This month’s exercise is the Burpee! Yup, you read correctly, the exercise is called a “Burpee”. The name originates from its creator, Dr. Ludwig Von Burpee who discovered this vigorous exercise while quickly dropping down flat to avoid cannon balls being shot at him followed by quickly jumping in the air to avoid an axe beings swung at his feet during a circus act……ok I’m just talking out of my opposing burpee hole right now, I really have no idea why it was given the name, “Burpee”, but nonetheless, it’s an excellent full body exercise that will get your heart pounding and your muscles burning!

To do a burpee, simply go from a standing position and begin a squat until your hands are on the ground near your feet. Once your hands are down, kick your feet back into a plank position (hands and feet on the ground, body flat). Now, complete a pushup. At the height of the push up, jump your feet back to their starting position and stand back up.

Note that there are many variations to the burpee. Some don’t include the pushup, while others may include a rotation after the pushup, and others yet may have you jumping onto a box. Start with the simplest version and work your way up to meet your needs. The burpee is an excellent way to warm up, or to help crank up the heart rate in the middle of an exercise and get you sweating quickly!

Want to increase the intensity of your workout? Do more burpees!