The Burpee Challenge
WELCOME!
And thank you for purchasing this program!
If you’re not already convinced, I feel the need to extol the virtues of the lowly burpee as an all around body conditioner.
Burpees will condition your entire body and will develop strength, explosive power and anaerobic endurance.
Anaerobic exercise is exercise used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power. Energy systems trained using anaerobic
exercise develop differently compared to aerobic exercise. Anaerobic training leads to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities that last from seconds up to about minutes. In sports that re!uire repeated short bursts of exercise, it’s the anaerobic system that enables muscles to recover for the next burst.
In contrast, any activity performed longer than about two minutes is considered aerobic exercise and taps into a different energy system. "hese exercises include lower intensity activities performed for longer periods of time
li#e running, swimming, and cycling. "hey re!uire large amounts of oxygen to generate the energy needed for extended exercise time.
All this means that I can coast through a low intensity aerobic wor#out if I want to, but there’s no coasting involved in anaerobic training. "he beauty of anaerobic training is that it’s short and sweet.
$hatever your preference for training, you can’t #noc# the benefits of anaerobic training. If I loved running for hours, I’d do it because I loved it, not because it’s super effective for conditioning or fat burning. I %ust happen to loathe it, so it wor#s out well that I can train for & minutes and feel li#e I’m '()E. *(f course if your goal is to run a marathon or do other endurance events, then building a training base through long wor#outs is a re!uirement, but that’s a totally different topic out of the scope of this program+.
As well, you #now my stance on the pull up as the grand-daddy of all body weight exercises. I thin# we all #now how taxing and how much strength they re!uire. Anyone that’s tried a pull up, or multiple sets of them will tell you that they’re not easy.
ut the burpee and the pull up together and you have one heavenly *or devilish+ combination for wor#out intensity to build anaerobic capacity and strength endurance.
A word of caution…
"he exercises and wor#outs described in this program are advanced and intended for the intermediate to advanced fitness enthusiast.
y goal is for you to improve your fitness by way of challenging yourself with #ic# butt wor#outs.
Form and quality of movement always trumps quantity of repetitions. Restis imperative.
"rust me when I tell you that the concept of overtraining for ealous fitness buffs is a reality. /isten to your body and give yourself ample rest and recovery time.
As much as I love burpees and burpee pull ups as described in this program, the concept of 0too much of a good thing’ is real.
1ere’s more about the program2
"hese wor#outs should )(" be done consecutively unless at least one day of rest follows each wor#out.
"his guide provides exercise and wor#out suggestions to integrate into my pull up and3or push up challenge wor#out program or into your own training program for added variety and intensity.
The goal of each workout is to lift as heavy a weight possible for each resistance set (with proper form) and include high quality HIIT (burpeeburpee pull up repetitions. NEVER sacrifice form for reps. That is" always use the best form possible to av oid in#ury and to train the specific muscles intended.
$ach workout is outlined with a rep scheme but with no specific weight. %ou will choose your weight based on these guidelines&
-if you can ge " reps# he $eigh is oo hea%y
-if you can ge &' or more reps he $eigh is oo ligh
-your $eigh for each se may change (ase) on his principle -as a general rule of hum(# &* reps is lise)
$ach workout should start with a full body warm up that may include *+,) min of stationary bike" treadmill work" general dynamic stretches such as arm circles" body weight squats etc.
$ach workout should end with general cooling down and stretching for *+,) minutes. -lease refer to the eercise library and video library for details on proper form for each eercise.
/et0s get started! 'isclaimer2
4ee your physician before starting any exercise or nutrition program. rior to starting, you should discuss all nutritional changes with your physician or a registered dietician. If you are ta#ing any medications, you must tal# to your physician before starting any exercise program. If you experience any lightheadedness, diiness, or shortness of breath while exercising, stop and consult a physician.
"hese recommendations are not medical guidelines. "his boo# is for educational
purposes only. 5ou must consult your physician prior to starting this program or if you have any medical condition or in%ury that contraindicates physical activity. "his
program is designed for healthy individuals 67 years and older only.
All forms of exercise pose some inherent ris#s. It is advisable that readers to ta#e full responsibility for their safety and #now their limits. "he exercises and dietary programs in this boo# are not intended as a substitute for any exercise routine or treatment or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your physician.
'on’t perform any exercise unless you have been shown the proper techni!ue by a certified personal trainer. 'on’t perform any exercise without proper instruction. Always do a warm-up prior to your wor#out session and end with a stretching cool down segment.
4afety 8irst
5ou will only get positive results from this program if you are performing the exercises correctly. 1ere are a few tips for you to maximie your results2
,. 9hec# with your doctor before starting any new exercise or diet program.
1. It may be necessary to consult a trainer if you are unsure of how to do any of the exercises. 'o )(" do exercises that you don’t understand how to do.
. If something 0hurts’ do not do it. 5ou must understand the difference between muscle fatigue and in%ury. Always error on the side of caution if you feel pain. 2. "his program has the potential to be used with those new to fitness as well as
those that are very fit. 4tart off conservatively and increase intensity as you go. *. $e can 0do it all’: however, we may need an extra day of rest between wor#outs
wor#out. Active rest is an activity that is low intensity calorie burning in nature such as wal#ing.
3. ;se proper exercise form and train conservatively in all wor#outs.
4. Always start with the easier alternative exercises if appropriate, even if you have exercised in the past. "he new exercises, and new style of movements will cause muscle soreness even from wor#outs you thin# <loo# easy<.
5. 'o )(" do interval training more than = times per wee#.
6. 'o )(" the s#ip a warm-up, as well, ta#e a few minutes to cool the body down. ,). If you have an in%ury, get medical attention to rehabilitate your in%ury before
starting an exercise program.
"he burpee and the burpee pull up are complex and advanced movements. 'ue to the nature of them, it’s difficult to have a single picture3description for each
modified and3or intensified version. Instead, please refer to the short video instructions and the list of burpees and burpee pull ups.
$hen doing any of the wor#outs, you can swap out any version of the burpee or burpee pull up, thereby increasing the number of wor#outs exponentially. As you’ll see, you are only limited by your imagination with these exercises. I’ve listed some of the possible options below.
Burpee and Burpee ull ;p (ptions
odified (ptions2
• Burpee with high plan# wal# out no %ump up • Burpee with high plan# hop out no %ump up • Burpee with high plan# hop out with %ump up • Burpee modified push up wal# out no %ump up • Burpee modified push up hop out no %ump up • Burpee modified push up hop out with %ump up • Burpee with high plan# to assisted pull up • Burpee with high plan# to %ump pull up
• Burpee with modified push up to assisted pull up • Burpee with modified push up to %ump pull up • Burpee with push up to %ump pull up
• Burpee with push up to assisted pull up
>egular (ptions2
• Burpee with push up to pull up • Burpee with push up to chin up
• Burpee with tricep push up to pull up • Burpee with tricep push up to chin up
Advanced (ptions2
• Box %ump burpee
• Box %ump burpee pull up
• Burpee with mountain climber
• Burpee with mountain climber pull up • (ne legged burpee
• (ne legged burpee with two foot %ump to pull up • (ne legged burpee with one foot %ump to pull up • $eighted vest burpee
• $eighted vest burpee push up to pull up
5ou can refer to the exercise and video library for exercises in the program and here are some video demonstrations of burpees and burpee pull ups2
odified Burpee2 http233vimeo.com3?==@ >egular Burpee2 http233vimeo.com3?==@C Box Dump Burpee2 http233vimeo.com3?==@@
odified Burpee ull up2 http233vimeo.com3?==@@?6C Burpee ull ;p2 http233vimeo.com3?==@7&
Advanced Burpee ull ;p Examples2 http233vimeo.com3?==@?7
"his is a metabolic finisher to be used at the end of any wor#out to torch body fat. (r, if you have a small window to train, this is a short and sweet way to wor# up a sweat.
6- ;se a timer.
- 9omplete C& burpees in as short a time as possible.
?- ;se this time as a benchmar# to measure improvement as you wor# through this program.
Worout ) - "imed set of #$ %urpee *ull +ps & 'print(
"he ultimate test2 burpees paired with pull ups for time. Again this can be a
benchmar# for measuring progress later on when you repeat this grueling wor#out. Worout , - "imed set of !$$ %urpees & -arathon
4ettle in for the long haul, this is a nauseating challenge.
4uggestion2 plan on doing C sets of & reps, time each set of & and allow for a short rest between each set of & reps.
Worout . - "imed set of !$$ %urpee *ull +ps & +ltimate -arathon
)ot for the faint of heart, this wor#out is the ultimate test of conditioning. A mental game plan is imperative. lan to brea# up the wor#out into shorter sets as described in wor#out ?.
>ecording your split times, that is, how long it ta#es you to complete each set of & reps is helpful for when you repeat this wor#out. 5ou’ll #now exactly when you need to turn up the heat to beat your score from previous attempts.
Worout # - /nterval 'ets of %urpees or %urpee *ull ups
• "ime yourself to do 6& burpees or burpee pull ups. • "a#e this time and add 6C to ?& seconds onto it.
• 8or example, if it ta#es you =C seconds to do 6& burpees, you will set your
timer for one minute *or 626C+ repeats.
• 'o up to 6& sets of burpees or burpee pull ups.
• 'ecrease the interval time as your fitness capacity improves. 8or example,
the next time you try the wor#out, set the timer for CC second repeats.
Worout 0 1 2ount +p32ount Down
'B lateral raise, bicep curl, push up, s!uat, etc. "he list is only limited by your imagination.
1ere is the format, each set adds up to 66 reps2
6 burpee or burpee pull up to 6& reps resistance movement burpees or burpee pull ups to reps resistance movement ? burpees or burpee pull ups to 7 reps resistance movement
F.continue to 60 burpees or burpee pull ups to 6 rep resistance movement "otal reps for burpees or burpee pull ups in this wor#out is CC.
Worout 4 1 %urpee or %urpee *ull +p 'quat Worout
Be prepared to have legs of lead after this wor#out. 9hoose a weight for the s!uat that you can do for 6& hard reps with good form.
6 - 4!uats 6& reps3no rest
- 6& burpees or burpee pull ups ? - >est 6 min
= - >epeat up to C times
Worout 5 & %urpee or %urpee *ull +p 2hest Worout 6- 'B incline chest press3no rest
- 6& burpee or burpee pull ups ? - >est ?& sec
= - >epeat up to C times
Worout 6 1 %urpee *ull +p %ac Worout 2
9hoose a weight for the deadlift that you can do for 6& hard reps with good form. 6- 'eadlifts 6& reps3no rest
- 6& burpee pull ups ?- >est 6 min
=- >epeat up to C
Worout !$ 1 %urpee *ull up 2hest3%ac Worout7
6& hard reps with good form. 6- Bench press 6& reps3no rest
- 'eadlift or cable rows 6& reps3rest ?- 6& burpee pull ups
?- >est 6 min =- >epeat up to C
Worout !! 1 %urpee *ull +p %icep Worout7
;se the 0count up3count down’ method described in wor#out . 6& burpee pull ups to 6 heavy barbell curl
burpee pull ups to heavy barbell curls 7 burpee pull ups to ? heavy barbell curls... 6 burpee pull up to 6& heavy barbell curls
Worout !) 1 %urpee *ull +p "ricep Worout7 6- 6& tricep push ups3no rest
- C burpee pull ups ?- >est up to ?& seconds =- >epeat up to C
C- 'B tricep over head press3no rest - C burpee pull ups
@- >est up to ?& seconds 7- >epeat up to C
Worout !, 1 %urpee *ull +p 89ill: 'print worout7
5ou’ll need a C& yard area to sprint. "o add intensity, do this on a hill and do hill sprints.
6- C burpee pull ups3no rest - sprint C& yards
?- wal# return >epeat C times
Worout !. 1 %urpee *ull +p 2ore Worout ! 6- C burpee pull ups3no rest
- ?& sec plan# recovery ?- >epeat up to 6& times
Worout !# 1 %urpee *ull +p 2ore Worout ) 6- C burpee pull ups3no rest
- 6& hanging leg raises3no rest ?- ?& sec side plan# left3no rest =- ?& sec side plan# right3no rest C- >epeat up to C times
Worout !0 & %ox ;ump %urpee *ull +p Worout
;se the 0count up3count down’ method described in wor#out . 6& box %umps to 6 burpee pull up
box %umps to burpee pull ups 7 box %umps to ? burpee pull upsF 6 box %ump to 6& burpee pull ups %urpee <ideo exercises
Speed skater burpee - http233youtu.be36;!6Gv="s Jumping jack burpee - http233youtu.be3;8cn;9HvveE One arm burpee - http://youtu.be/OBCyrwteWe
One !eg burpee - http233youtu.be3t6bd7C4;E Side p!ank burpee - http233youtu.be3/>Al(C#Jw
2onclusion
"he burpee and burpee pull up are the 0be all end all’ of bodyweight training. 5ou will increase your overall endurance and strength through the variety of wor#outs listed in this program.
As you wor# through these wor#outs, I’m sure you’ll create your own challenges. 8eel free to share them with the 9hallenge $or#out community on my blog2 www.9hallenge$or#outs.com3blogor email me directly at
shawna#.helpKgmail.com.
