This weeks challenge? How about an exercise that can burn fat, build muscle, and increase cardiovascular endurance using no equipment and no more than a small area of floor space. There is an exercise that can do all of that and more. Some call it a squat-thrust, I call it a Burpee. It is an exercise requiring strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and explosiveness, the Burpee is one exercise that can just about do it all. Burpees are not a solve all, of course, and they cannot develop every aspect of strength and fitness that might be improved with unlimited time, equipment, and training, but as an all-around, inexpensive, time efficient way to improve your fitness, Burpees are in a class by themselves. And of course just as any exercise routine you will need to put together a plan and follow it to achieve maximum results. For now we will start with the Burpee Challenge.

First warm up for about 5 minutes with jumping jacks or run in place.

Ok….here we go!

1) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands raised over your head. Then squat down and place your palms on the floor by your feet.
2) Kick both of your legs back so that you’re in push-up position.
3) Bend your elbows and lower your body until your chest touches the floor(Optional, more advanced).
4) Push yourself back up.
5) At the end of the push-up, quickly pull both knees into your chest while keeping your hands on the floor. You’re jumping back into the squat position of step one.
6) Stand straight up by straightening your legs and throwing your hands in the air over your head. You’re now in the position that you started in. You can make the burpee more advanced and increase the explosive power in your legs by jumping into the air as you stand up.

Start with 10 Burpees followed by a 30 second break or if you think you are ready do 30 seconds of jumping jacks instead! Now do 9 Burpees again followed by either a 30 second break or 30 seconds of jumping jacks…..do this all the way down to one and if you are up for a serious challenge work your way back up to 10!

More on Burpees:

Burpee

Burpee The Exercise You Love To Hate

Burpee: Calisthenic Exercise

Good luck!