Benefits of Burpees
Burpees are great for everyone. A full-body exercise that is very effective and challenging; the burpee is one of the most popular fitness movements. Whether one is trying to lose fat, get fit, and more muscular, this sweat drenching exercise is a yes-yes by all standards.
There is a reason why the US army included burpees to assess recruits’ fitness during World War ꓲꓲ. Trainers worldwide add burpees to the exercise plans of their trainees for multiple reasons.
Burpees benefit everyone, but bodybuilders can significantly gain a lot from the exercise. Let us talk about the benefits that burpees can bring to the bodybuilding community.
Work all muscles
Burpees work maximum muscles all at once, and it is the number one exercise for a full-body workout. It works your abs, triceps, shoulders, chest, obliques, calves, and hamstrings. Do a few reps of burpees, and you will feel all the muscles in your body burning and sweat trickling like crazy.
The whole body functions as a unit, and you can’t neglect any part. As a bodybuilder, you want to work every muscle and increase strength. So, burpees are a perfect addition to your intense training session.
Saves time
Doing 50 reps of burpees works your body as effectively as running for half an hour. If you get accustomed to doing burpees, you can complete 50 reps in just five minutes. Just imagine! You save about 20 to 25 minutes by switching from running on the treadmill to doing burpees—no more wasting time. You can use that extra time to train harder or even rest a while to let your body rejuvenate.
Burn fat, get leaner muscles
Burpee is a high-intensity training exercise (HIIT), the scientifically recommended method to burn the most fat. Studies say that HIIT exercises burn 50 percent more calories than moderate exercises do.
You can burn the most fat off your body to get leaner muscles that not only look great but feel great. But that is not the only way burpees help you burn fats. They add muscle mass throughout your body, which means that your body will burn more calories even at rest.
Perform burpees in the morning, and your body’s metabolism will remain at its peak all day. Your body will be cutting calories all day long after your workout.
Great health benefits of burpees
Burpee is an excellent cardio exercise. You can reap benefits like a healthier heart and lungs, lower risks of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases, and improved brain function and cholesterol levels. Studies even suggest that vigorous exercises like burpees are linked to a longer life.
You build great muscles and stay physically fit and healthy too.
Convenience
If you are traveling and you can’t hit the gym, doing burpees will do the trick for you. You don’t need a large space or fancy equipment for your exercise session to be effective. You can roll out a mat and do burpees in your living room, a nearby park, a hotel room, or on the lawn. Burpees will give you excellent results, which are just as effective as other exercises within a shorter time.
Strength and endurance
Multiple repetition fire up your lungs, makes your heart pound hard and increases your breathing. Your bodyweight provides plenty of resistance that will take your strength and endurance to another level.
Unlike isolation exercises, burpees engage all the muscles in your body and increase strength. You will observe an increase in strength as you conquer other challenging activities with more ease.
Incorporate with other exercises
Another great advantage and another great benefits of burpees is that you can incorporate it with a variety of training programs. Whether it is a HIIT, aerobic, cardio, cross-fit, or functional fitness program, burpees find a stable place in all kinds of workouts. You can also perform burpees as an entire workout.
Interesting variations
Once you have mastered the basic burpee, you will want to level up. Besides, doing the same exercise may bore you. But the great thing about this exercise is that you can add lots of variations to crank up the intensity level and keep the workout new and exciting. Consider adding the following variations to your usual workout. They will surely blast your stamina and leave you panting on the floor.
- Place a box in front of you and jump on it, planting both feet firmly on top after each burpee. The extra height during the jump part of the burpee will raise the difficulty level and leave you sweating more, especially if you do it fast.
- Add dumbbells or wear a weighted vest. Adding more weight to your body during a workout demands more energy and strength. You will, indeed, power up your endurance.
- Perform burpees under a pullup bar, and at each cycle, jump up and do a pull-up. This will work your upper body intensely.
- Another challenging burpee variation is the use of a med slam ball. Stand tall and slam the ball down to the ground as you quickly drop down into a burpee. Pick the ball as you stand back to your feet and lift it overhead. Repeat the cycle.
- Level up your regular jump to tuck jump during your burpee; bring your knees as close to your chest as possible. Tuck jump is a great HIIT exercise that will put extra work on your lower body.
Precautions
You must warm up your body before you delve into an intense burpee session. If you have lower back issues, you might want to avoid overexerting your spine. Adopt those variations that are friendlier on your body.
Everyone doing burpees either loves it or hates it. Or sometimes, they do both. Incorporate them into your daily workout and reap the great benefits of this sweat drenching, heart-pounding, and lung burning insane workout.
