It’s Time To Ditch the Burpee

Sweat rolling down your nose and falling into a depressingly large pool in front of you, the sound of your unreasonably loud heartbeat in your ears, and then the one sentence you’d rather never hear…

“Time to finish off with some burpees”

You struggle up to your feet. Well, you think- “at least it’s good for me”…

Or is it?

If I had £5 for every time a new client has professed their hate for the sacrilegious 7 letter exercises… I wouldn't be rich per se, but I might be writing this blog in a Pret sipping on a coconut latte rather than my filter coffee in the corner of Costa
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and nothing brings me greater joy than the look of relief that spread over their face when I let them know there’s nothing to fear- we’re a burpee free studio

and no, it’s not because I’ve gone off the deep-end of body-acceptance, and instead of exercise have our Armoury Athletes sip on tasty herbal teas and repeat their positive mantras in a mirror during their training times, rather than complete any sort of strenuous exercise

no, we still train hard

But we do so in a way that actually makes us stronger, fitter and healthier humans- rather than choosing exercises that have the sole purpose of making us feel like we're coming to the dramatic conclusion of our lives

you see “hard” and “effective” are often confused when it comes to training

Anyone can train “hard”- in fact vomit-inducing sessions that are filled with burpees, box jumps, mountain climbers and high-knees are the calling card of the 20-something personal trainer having an ego trip

What’s better than making men and women 20 years your senior throw up because they “weren’t tough enough”- right?

​well, getting results, for one thing (for another? not having to clean up vomit when they’re unable to make it to the bin in time between sets of kettlebell swings and heel flicks)

Let's make this clear- I'm not 100% anti-burpee all the time... however in 90% of cases, when you see them prescribed, the intention behind them isn't rooted in intelligent programming, rather a haphazard afterthought 

They tend to be used within “Hardcore” Sessions where the goal is burning the most calories possible, in the shortest amount of time

This shouldn’t be the goal of training

The goal of training? To get stronger, build and retain muscle, improve cardiovascular fitness, improve joint health & function, increase energy, positively impact athletic performance, and make you a better human

Burning calories however? Isn’t the target

Why, you ask?

because burning 500 calories takes a momentous amount of effort

Simply not consuming 500 calories? Takes less actual effort than eating them

Creating an energy deficit (consuming fewer calories than you’re expending) is the driver of fat loss- and trying to tackle it by solely increasing energy out, rather than decreasing energy in? Is setting yourself up for failure

Yes, calories used for fuel in training count- but most often people will burn an extra 300 odd calories jumping around like they're in a lycra themed rave...

and then proceed to eat back 400 calories later that afternoon because they "earned it"

a better approach if fat loss is the goal?

Eat for fat loss, train for strength, and increase daily activity (such as walking more in day to day life) in order to greater illicit a deficit WITHOUT killing yourself in the gym.

The second reason I have a slight disdain for burpees for 90% of people (and box jumps, for that matter), is that most men and women going to the gym for the first time don't have the strength or stability to jump and land without risking injury when fresh- let alone when they're under fatigue due to doing 600 of them

Injury prevention should be a primary consideration of exercise selection

Well programmed sessions help to prevent issues via increasing stability and strength through the joints and surrounding muscles

Poorly programmed sessions (think excessive burpees > box jumps > hurdles) do the opposite

Plyometrics (jumping) do have their place for building explosive strength- but doing so without the structural integrity to land soundly, or the foundation of strength to stabilize the hips and knees on take off?

Is a risk with every jump you take

so can burpees and box jumps be part of a well designed programme?

Yes

You can build your work capacity, foundational strength and progressively overload your key movement patterns before using well executed burpees as part of your conditioning, and properly prepped box jumps to develop power

But in 99% of cases? They’re thrown in with no thought as to whether it’s going to help you get closer to your goals, or cause you to develop a hip problem and smash your shins into the metal box

​does any of that sound familiar, or are you just keen to make sure you approach training the right way?

Drop us a message, and we'll be happy to have a chat about how to better structure the time you’re spending in the gym to get the most bang for your buck

​Because if you’re taking the time out of your day to physically exert yourself? You want to be sure you’re getting the return for that time invested

Smart training paired up with intelligent nutrition will do just that

Now I’m off to take our evening small group coaching sessions

​Where there won’t be a burpee in sight ;)