06/10/2026
Happy Wednesday! Let’s Talk About Burpees.
You know… the movement everyone loves to hate.
Believe it or not, the burpee wasn’t originally the chest-to-ground movement we know today. In the 1930s, physiologist Royal H. Burpee created it as a simple fitness test. The original burpee involved squatting down, kicking the feet back, returning to the squat, and standing up—no push-up and no jump.
Later, the U.S. military adopted the burpee as part of fitness testing and added the chest-to-ground component to make it more challenging and better assess strength, endurance, and overall conditioning. Over time, the movement evolved into the version we use today.
Why are burpees so effective?
✅ Full-body movement
✅ Builds cardiovascular endurance
✅ Improves coordination and body awareness
✅ Strengthens the chest, shoulders, core, and legs
✅ Requires no equipment and can be done anywhere
Points of Performance:
• Hands to the floor
• Chest and thighs touch the ground
• Maintain a tight core as you stand
• Jump or step the feet underneath the hips
• Fully extend the hips and knees at the top
• Small jump and clap overhead (depending on the workout standard)
Burpees challenge both your muscles and your mindset. They teach you how to keep moving when you’re tired, control your breathing under fatigue, and stay mentally tough.
So while they may not be your favorite movement, there’s a reason they keep showing up.
The movement everyone hates… but the movement that makes us better.
