Burpees (the right way!)

The Burpee is one of the finest exercises a person can do. Sadly, the vast majority of people doing them are doing them wrong. Wrong meaning they're not going through the full range of motion on the squat. This is a proper Burpee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s26u-tbCgzQ&feature=plcp&context=C30d69daUDOEgsToPDskI0RB5FkSagwGjksMkNWS9p


Note the full squat on both the downward & upward portion of the exercise. If you're not doing a full squat (down & up) then you're cheating yourself! (this also applies to the Squat-Thrust, which is a Burpee, without the push up & jump).


When you see blog posts where people claim to do hundreds of reps, it's likely because they are doing a quarter squat, both ways, at best. Obviously, this will allow you to do MANY more reps, but you're cheating yourself, no one else. Why do I care?? Not sure; I guess I just hate douchebags that post videos of themselves doing a supposed Burpee, or Squat-Thrust, and/or post videos online on 'how to do a Burpee', when they have no fucking clue what they're doing!
The video above is Steve Maxwell, a very respected coach, he knows how to perform a proper Burpee. The point of exercising in the first place, is to get all of the benefits from the (any) exercise. Focus on the quality of the movement, NOT the number of reps.


So, the lesson here is...when you set out to do something, find the most respected people, who do what it is you're trying to accomplish, and try to replicate what THEY do. It seems that doing things half-assed, is widely accepted these days.


Be careful what you practice...you might get really good at the wrong thing!