is that it can be done anywhere at any time. This is one of the exercises which does not require any sort of equipment. That is one of the popular reasons why the burpee is widely accepted around the world.
It is one of the most effective whole-body workouts, and it is essential to have sound knowledge on how to do a burpee. A burpee starts with the standing position. A burpee is a type of exercise where the person doing it stands in a straight position and jumps into a squat with hands on the ground. From there, the person will throw their legs into a plank position followed by a push-up. Once the push-up is completed, they will jump back into the squat with their hands on the ground and back to the standing position from which the burpee was started.
For those who aim to get cardiovascular fitness, burpees would be the best choice. This is because burpees are a heavy workout for the whole body and it quickly increases the heart rate and activities of muscle. It is one of the best and most efficient ways to burnout a good amount of calories.
Nowadays, there are a lot of varieties of burpees. There are modified versions of burpees that are suitable for beginners. There is an advanced version of burpees that athletes or people who practice it can easily do to keep their body fit. Incorporating burpees into your daily workout routine can help achieve your fitness goals.
2. Types of Burpees
There are different types of burpees that can be done to achieve your fitness goals. Some of them are as follows:
1. Jumping:
This is a type of burpee that includes a jump at the end of each cycle. After getting up from the squat, jump into a standing position.
2. Single Leg:
Single leg is another type of burpee where you lift one of your legs while you jump back into the standing position from a squat position.
3. Side Burpee:
Instead of jumping straight into a position, here you will jump to your side.
4. Dumbbell Burpee:
This is a type of burpee where you add up a dumbbell. Hold a pair of dumbbells doing a standard burpee.
5. Pull-Up:
After jumping from a squat position, instead of standing straight, do a pull-up before getting into the normal position.
3. Why Burpee?
Burpees are one of the most effective workouts that offer the best results. Here are some of the key benefits of burpees:
1. Convenience:
Burpees are popular because of their convenience. It is a workout that can be done without the help of equipment. It can be done irrespective of time and place, even in the comfort of your house.
2. Calories burned:
Since it’s a full body-heavy workout, a lot of calories are burned during burpees. This would be the best choice for someone with weight loss as a goal.
3. Strength Training:
Burpees is a type of exercise when done, increases body strength. It helps in building strength in the upper as well as lower body. Since it includes squats, it provides strength to your calf and whole leg as well.
4. Cardiovascular System:
Burpee is considered a workout type that helps in increasing the heart rate, which eventually increases muscle activity and burns a lot of calories. For people with cardiovascular fitness as their goal, this is the best option available.
5. Full-Body:
Burpee is a full-body heavy workout. It helps in having a toned body and also helps in maintaining fitness. This helps in having a full-body workout in just a short period.
4. How Many Calories Are Burned
The number of calories burned depends on the weight, height, and health of an individual. However, it is said that almost 15 calories are burned per minute while doing a burpee.
Let’s just understand it with the help of an example. A person who is almost 150 pounds is likely to burn almost 10 calories per minute while doing a burpee. On the other hand, a person who is 200 pounds can burn almost 15 calories. Hence, the amount of calories burned purely depends on the features of the individual.
Calories burned can also depend on the intensity of the workout. A beginner might burn comparatively less amount of calories as compared to a person who does a heavy workout. Burpee is popular for being the best option for weight loss. Including burpees in your daily workout routine can help you cut down a good percentage of calories daily, thus helping you maintain your fitness.
Burpees alone cannot help you reach your fitness goal. It has to be backed up with appropriate diet plans that can help you maintain your fitness level. It is always preferred to consult a dietitian and ask for a diet plan that suits you and helps lower body weight. Hence, the number of calories burned during burpees should only be one of the factors you consider while planning a workout routine. Also, note always to take things slow. Never start with high intensity.
5. How to do a Burpee
So how to do a burpee? The step-by-step method on how to do a burpee is discussed below:
Step 1: Stand in a steady position with your feet and shoulder width apart.
Step 2: Get into a squat position. Bend your knees and place your hands on the ground. Push your hip back and stay in that position.
Step 3: Jump from the squat position by kicking your leg back into a plank position. Your body should stay parallel to the floor.
Step 4: Next step is to do a pushup. Stay in that pushup position, and try to touch your body to the floor directly. After that push back the body and be ready to jump back into the squat position.
Step 5: Jump back to the squat position by placing your hands on the ground itself.
Step 6: Next position is to get back to the position from which you started. Stand straight and then repeat the process.
6. Points to Keep in Mind
1. It is very important always keep your core engaged.
2. Always keep your feet and shoulder apart. Always check on the shoulder width.
3. Do not do push-up and jump in an intense manner. Take it slowly.
4. If you are a beginner, change the intensity. Modify the burpees according to your level.
5. As you get used to it. Slowly begin to increase the intensity of the burpees.
6. Last but the important among all is that you need to have sound knowledge on how to do a burpee.
These points have to be kept in mind while doing burpees to avoid the chances of any injuries.
7. Safety Precautions
Even though burpees are considered the best and most effective exercise to do, there are a few precautions or safety measures that a person has to take while planning to do burpees. One should know how to do a burpee in a safer way. Here are some of the measures that are to be taken:
7.1. Start Slow:
It is always preferred to start slow. Do not start your burpee with so much intensity, especially if you are a beginner. Modify it in a way that is easy for you. Get used to it and then slowly start the intensity.
7.2. Warm-Up:
Warm-up is a key element of any workout session. It is important to warm up and stretch your muscle before getting into a workout session. By doing so, you let your muscles know that they are about work hard for the next few minutes or an hour so that they get ready to work.
7.3. Take Breaks:
Another important thing that many ignore is the significance of taking breaks in between. It is always important to give some rest to the muscles in between.
7.4. Proper Form:
It is always important to make sure that you are doing it right. One should know how to do a burpee very well in the proper way. The body has to be kept in the proper position while doing the workout. If any mistake in the posture happens, it can affect the muscles and cause injuries.
7.5. Don’t Overdo:
Never put so much pressure on your body. There should be a specific time for which you have to work out. Never overdo your workout. Understand how long should a workout be. You should always know the limits and never overtrain your body. Overtraining can cause harmful side effects that have the potential to haunt you for the rest of your life.
By following the above-mentioned safety measures or precautions, one can avoid the chances of getting injured or hurt and do a proper burpee.
8. Incorporate Burpees Into Your Routine
Incorporating burpees into your daily routine can make a lot of changes in your health journey. But you should have better knowledge on how to do a burpee before incorporating it in the daily workout routine. It would be one of the great ways in which you can improve your health or fitness. Here are some ways in which you can add burpees to your daily routine.
1. Fewer reps: Start with just a few reps. If you are a beginner, just start by doing 5 – 10 reps daily.
2. Make it a habit: Make burpees daily a habit. Once you understand how to do a burpee you will get used to it. If you practice it every day, you will get used to it and would find it very easy to do.
3. Mix it: Incorporate it with other exercises. Do not do it alone. Burpees alone cannot help you achieve your fitness goal. Rather than doing it alone, mix it up with other workouts.
4. Track: It is always important to track your progress. Track how many burpees you do each day and check if you are making a progress or not.
5. Gradually increase intensity: Never stick on to a specific number of burpees. Gradually start to increase the intensity of your workout and increase the number of reps you do a day.
9. Muscles Worked During Burpees
Burpees as we know are a full-body workout. Hence it involves several muscles of the body. This is one of the best workouts that help in building strength. Some of the body muscles that work during burpees are as follows:
1. Hamstrings: The hamstring is the muscle at the back of the thigh. These muscles are engaged while you jump from a squat.
2. Chest: Push-up is an activity that helps in engaging chest muscles and increasing their strength.
3. Shoulders: Shoulders are also engaged while doing a burpee. The shoulder is engaged while doing a plank as well as pushups.
4. Core: The core muscle is another muscle that is involved while doing a burpee. Burpee hence helps in having toned abs and fit cores.
5. Triceps: Triceps are the muscles present behind the upper arm. It is involved in the push up session. While doing push up, the triceps will be working which will result in the strengthening and development of it.
6. Quadriceps: Quadriceps are the muscles present in the thigh. These muscles are worked out when doing the squats every time during burpees. Hence these muscles will also be strengthened.
7. Glutes: Glutes are the muscle present in the buttocks. This muscle will be actively working while doing squats and a jump. Hence glutes will be activated and develop into the perfect shape.
Burpees help a person to target multiple muscles at the same time and work out. This helps in providing better strength and endurance as well as cardiovascular fitness.
Conclusion
How to do a burpees? Well, doing burpees in the right way can help you achieve your fitness goals easier. Burpees are considered to be one of the most effective and highly challenging exercises that will help you to strengthen your body. Since different muscles are working at the same time, you can easily strengthen your body muscles with the help of burpees.
It is essential to know how to do a burpee. A lack of knowledge on how to do a burpee can cause injuries and would be a barrier to achieving your goals.
One should never forget to keep their core tight and engaged while doing a burpee. One can incorporate various types of burpees into their daily routine to keep things interesting and engaging.
No matter whether you are a beginner or a person who is used to burpees, it would be a great addition to your daily workout routine. It has the potential to add a lot of contributions to your fitness journey as well. By following the simple techniques mentioned in this article, you can have a better understanding of how to do a burpee and achieve your fitness goals with ease.
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