T Nation

Burpees!

Bodybuilding
#1

Today, I auditioned for a TV show called ‘Gladiators’ which is basically a fitness challenge show.

The first exercise we had to do were burpees. Man I hadn’t done these things for at least 10 years!

I actually only decided to do the audition at the last minute, last night I did a lower body session of deadlifts, front squats, calf press, back squats, RDLs and single leg calf press.

Well needless to say, I started out well, and at about 20 reps i felt a bit fatigued.

At 30 reps I was thinking “Just make it to 50!”

At 40 reps I felt my quads just lock up. Totally. I was okay on the down part, but getting up and hitting the jump was impossible.

I managed 5 more before I knew it. It was over. I was done.

The cut off was 100 reps. And they told me to go home.

Man that’s a good exercise!

YES it kicked my arse but holy shit! My legs were fried afterwards. Sure they were baked before going in but to be honest, I was never going to hit 100. Totally fresh I think I would’ve MAYBE got 60 or 70.

All I know is that every leg day from now on, I’m going to start with 50 burpees. Totally recommend them. I was destroyed. Sure my leg training the night before didn’t help. But that’s an awesome exercise no matter what!

#2

100 reps was the cutoff? Damn! Maybe if you were a woman with bleached blond hear and silicone breasts, they would have bent the rules so you could help their ratings. :slight_smile:

Is the show anything like “American Gladiators” or UK’s “Gladiators”?

#3

Burpees are rough.

100 sounds like a lot but it’s an easy build up. 10 a minute for 10 minutes. If that is too easy all you do is add a rep and take away a minute. so 11 reps in 9 minutes…etc

Last night I did 25 and 20 burpees as part of a circuit and they reminded me how to shit my conditioning has gone.

#4

Yeah totally. 10 a minute would be easy. But this was to a cadence on a tape.

There was a voice saying 1.2.3.4.1.2.3.4…

Etc. It was the cadence that killed me. If they’d said ‘go for 2 minutes’ or ‘get to 100 no matter what’ I could’ve gotten there.

But doing it to a cadence was just too much.

#5

Burpees done Tabata style is sadistic.

#6

[quote]Sxio wrote:
Yeah totally. 10 a minute would be easy. But this was to a cadence on a tape.

There was a voice saying 1.2.3.4.1.2.3.4…

Etc. It was the cadence that killed me. If they’d said ‘go for 2 minutes’ or ‘get to 100 no matter what’ I could’ve gotten there.

But doing it to a cadence was just too much. [/quote]

I get what you are saying now. That would be really annoying.

I was saying more of a way to train up to a 100 easily.

#7

I always do a long set of these after a few beers…

Oh wait, BurpEES!

#8

I used to (and still do on occasion) do one of Ross Enamaits challenges, as many burpees, pushups, and squats as possible in 10 minutes for score. Squats = 1 point, pushups = 2, and burpees = 3. Toughest 10 minutes I ever had!

#9

Hmmm I am assuming that these are the same that we did every morning for 2mins at crew practice…but we called them jumpees!

More or less jumping up and down, going to an ass to grass squat right?

We would do those then wall-sits… always a rough way to start your day at 5am!

#10

[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
Hmmm I am assuming that these are the same that we did every morning for 2mins at crew practice…but we called them jumpees!

More or less jumping up and down, going to an ass to grass squat right?

We would do those then wall-sits… always a rough way to start your day at 5am![/quote]

Not quite. Burpees are great though.

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/burpeeclip.htm

#11

Ohh gotcha thanks Texasguy for clearing that up, the jumpees are harder! lol

We used to do those in wrestling practice but they were called “I’m a stud” b/c our coach made us yell that every time we had to jump up.

I forget what the marines called them…

#12

[quote]undeadlift wrote:
Burpees done Tabata style is sadistic.[/quote]

Shit this I while have to use as a new finisher.

#13

hey does aynone know the what the website is called with all the variations of burpees

i’ve been looking for it everyday for a week

#14

[quote]Sxio wrote:
Yeah totally. 10 a minute would be easy. But this was to a cadence on a tape.

There was a voice saying 1.2.3.4.1.2.3.4…

Etc. It was the cadence that killed me. If they’d said ‘go for 2 minutes’ or ‘get to 100 no matter what’ I could’ve gotten there.

But doing it to a cadence was just too much. [/quote]

LoveloveLOVE burpees for ass kicking workouts. I once followed a program that prescribed burpees with a medicine ball. That’s when you go from doing burpees to barfees :confused:

Every time we miss a shot in practice, we get the choice between 1/2 lap or 10 burpees. As a real sucker for sadistically hard workouts, even I know that laps are always the right answer!

#15

Burpees are the real deal for sure. Might have to start laying some down at the end of my workouts. I dont know if I could pound out 100 in a row, that sounds like a ton.

#16

I don’t know, burpees are a great conditioning exercise, but I for one don’t think they’re of much benefit in a bodybuilding routine (maybe for cardio), and definitely wouldn’t do a long set of them as a “warm up”.

Sxio, are you sure you didn’t mean to post this in the “strength sports” forum?

Like I said, i’ve got nothing against burpees for what they’re designed for (conditioning/muscular endurance), but I personally wouldn’t consider them to be particularly beneficial for a bodybuilder (at least as far as building muscle).

Good training,

Sentoguy

#17

[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
I forget what the marines called them…
[/quote]We called them 8 count body builders.

#18

[quote]BF Bullpup wrote:
100 reps was the cutoff? Damn! Maybe if you were a woman with bleached blond hear and silicone breasts, they would have bent the rules so you could help their ratings. :slight_smile:

Is the show anything like “American Gladiators” or UK’s “Gladiators”?[/quote]

I’m pretty sure this is the new “American Gladiators”! They better still have the tennis ball cannon…

#19

Hulk Hogan is hosting the new Gladiators by the way.

#20

[quote]v1king wrote:
CrewPierce wrote:
I forget what the marines called them…
We called them 8 count body builders.

[/quote]

Not quite the same thing, but similar.