THE BURPEE is the ultimate full-body conditioning exercise. There is nothing I love and hate more. All the workouts that had made me puke had burpees in it and I’m sure that was the main culprit. There is nothing that will make you want to throw up more than jumping up and down dozens of times after swinging a heavy kettlebell or doing some doing some crazy presses… but this is the kind of puking that will make you feel good about yourself and make you want to roll around it in (just kidding).
Yesterday, while walking to the gym, I said to myself, “I’m going to 100 double-unders and 100 burpees today. It’s gonna be fun!!!” Then as I was changing, I had a second thought, “what the hell is wrong with me” and started to horribly regret my first thought but once I tell myself to do something, I will not back out of it because that’s like cheating myself. My original plan of pounding out 5-6 rounds of HIIT on the bike was scrapped so 100 DU’s and 100 burpees it is.
This ended up being my workout:
- 100 Double-Unders
- 100 Burpees (chest-to-ground)
- 100 Double-Unders
- 100 Sit-Ups
- 100 Double-Unders
The double-unders and sit ups are easy exercises so I won’t bother writing about them but burpees are a whole different story. Although I love them, it takes me a LOT of gut and mental strength to do so many at once. That day, I did the 100 burpees consecutively without breaks. This was the first time I attempted to do this many at once because I use to be scared I wouldn’t be able to do it ,but you never know until you try, right? I was just going to do 25 and then break, but I got to 25, pushed myself to 40, then 50, then soon I was at 80 and I knew I can do 30 in a row easily so I told myself to finish it off and 7 minutes later, I was at 100. Easy.
Okay, I lied. I didn’t puke but it wasn’t easy. I even did them slower than normal since I wanted to pace myself to ensure I get through the 100 but it wasn’t so hard that it even came close to the kill-me-now feeling I get with some of my other workouts. Next time, I’m going to aim for 150, then 200… going up to 400 burpees (with no breaks). I regret that I didn’t have the guts to try this earlier but now that I know I can do it, I know I can get a better time when I try this again.
Only the weak attempts to accomplish what he knows he can already achieve.
This guy is just insane: 100 burpees in 3:23.
How to get to 100 burpees:
Burpees aren’t that hard. If you can run or bike for long distances, you can do 100 or 1000 burpees. It’s all about mental strength and being able to push yourself.
- If you are a beginner, work yourself up. Start with 10 (take a short break then repeat 6-8 times), then every week, increase it to 20, then 30 and so on.
- Each workout, try telling yourself, “let’s do 5 more” … “what about 10 more?” Engrain it in your mind that you WILL do it and you’ll be surprised at your perseverance.
- If you think you are tired and want to quit, IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. You CAN do it… never underestimate yourself!
- You don’t have to do them consecutively but in intervals as well, such as 20 seconds of burpees, 10 seconds rest and repeat 8 times [tabata protocol]. Try match or do more burpees than the last round. Do this at least once a week along with the rest of your workouts.
- Here’s my favorite trick when doing burpees (or any exercises): COUNT BACKWARDS. It doesn’t help physically but just makes it seem easier.
It is all about perseverance and consistency. Next thing you know it, you’ll be a Lean Mean Burpee Machine.
