"Burpees are HARD.
I get exhausted just imagining myself doing them!"
That's all I could think about when my friend challenged me to do 50! (yeah, you heard correctly),
50 burpees a day for an entire month!
"Burpees are fun," she said, "Burpees are super effective."
And then this villain added, "Burpees burn more calories than you can count!"
And I surrendered.
Ok, so first of all, I watched tons of videos on how to do burpees correctly.
(You know, because if you do a physical exercise the wrong way, you can seriously hurt yourself!)
Imagine my surprise when I found out that there are lots of different kinds of burpees:
with a plank and without, with a full push up, and even with a pull up at the end.
Anyway, I chose the one to my liking which goes like this:
- You stand straight, then get down to the squat position, and put your hands on the
floor.
- Then you kick your feet back into the plank position and move your chest a bit closer
to the floor.
- Almost immediately after that you jump back into the squat position and jump up as high
into the air as you can.
- At the end I also added a small clap - for the pizza and ice cream I love so much.
Well, after I studied the theory as thoroughly as I could, there was no excuse to put off
the practice.
As I've said, 50 burpees a day, 30 days, yeah.
I’ll be honest, I'm not the fittest person in the world; that's why making myself even
START the challenge was really hard.
Spoiler: I still did it.
Day 1: I'm probably not telling you anything new, but 50 burpees at once for an untrained
person (aka me) is daunting.
I feel exhausted, I just want to go lie down and be left alone.
Do I really have to endure this, for 30 days?
On the other hand, several hours later I find out that I actually feel better and, surprisingly,
much more energetic than even in the morning.
Day 2: Why does my body hurt?
I can feel some muscles I didn't know I had!
I'm not sure I'll be able to move in this state at all, not to mention doing burpees!
But a challenge is a challenge, and I keep jumping and squatting and clapping my hands.
And again I feel extreme tiredness after the exercise and a burst of energy some time later.
Day 3: By Day 3 I've understood one very important thing, and that's Do not procrastinate!
You know, all these "too sore, too hungry, too tired, too sleepy, too good of a hair
day, haven't had my cup of coffee yet" excuses.
Well, they just don't work because you still have to do your task.
That's why on Day 3 I promise myself that I'll start to do burpees the very second my
smartphone reminds me about them.
Speaking about the exercise itself, I still feel like a sack of potatoes when I jump heavily
into the air and land just as heavily back.
Oh, and my heart rate goes through the roof.
Well, I'm working on it.
Day 5: Since I started the challenge, my arms have been sore like never before.
And I don't even do any push-ups at the bottom of every burpee!
Then why does it hurt so much?
I try to comfort myself with the thought of my beautifully toned arms at the end of the
challenge.
And it probably goes without saying that my abs are killing me.
Day 7: I'm definitely getting better!
These days, I don't have to spend hours sweet-talking myself into doing my daily portion of burpees.
Also, I figured out several things that make my burpee workout more effective.
First of all, don't stop!
As soon as I take a break, either to check my messenger or take a breather, it's so much
harder to start again!
In fact, it might be even better to go "slow and steady" than to begin at a very high pace
and get short of breath only after several dozens of burpees.
Also, after I got used to the burpee itself, I decided to modify my movements (well, to
be completely honest, I found this tip on the Internet).
And now, I try to shoot my legs back before my hands hit the ground.
And finally, I try to concentrate on my breathing!
Sometimes, it gets hard to remember to inhale and exhale, but I've noticed that when I keep
my breathing steady, it's easier for me to support my rhythm.
Day 10: A wonderful thing happened to me today!
My bus was about to leave, and I had to run to catch it.
Are you saying there's nothing new about this story?
But how about that I didn't even lose my breath after several minutes of pretty strenuous
activity?
I’m telling you, it’s those burpees!
Day 14: Slowly but surely, I'm falling in love with my daily burpee workout.
Some pretty rebellious thoughts are starting to pop up in my head - what if I keep going
even after the 30-day challenge is over?
See for yourself, my body is getting more toned, my endurance is way better than it
used to be, and I'm steadily slimming down!
Yay!
Day 20: Today I had to encourage my friend who got inspired by my results and was thinking
about taking up the same challenge.
Her main concern was that she wouldn't find time for 50 burpees every day.
But in fact, the most amazing thing is that this seemingly long exercise usually takes
no more than 7 to 8 minutes!
My fastest was 6 minutes and 13 seconds, and on the days when I felt utterly unmotivated,
I still spent no more than 10 minutes!
Day 30: So, time to sum up my experience!
First and foremost, I was shocked to find out that this challenge was more difficult
for my mind than for my body!
I spent tons of time procrastinating, dreading the strain, or beating myself up for not being
able to just go and do it.
Tell me I'm not the only one with this problem?
On the bright side, I'm incredibly proud that I've managed to finish this challenge and
conquer my fears and insecurities!
And now about my physical changes - another thing that makes me proud.
One, I've lost 6.5 pounds (3 kg)!
And that's without me cutting down on food or anything!
Two, now my stomach looks much more toned than before, and if you squint really hard,
you can even see a six-pack!
(On the other hand, it might be me imagining things...)
Three, my arms and legs look much more defined than they used to!
I've started to wear tank tops, and as soon as it's warm enough, you'll definitely see
me in shorts.
Four, my endurance is so much better these days.
Before, I hated running since I was short of breath 3 minutes after I set off!
But after my friend talked me into a run in the park the other day, I realized how much
better I've become!
I was running non-stop for 15 minutes I think, and only after that, I slowed down.
All in all, this challenge has helped me to figure out two things: I'm stronger than I
used to think.
And I'm not going to give up burpees anytime soon.
Have you ever participated in any fitness challenges?
If so, write about your experience in the comment section below!
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This is a sure way to get to the Bright Side of life!