Formosa Fitness

March is burpee challenge month for me. The challenge is to do 50 each day, 5-6 days a week. So far, so good.

The burpee is a very complex exercise. I can use it to spot deficiencies very easily. Because of its complexity, it's also very good for hitting lots of problem areas.

Take, for example, ankle inflexibility. I have stiff ankles so I was turning the foot out too much as I kicked my feet up for the jump. As a result, I was pulling the inside of my knee and got injured. When I looked at what I was doing, I realized my error and started pointing my feet forward, allowing for a greater stretch, and the knee pain disappeared.

I also see lots of problems with the squat. A lot of times we can't get low enough and I'm still debating whether or not we should keep the heels on the ground or if raising the toes is okay. Heels on the ground would force people to work on their inflexibility.

Many clients have trouble with the "pushup" portion of the move, although I don't have them actually do a pushup. Many lack the upper body strength to do it, showing a deficiency in that area.

Others have problems thrusting both feet out and back at the same time due to a lack of core strength.

Finally, the jump is ....ahem.... a little less than one for many folks. This is due to weak legs or just conditioning. I like to see a fairly vigorous jump unless you're in the final reps.

I've found that isolating the problem components -- the squat, the leg thrust, etc. -- allows clients to improve on form, which in turn both increases movement quality and allows clients to do more reps. At this point, I'm starting to think of it as a movement assessment.

Take a look at your form and see what you're lacking. Improve those qualities and use the burpee as part of your workout to fix those problems. Have fun training.