The Best Bodyweight Exercise (Everyone Hates)
The Best Bodyweight Exercise (Everyone Hates)
It’s full-body…
Core intensive
Improves your mobility and mind body connection so you can react quickly and easily…
And it can be done without any equipment even at home to improve your conditioning even when you’re short on time…
Unpopular opinion…I think Burpees are underrated.
You may be like, “WHAAAAT!? I see burpees in everything. They’re overdone!”
And while I agree they can be overused, misused and simply put in a workout just to make it harder…
I also think they aren’t given their due credit for being more than just a hard move, but an amazing full-body cardio move to improve your mind-body connection and functional fitness.
Burpees are an exercise that too often don’t get enough respect for being a move that has to be EARNED, but that can, and should, also be done in some form at EVERY age.
Yup…EVERY age…
That’s why in this video I want to explain WHY burpees can be so valuable to do even as we get older, but also why this move can be such a challenge and how we can break it down and modify it to fit our needs and goals!
And if you’re right now shaking your head saying, “NOPE! Burpees aren’t for me!”
I’d urge you to hear me out on WHY they can be so beneficial and then check out the modifications I share!
00:00 Intro
00:44 Burpees are underrated
02:00 Burpee Benefits
05:05 Modifying The Burpee
05:48 Burpee Core Strength
06:40 mind body connection
07:40 Burpees and injuries
I’m 74 and love burpees, usually add extra press ups. I love chin ups and incorporate lots of body weight exercises into my workouts. You’re never too old.
I'm 63, so I have 11 years to practice to get where you are - I'm practicing already😄
LOVE IT!
You are awesome! I hope I can claim the same when I am 74.
I'm 74 this year. I haven't done burpees since I was 63. I must have grown a lot taller in the last 10 years because the floor seems to be way further away!
@@hardrockminer-50 😄👍
I was laughing so hard for so long at the opening scene. Thank you so much for that. I’m still laughing 😂😂😂
Aw yay! I have to admit...it was a fun one to film. But I like being weird!
A Tasmanian devil impression, without the drooling
It was hilarious!!
Same, that was so funny
I was laughing too, because that would be me!😂
I watched the cross fit 24.1 and decided that my goal is to stop avoiding Burpees. I walk around the mat psyching myself up mentally. Then jumping jacks. Then literally force myself to begin. I’m up to 40 per day doing 4 rounds of 10 reps. 1/2 way through endorphins or dopamine kicks in and I almost start smiling.!!
That is so awesome 😊
Fake it until you make it, Family 🙏🏼😉
@@zanewalsh1812Yup!!!
WOO HOOO!
And what drug were you taking when those endorphins kicked in? 😂Even when I could do 90 to 100 of these things in a WOD it was always pure torture and as I reached 40 I dropped them all together for more fun exercise.
This is the kind of content i most appreciate, thank you! 🙏
Great advice to regress to progress. Thank you for this great video.
Long time ago i saw the video of tipos of burpees and variations you made. Since that video, i folllow you. Thanks🎉
Great Video ! Thank you 😃
Cori. You are inspiring. All your tips and suggestions make sense. Thank you for the reminders. ❤
I'm so glad they help Alan!
Thank you very much Cori
love these new content videos Cori! Great to cheer the working day with humour :)
Thank you!
Thanks for breaking down this beneficial exercise Cori! I have struggled with my burpee form, but this video really broke it down! Important to remember it is a core movement too!
I'm so glad it helped Nathan!
great timing! I randomly decided that March would be my burpee workout month the other day and will definitely be using a regression to get through them.
Aw yay! Glad this helps!
Thank you for this information. I am doing 6 to 8 burpees daily after my morning yoga session, then it's off to the gym. You had me at getting off the floor with ease.
Excellent video. Many thanks. I do a highly modified version minus that finishing jump/hop.
Love it!
I always like when you show how to refress an exercise. And that you encourage doing the regression until you can work up to doing the move with good form.
YES! Every move is earned. Helps us see the full benefit. As modifying isn't about making a move easier. It often even makes it HARDER as we can use the correct muscles and be more efficient with it. But it helps us build up safely!
I Love That..Learning to be Comfortable being UNcomfortable!!! Excellent!! We must ALWAYS be Progressing!!!
YAAASSS! :-)
I really appreciate you breaking down the regressions. Thank you!🙏
Glad they help!
Good advice. Never thought about burpees seriously. I like the way you've opened it up. I might focus on getting into and out of the plank without jumping.
One of my favorite variations is with sliders. There is the bonus core stability demands in the push up and no impact as you slide out and then also up to stand up!
i really appreciate the encouragement, and helping me realize that it's okay to modify the burpee until I'm in better physical condition to handle the real deal. Always great advice. Thanks
YES! Regress to progress! :-)
Thank you for this super helpful breakdown of the burpee. It's definitely not my favorite exercise and I have written it off due to hip pain in the past. However, I have worked hard on full body mobility and now my hips, knees and shoulders feel so much better and I can do moves I had written off in the past. I am ready to slowly progress to put burpees back in the rotation again!
YES! Regress to progress and rebuild slowly!
The opening is awesome 🤣 The rest in useful 😎 As a result, an excellent video 🙏
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
excellent video informative - demonstrative
it is so apparent yet not that often talked about the importance of establishing the mind-body connection (not that I have any data to non-subjetively say this). but so often fitness videos throw around numbers, be it sets, time, volume what have you, many of which are by themselves disheartening if you start out and you achieve nothing / none of these leading you to quit before long if not immediatedly. The in-depth variation guide to explore the personal possibilities and limits is much more motivating than a lot of other guides! Not that by itself will get you moving, but it is so much more uplifting
That mind-body connection is so key. And modifications aren't really about making a move easier...they are about meeting us where we are at based on our needs, goals and movement patterns. I find often if we modify correctly even to help ourselves build up and fix improper movement or recruitment patterns, the move even feels harder because we are better able to implement it before it gets easier!
All those various showed are challenging, and that's a good thing.
Love burpees, and I love the endless variations.
THANK YOU for the modified versions!!!
Glad they help!
Awesome video like always. Have you done a video on femoral nerve pain/numbness?
When we have nerve compression it is very key we address the source. Going to get a movement assessment is key for determining your compression and prehab routine.
This is so great!! This gives me a whole new feeling of achieving this goal one day...being able to do the burpee. Can't wait to conquer this goal! Thank you!
WOO HOOO! You've got this!
Brilliant video
This all makes sense and I like flipping the common attitude towards burpees on it's head, thank you! I've regained my fitness since October last year attending a functional fitness group training gym. Burpees are one of the exercises that I've noticed improvement in. This video will help me think about each part of the movement now as I tackle them with a YES lets feel this attitude, rather than a UGH lets just get through this attitude 😄
Seeing those improvements can be so motivating as we repeat moves along our journey! And that extra focus and intentionality with the move will continue to pay off!
I guessed right 👀👀 i thought 'this has to be a burpee'... Love the scrappy version of yourself, reminds me of my own inner adolescent. Stay great Cori! 💖🕊️🙏🏼
haha thanks! I call her "bonehead Cori" aka my younger self and my training mistakes! haha
Your opening had me screaming with laughter. 😂I hate burpees but I am going to get it a try.thanks ❤❤
hehe thank you! Glad you liked it!
I’ve always thought burpees kind of suck, but, damn it, you make a compelling argument. So thanks!
WOO HOOO! Glad it was compelling :-)
Thank you for including modifications! I tried to do a few in a follow-along workout this morning and realized just how weak my upper body has gotten 😢 I couldn't keep up with the routine due to the Burpees, and was wondering how to address this problem.
Glad these tips helped!
Very well said
I work out several times every week, and my number one goal is to do burpees (required 30-rep penalty in Spartan races). I hope to get there this year before I turn 68! Thanks for the great video!
You GO Girl 💪🏼 you got this 💯
You've got this Susan!
This was so helpful! Thank you :) These were absolute killer in police academy- was medically discharged for injury but going back in June! Definitely going to try these!
Wishing you a speedy recovery! Definitely regress to progress and do that prehab work!
Cory, great video and explanation. I like burpees, because of my cartilage I can't do the jumps required for them
That slider option may be a key one for you!
Best vid of your's that I've seen yet.👍
Thanks!
@@redefiningstrengthOC 👍
been a while since I have seen your videos. and YAY the dog is still there at the end! :)
Welcome back to RS! And yes, Kiwi and Sushi are still the stars!
Amazing. 😮 🤩
One of my fav exercises! 🎉😊
You like doing it?
Burpees seem super similar to CFE (complex force exercise) which our military uses at fitness test. Its 10 pushups, 10 frog jumps, 10 sit-ups, 10 jumps repeated in circles for as long as you can.
I love seeing your dogs at the end of the videos - thanks!
Kiwi and Sushi love being the stars!
Hilarious opening! Would humbly suggest that 'old school' "bends and thrusts" or "mountain climbers" combined with proper push-ups, is a great way to work up to the dreaded Burpee. At 63 years old, every Friday is 'Burpee Day' on my five-day workout schedule. I look forward to it...kind of...sort of?
What's "bend and thrust"? Squat thrust?
YES! So many ways to modify or address key components. Even that half burpee without the push up I use at times. Or like bulldog squat jumps with more of a squat to forward rock...The options make it fun!
@@oldnatty61 Yes, same thing!
@@duncanbleak3819 👍
Yayyy burpees, I luv ‘em 😂 I prefer bodyweight exercises to using weights ❤
Omg! I’ve been doing burpees wrong this entire time! 🤦🏾♀️😂 Thank you for this video.
Glad it helps! ;-)
Totally agree with your summation of our love/hate relationship with burpees. (BTW, I just learned recently that they get their name from a guy named Burpee who invented them. Many years ago when I was in school, they were called squat thrusts.) Loved your opening scene. It reminded me of something from the Patty Duke Show, if anyone is old enough to remember that.
hehe thanks! And squat thrusts don't include a push up generally while the burpees do. But all are amazing options!
Cori - you scared me in the beginning of the video until I realized it was to make a point 😂 After hand surgery back in October, I have just been able to get back to doing burpees!!! I must admit I missed them terribly and happy to add burpees back into my workouts after 4 long months!
Aw yay! Glad you're back at them!
Im over 60 and just tried a set of burpees on my low coffee table. I have the strength and mobility to do them but was winded after about 5 and really started to sweat. I will definitely add these to my workout routine. I work out consistently 6 days per week.😊
Slow and steady building up! Love that you used that modification to meet yourself where you are at!
How do I strengthen my hips and lower back to do my burpees? Thanks a million for ALL material on your channel
Depends on the injuries you have and where your imbalances or mobility restrictions are. The key is regressing and modifying this move as you address those things to work around your aches and pains. A high bench and step back may be a good place to start! And honestly it is less about strengthening your hips but the mobility and even with your lower back strengthening your ABS to protect it :-)
Heavy bag striking and grapliing throws are the best full body workouts by far.
All great cardio and conditioning work but burpees even help your recovery for those fight sessions.
Wait, where's my 'I HATE BURPEES' t-shirt? Yep, like most people I hate them - that's what makes me want to master them! If that means breaking it down, then so be it. One day I will be able to do the dreaded burpee like you so elegantly do in this EXCELLENT video. Thank you!
HECK YES! Love that you're building up to master this movement!
Thank you for this video! I really needed this! I have a question about form: when bringing your feet back toward your hands after the push-up, where should we land our feet? Outside of the hands, inside the hands, or behind the hands?
So that may be based on your build. I have clients that have to go out wide based on squat stance and those that go narrow, again similar to comfortable squat stance. The key is focusing on the control to have that clear efficient weight shift. Honestly too, I even like to use different burpee variations that may use BOTH!
This just earned you a “subscribe!” I’ve never heard the benefits of burpees explained this way. I hate them and they’re hard, but if you’re saying it will help me get up faster and improve my mobility I’m down for that. I definitely use mods but I’m not even doing those effectively. I’m gonna work on doing these better so I can do a full burpee correctly - especially with my hands flat on the floor. I have poor hip mobility, but I’m working on that through daily yoga and stretching. It’s helping. Anyway, thanks for sharing this information. The open was so funny!! 😂
Thank you and welcome to RS! So if you are doing lots of stretching and yoga, make sure not to ignore stability and activation work too as often instability can lead to a lack of mobility as our body doesn't "trust" so to speak that i can move through a full range of motion. Also address your ankle mobility and core stability if you're working a ton on your hips and not seeing progress! Just food for thought as you continue your work!
@@redefiningstrengthOC Thank you so much - will do! 💕
Burpees are great, I do'em in-between sets to keep my heart's rate up.
Your crazy workout lady alter ego in this video is friggin hysterical!!! I’m dying!!! Bahahaha!!
hehe THANK YOU!
Do Burpees w/out d jump up (past knee injury); replaced with variations of other movements
its all about PACING AND variations/adjustments to improve personal application
Yes! Definitely all about meeting where ourselves where we are at to improve those recruitment and movement patterns!
Amen @@redefiningstrengthOC find the easiest way that works for you rather than getting overly into wild variations
There was this insane burpee workout I used to do. Basically just burpee for 13 or 14 times in a row and rest for 15 seconds and repeat 10 sets or higher... It was the hardest workout I've ever done!
They get my heart going like crazy.....one of the best.
That Intro Made My Day!!!😂😂😂
hehe thank you! Glad you liked it!
It seems like when I was a kid over 50 years ago we called these things squat thrusts. I couldn't do 'em then either! Thanks for the video.
Squat thrusts are the name for burpees without a push up :-)
,,,That move reminds me that I am still young! Nice video!
It reminds me that I am 69, but why wait any longer...
@@jannmacdougall1448 69,!wow!
LOVE this channel but need a bit of help please! I need a modification for arthritic hands that can’t grip hard & take my body weight…or much of any weight. Planks just aren’t possible. Coming back from catastrophic injuries (many broken bones including hands & wrists) but know that burpees was one of my best conditioning move & want to get back there. Slow and easy and work up, I get that, but How to deal with hands that will never go flat or be able to grip well again? I l can’t grasp a dumbbell and like the box half plank she showed - how high should the box be? I’m a low income senior so have to work with what I’ve got. Thanks!
The forearm plank option off the box I showed here is a great start. You can lower that incline as you feel ready but you can technically go as low as you want. You can also get wedges that are often used used for heel raised stuff but you can put your hands on them to reduce extension demands which can help. And weight vests are a great investment to add loads for lower body stuff. Even wrist weights can be used for pressing type movements and rowing exercises...always a way to work around!
That intro was everything I needed 🤣🤣🤣
Glad you enjoyed it!
I do that same exercise on my bench. 👍🏽
Corey!!! I don't know why I haven't been getting your videos lately like I used to. Maybe I'm watching too much dumb political stuff these days😂 This video was a lil goofy for me, but the message was on point - like you always are. You gave me a to think about re: how I use burpees in my beginner boxing classes. I appreciate your insight. You rock!
Have to have some fun while sharing helpful info! Welcome back to RS!
I worked up to 1,000 burpees last year. The day I did 1,000, the first 700 were actually not too bad. The last 200 were the worst death march imaginable. When I started doing burpees back in 2021 (yes, because of COVID, just like everyone else), they caused an indescribable level of pain/discomfort. But after six weeks or so, my body adapted to doing burpees, and now they're no worse than any other exercise. So stick with them. It definitely gets better.
You definitely get comfortable being uncomfortable in that way!
So many options for regressions, thanks.
Hope they help!
Yep! I was right! I knew you were gonna say burpees. I've been avoiding them for a while but I guess this is a sign that I shouldn't anymore.
Definitely a sign to work them in 🤪
This video is AWESOME. I’m a 50 year old who does a modified 1/2 burpee with 2 16kg kettlebells (1/2 burpee to kb swing to kb clean to thruster) so I don’t have to do the jump at the end. I’d rather cook the rest of me. 😅
Awesome!
I love asking my students, "Which came first, the yoga sun salutation, or the burpee?" Not sure how true it is, but a yoga instructor told me that the sun salutation was inspired by a yogi watching the military do burpees and slowed it down.
I will stick to the sun salutations! 😅
I did Burpees every day for 9 months during Covid in 2020. This video inspired me to get back to it. Funny how the body adapts when you do Burpees with no rest days.
We definitely adapt to what we do consistently!
Thank you. I will do half leg Burpees!! I will Where on your site may I ask a question 💛💪
Honestly one of the best ways to chat through questions for me is Facebook messenger :-) m.me/redefiningstrength?ref=w18158468
Old school 👍🏾regular exercise in the army the old Liverpool manager Bill Shankly used to make his players do them in the 70’s
When I was a child we called them squat thrusts. Physically I could not do them right now even with modifications. They were great. They are great.
Squat thrusts are the burpee variation technically without a push up :-)
Yeah, we used to do those in high school football. They used to wear us out wearing full pads.
LOL I have had dreams lately (yes, during my sleep), that I am able to do graceful and successful burpees. (This is a move I have never be successful at doing, or even stepping into and out of for more than a few times. I even have challenges doing the yoga move of stepping my feet up to my hands from downward dog. I thought it could be because I have body mechanics associated with shorter torso?) Thank you for breaking it down with modifications! I have been wanting to add this movement into my daily activity, but I wasn't sure how to begin. Thank you!!!
As a person with a short torso and long legs, I can tell you that it is possible. :-) You may find jumping out toward the outside of your hands though helps as you may also have a wider squat stance! Glad the tips help!
@@redefiningstrengthOCThat makes total sense, as I do like taking a wide stance when I do squats! Thank you sooooo much!
p.s. I did a set with modifications today using a "step" for elevation for my upper body, and I skipped the jump at the end. My squat stance felt just right. Now I have a baseline to start from, and I can add small goals! THANK YOU!
She's outstanding. I have her program. Well worth it.
Thank you :-) Keep on rocking it!
"Na, I'm good!" XD Haha
so funny. lol. burpees have been my favorite move for about 2 months. i almost never did them before. my other new favorite move is using dip/push up bars and you do you push up and then on the up you bring your legs thru to an L sit and then back to start position and repeat.. almost like a burpee move. i love these two moves.
Love it!
@@redefiningstrengthOC i just discovered the navy seal burpees...AWESOME!!
Cori - I find that when I do these, my hip-flexors tire out the fastest and it hurts a lot within a couple of days. Am I doing it wrong if my hip flexors are getting slammed? Also, as a great man once said, "buck furpees!!!"
I'd film yourself to see where your mobility restrictions are or even if you're losing core tension in the plank which could be overloading your hip flexors. Also focus on pushing off the ground more with your hands to pull your feet in with your abs over just relying on your hip flexors. Regress to progress!
A exercise I started doing that includes a berpee. Have a dumbbell in the middle of a mat. Either start in push up position. Push up then go into a berpee then jump over the dumbbell to the other side then get down to repeat again. Switch sides for 30 seconds. Thank me later.
Awesome! Love when we find fun new variations that match our needs and goals!
I work out 3x per week and I rarely get sore anymore. But I did several variations of burpees two days ago and I’m sore all over. They’re no joke.
Love that you're changing things up. And progression even through the same but different is key. Just remember though, soreness is not the best indicator of muscle growth or that we worked hard enough for results!
Love it when you use comedy before this workout; too funny. 😂I really don’t mind burpees, I just dislike adding the push-ups. Still working on that. Still love watching your babies at the end of each video; thanks
Kiwi and Sushi say thanks! And glad you liked the intro!
I’ve been doing step-out, jump in burpees for years. My lower back simply will not allow me to jump out. I also have to limit the number of those I do. I can jump until the cows come home, but explosive burpees aggravate my discs.
Modifying off an incline to work on that jump into plank could even help you focus on that ab bracing. And make sure to do that exhale to brace. It sounds like with the jump out you lose a bit of core tension which makes you load your back as well. Could be good to film yourself from the side to see that core tension. And trying the sliders could be a fun option for you too!
Glad I'm not the only one that's not a fan of burpes.
They (burpee's) will definitely keep your heart rate up! Ya.. you should do them.
I have never been able to do more than a few burpees because they make me nauseous.. used to f*CK me up in karate training. Haven't watched the whole video yet so will see if any of the variations work for me lol!
Focusing on your breathing may help as well!
Burpee modifications 🤙
I really love love love burpees. They can be much fun if you play with them :) my newest favotite- a mix of burpee and inchworm!
Awesome!
As a Spartan Trifecta Tribe member, Buck Furpees!!!
She right - they never really get any easier.
She's right. I hate burpees, and they are a great full body exercise.
Can these replace weights, or do in between, or in addition?
I would use burpees in a more cardio focused workout. But how you design your weekly schedule and what moves you include depends on your needs and goals. I may even use a SIT finisher with burpees after a weights session.
Burpees! Burpees! Burpees!😅💪👏👏👏👏👏
Great cardio exercise, but scary (star jumps are much less scary). I'm 64 and did 100 in 7 minutes a few months ago (made mentally "easier" by doing them in 5 sets of 2-4-6-8). Now I just do 10 Every Minute on the Minute for 5 minutes...mix in with shadow boxing, dancing, skater jumps, and no rope skipping.
Sounds like you're crushing new challenges!
❤
I have scare tissue from an ankle injury, which variation es possible? I cant run, jump and do squats
So it would depend. I've had a variety of ankle sprains and actually have worked through a lot of scar tissue to build back up. But I would recommend you consider the slider option for burpees potentially and even bench options for squats. Hope you're seeing someone to see how much mobility you can get back depending on your previous ankle injuries!