The Burpee

Exercise Review by Travis Girard

The dreaded burpee!! One of the most feared exercises by clients, and one of the most utilized bodyweight exercises used by trainers. This challenging exercise uses almost every muscle in the body, making it a calorie incinerator! Are you doing it correctly to get the most calorie burn for your buck?

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see where this exercise got its roots:

The burpee, also known as the squat thrust, is a full body exercise used in strength training and as aerobic exercise. It is performed in four steps, and was originally known as a "four-count Burpee":

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the Burpee test. He earned a PhD in Applied Physiology from Columbia University in 1940 and created the "Burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple way to assess fitness. The exercise was popularized when the United States Armed Services adopted it as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered WWII. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to be a quick measure of agility, coordination and strength. 

Now you know!

How do I perform a Burpee?

1. Begin in a standing position.

2. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. (count 1)

3. Extend your feet back in one quick motion to assume the push-up position. (count 2)

4. Return to the squat position in one quick motion. (count 3)

5. Return to standing position. (count 4)

Variations:

A common CrossFit variation is to require your pelvis to touch the ground or the Burpee does not count.  Another common variation is to add a maximum vertical jump as you return to standing position.

Application:

Start with 3 sets of 10 Burpees to build cardiovascular tolerance.

Extreme: One of the grueling original applications the military used with the Burpee was the “Burpee Mile” where the participant would perform a Burpee followed by a broad jump, until the person traveled one mile.

Wake Up Your Oatmeal.

Anne at FANNEtasticFood.com

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Ingredients
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1 ripe banana, sliced
2 dashes cinnamon
1/4 cup pureed canned pumpkin
1 dash ground cloves
1 dash ground nutmeg
Handful frozen blueberries (optional)

Directions
1. Put the oats, milk, sliced banana, and cinnamon into a small pot on the stove.
2. Stir continuously over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture gets thick and creamy (and starts bubbling). Stir in the frozen blueberries now, if you like.
3. Turn down heat to medium low and add the canned pumpkin and a dash each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg.
4. Serve hot and enjoy!

A lot of our members are eating oatmeal right now. So, just when you think you can’t eat another bowl, how about spicing it up a bit. And think of all the great vitamins and minerals you’re getting with the addition of the Pumpkin and Blueberries!!

Enjoy, 

Darcy

Darcy West BA, ACSM, HFS
Personal Trainer

Gold's Gyms of the Wenatchee Valley
509.663.4965 (Wenatchee) & 509.884.4965 (East Wenatchee)

The Perfect Day of Eating

Will this be your best day ever? Or your beastliest? What you put in your mouth will have a lot to do with the answer. Food can help fuel body and mind to ensure that you perform at the peak of your abilities. Or it can sabotage your best efforts, leaving you panicked, drained, and floundering. Are you eating your way to disaster, or triumph? Let's go through your daily menu of foods and tasks to help you snack, slurp, and sup your way to success.

6:43am -

You've just rolled out of bed. You need to be on the road by 7:20. Big day of work ahead.

Eat This: Bacon or ham and fried eggs
Benefit 1: Fullness and energy
The protein in this power meal will keep you feeling full throughout the morning. A University of Illinois study found that people who eat more protein and less carbs than in conventional meals find it easier to stick to a diet. Protein is satiating and may also boost calorie burn, the study authors say.

Benefit 2: Relaxed blood vessels
When you digest eggs, protein fragments are produced that can prevent your blood vessels from narrowing—which may help keep your blood pressure from rising. In fact, Canadian scientists found in a lab study that the hotter the eggs, the more potent the proteins, and frying them sends their temps soaring.

Not That: Pancakes, or a bagel with cream cheese
These carbohydrate-loaded options will send your blood glucose skyward, and you may feel ready to tackle anything. But don't be fooled: That soaring blood sugar will lead to a crash, and you're bound to feel hungry again before lunch. Resist the tempting ease of most high-carb breakfasts, and go find some protein.

Extra tip: Eat now at home, not later on the road. A University of Massachusetts study found that eating breakfast out instead of at home more than doubles your odds of obesity. Not only are restaurant meals often bigger than home-cooked ones, but you're also vulnerable to an impulse buy at a drive-thru or convenience store.

7:37a -

You're caught in stop-and-go traffic. Figures it'd happen on the day you need to arrive early to prepare for the big meeting.

Click to read more ...

The Original 300 Workout

   THE "ORIGINAL" 300 WORKOUT  

• Pullups - 25 reps
• Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. - 50 reps
• Pushups - 50 reps
• 24-inch Box Jumps - 50 reps
• Floor Wipers - 50 reps
• Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
• Pullups - 25 reps

All exercises are done without scheduled rest between moves.

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  1. PULLUPS (25 reps)  

Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip that's slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and hang at arm's length. Pull your chest to the bar, pause, and then lower your body back to the starting position.

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  2. DEADLIFTS WITH 135 LBS. (50 reps) 

Load the barbell and roll it against your shins. Bend at your hips and knees and grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands just beyond shoulder width. Without allowing your lower back to round, pull your torso back and up, thrust your hips forward, and stand up with the barbell. Squeeze your glutes as you perform the movement. Lower the bar to the floor, keeping it as close to your body as possible.

  3. PUSHUPS (50 reps)  

Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor so that they're slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible.

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  4. 24-INCH BOX JUMPS (50 reps) 

Stand in front of a sturdy, secure box that's high enough so that you have to jump with great effort in order to land on top of it. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Dip your knees. Jump up onto the box with a soft landing. Step down and reset your feet.

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  5. FLOOR WIPERS (50 reps) 

Holding a 135-pound loaded bar above your chest, bring your feet up together to the left plate, down to the middle, and up to the right plate before putting them down in the middle. That's one repetition.

WATCH VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

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  6. SINGLE-ARM CLEAN-AND-PRESS WITH 36-LBS. KETTLEBELL (50 reps) 

Stand shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell between your feet. Bend at the knees and grab the kettlebell with an overhand grip. Drive your hips and legs through the floor to bring the kettlebell up to your chest (note: your arm should be tucked in close to your body with the kettlebell resting on the outside of your forearm.) Push overhead before lowering it to the ground in a controlled movement.

That's one rep. Make sure it touches the ground before each rep. Perform 25 reps per arm.

WATCH VIDEO DEMONSTRATION

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  7. PULLUPS (25 reps)  

Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip that's slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and hang at arm's length. Pull your chest to the bar, pause, and then lower your body back to the starting position.

Enjoy! - Lori Reinbold

Read more at Men's Health:

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness