Exercise 1 Flexion and extension of the arms while lying down

The king of exercise. All about burpees, which are called fitness hell

“The king of exercises,” “the infernal thresher,” and “the arbiter of destinies” are not all about the deadlift, bench press, and squats. This is about the burpee, the push-up-and-jump exercise. It does not require any equipment, but is considered the most difficult and productive in modern fitness.

Sovsport found out what kind of animal this burpee is and what it is eaten with.

“I love everything about fitness. I can do deadlifts, squats - I enjoy it. But what I hate is burpees,” admitted “the toughest athlete on earth,” CrossFit Games winner Ben Smith, in 2020. In response, T-shirts with the slogan “Burpee hates you too” began to circulate among athletes.

Burpee - “fell, do push-ups, jump.” This multi-joint exercise is a fusion of basic movements - squats, push-ups and jumps. This cocktail only looks light from the outside. Doing it more than once is terribly difficult, but avoiding it is impossible. All methods of modern fitness, be it running, bodybuilding or fashionable circuit training, take burpees as one of their foundations.

Why? “Burpee is a real sadist. It will hurt you, but it will also take your body to another level,” says Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit (more about CrossFit at Sovsport.ru).

Burpee increases endurance, accelerates metabolism, and improves the cardiovascular system. And, yes, don't forget about the muscles: burpees load all the major muscle groups, making them elastic, strong and ready for growth.

Story

The history of burpees leads us to the 30s of the last century. American physiologist Royal Hudston Burpee from Columbia University in New York conducted tests on athletes.

He discovered that the symbiosis of squats and push-ups is an excellent functional exercise that makes a person more resilient. The idea was picked up by the US armed forces.

Already before the Second World War, “burpees” were included in the training program for infantrymen.

Attention!

At the end of the 20th century, Greg Glassman invented CrossFit. He took burpees out of the Army physical training manual and made them part of a new discipline.

Glassman, a former gymnast, improved the burpee: to the two components - squat-push-ups, he added a third - jumping. This is how the burpee got the name “hell’s grinder.”

Because of the jump, it became even more difficult, even more effective, and in this form it found its way into the fitness industry.

Technique

This is how you should do burpees. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward, slightly bending your knees, and touch the floor with your palms. At the same time, jump your legs back, taking the starting position for push-ups. Do push-ups from the floor. Then jerk your legs towards your palms and jump up.

You've done one burpee. Within the framework of various methods, they will have to be done from 20 to 150 per workout.

Burpee Variations

There are many variations of burpees for athletes of all levels. Here are some of them:

- light burpee. Exercise for beginners, without jumping. You squat, kick your legs back, do push-ups, and stand up. Repeat again. This is actually an exercise in its original form, invented by Dr. Royal Burpee.

- combat burpee. For advanced athletes. At the end of the movement, you don’t just jump out, but make a high jump, trying to raise your knees as much as possible.

- frog burpee. If you decide to replace the regular burpee with this exercise, you are a machine, not a person. After the push-up, you return your feet to your palms, but do not jump up as usual, but make a long jump.

How to incorporate burpees into your workouts

Burpees can be used as a warm-up, as a main exercise, or as part of a cardio session after weight training.

Burpees are used as the main exercise in weight loss programs. It is included in circuit training, which combines strength and aerobic exercises, and is performed without interruption (or with minimal breaks, if necessary).

You can do a certain number of circles - for example, 10 circles of 10 pull-ups, 10 burpees, 20 crunches. Or you can do the maximum number of circles in a given time: for example, complete as many approaches as possible in 20 minutes.

As a cardio session, burpees are done after your main weight training session. For example, having finished your main complex with a barbell, do Tabata ( read about what it is on Sovsport.ru

).

Important!

If you want to understand how burpees work, take a selfie. In a couple of months you won't recognize yourself. Hell's Thresher will make you human.

https://youtu.be/2qPmqkAbf1E

Advantages and disadvantages

Thanks to the fast pace of execution and the active work of the leg muscles, the exercise allows you to strengthen the heart muscle - the myocardium, as well as the respiratory organs. As a result, the athlete becomes more resilient, faster, and his cardiovascular system improves. This type of exercise reduces the likelihood of developing heart disease.

The second advantage of the exercise is muscle development. The main load is received by:

• shins;
• hips;
• buttocks;
• abdominal muscles.

The element is performed while lying on straight arms, which means that the impact is on the triceps and partly the back muscles. In addition to muscle fibers, ligaments and tendons throughout the body are also strengthened.

“Climber steps” involve large muscles (quadriceps, glutes). Thanks to this, the athlete burns a large number of calories, which helps to effectively get rid of extra pounds. Weight loss is also facilitated by the fast pace of exercise, which affects the acceleration of metabolic processes in the body.

The disadvantages of the “climber” include its unsuitability for building muscle mass. The element technique is based on using your own body weight. Because of this, the muscles do not receive the necessary force load, and, therefore, cannot hypertrophy. The exercise is intended only to strengthen muscles and develop their endurance.

https://youtu.be/Vod5Ldh107k

Ab exercises

Twist.

We lie on our backs, legs straight, arms behind our heads, hands clasped. We bend our legs, pulling our knees towards us, at the same time we twist and raise our torso, the left elbow goes to the right knee, then vice versa - the right elbow to the left knee.

A rivet.

The starting position is the same. We raise our straight legs up, at the same time we raise our torso, trying to meet our hands and feet at the highest point.

I recommend doing the following series: twist to the right side, twist to the left, rivet. And so on until there is enough strength. You've done one series, move on to leg raises.

Leg lift.

Lying position on your back, resting on your elbows. Raise your legs to a height of 45 degrees. Then there are options. Can be held for a while. You can hold your legs in this position for 5-10 seconds, but do more repetitions. You can do scissors: an exercise where you perform crossing movements with your legs. You can draw today's date or the name of your beloved girl in the air. I raised my legs, wrote, and put it down. Picked it up, wrote it, put it down...

Let's hit the upper abdominal muscles with short lifts.

We tear off only the shoulder blades from the floor, the lower back is on the floor. We try to arch our back as much as possible.

Execution technique

It is important to imagine how to do the exercise so as not to get injured and achieve results in a short time. If you do gymnastics correctly, you can actually develop the target muscle groups in just a week so much that it becomes noticeable

The technique for performing the simplest push-ups with a jump is as follows:

1. Take the starting position by crouching and placing your hands on the floor.
2. They jump their legs and take the same position as with a regular push-up.
3. Doing push-ups.
4. Jump your legs and pull them towards your stomach, lowering your feet to the ground and returning to the starting position.
5. They get to their feet.
6. They immediately jump up and down.
7. Repeat the cycle.

This method will benefit women, while more complex options may cause harm. To begin, squat down and rest your palms on the floor. As soon as the latter firmly rest, they immediately lean on them and jump, lifting their feet. In this way, move to the classic push-up position.

However, there is a slight difference compared to the starting position for a regular push-up. And it lies in the fact that as soon as the feet touch the floor, the person begins to do push-ups. At the same time, his pelvis is still pushed back, because it did not have time to take the classic position during a simple push-up.

But in the process, the pelvis lowers and in the middle of the lowering trajectory towards the floor takes the position that is considered correct in the classic version of the exercise. Otherwise, do push-ups from the floor in the usual way.

When they rise, the same feature: the pelvis prepares to make a jump and moves back (up) from the middle of the trajectory. Then, they jump with their feet, resting on their palms, and return to their starting position. From there they rise to their feet and immediately jump.

This is a regular jump up, after which they immediately return to their starting position without delay. Pause for one second. And then they repeat the cycle.

However, such gymnastics often means something else: A person starts the exercise in a lying position, does it once and immediately jumps, pushing off with his arms and legs. At first, just bouncing a little after each time is enough. “Explosion” is what this type of jumping is called in CrossFit.

Then they complicate the technique: Move your arms forward in the air and pull your legs back. Another option is to spread your legs and arms to the sides while jumping.

Finally, perform jump and clap push-ups. Moreover, at first they do the clap by holding their hands in front, and then they practice the technique with the clap behind their back.

The most difficult method is “explosive” jumping, which is combined with touching your toes with your hands. Even with experience from previous exercises, before performing such gymnastics, it is worth asking a trainer how to learn how to perform the method correctly. It is advisable that he monitor the process and point out errors. Otherwise there is a high risk of injury.

It turns out that the person is grouped in the air and his hands go to his feet. After which he manages to return to a position from which he can continue doing push-ups before landing. Advanced techniques will be more beneficial for men who are sufficiently trained.

Benefits of exercise

This exercise is used not only in “female” weight loss complexes. Those training for the purpose of gaining muscle mass will “surprise” their muscles with its help, powerlifters will train their triceps in a fairly easy mode, and crossfitters will receive a fairly convenient auxiliary exercise for all pressing movements.

For beginners

The biggest problem for bench and bench press beginners is their elbows being angled at the wrong angle. Many people try to bench press heavy weights with their forearms at right angles to their body, which is not optimal. This method of pressing is also dangerous, so everyone should avoid it.

The second point is the lack of a sufficient level of training to work with a barbell. Starting with reverse push-ups with our own body weight, we can strengthen not only the muscles, but also the ligaments so that we can press the barbell without distortions and tremors.

The third point is the lack of habit of controlling the depth of movement. This triceps exercise cannot be “remade”, like, for example, dips. Excessive depth in the movement will not prevent you from training, and your shoulders will be fine.

The exercise also develops mobility in the shoulder joint, which is good for beginners who plan to master gymnastics.

For CrossFit beginners, movement helps improve results in a variety of exercises, from clean and jerks to simple push-ups.

In general, for beginners, push-ups from a bench are a universal option.

For the pros

Experienced athletes can perform this exercise not only with simple support on two benches, but also with weights. There is no fundamental difference - some prefer to put weight plates on their hips, others prefer sandbags

It is important to load the muscles so that the exercise is performed in a forceful manner

Bodybuilders like to do this exercise “for a pump,” that is, in a high-repetition mode, at the end of a workout, so that the results of working on themselves are immediately visible.

For girls

Girls are often “prescribed” this exercise, since not all of them can do push-ups on uneven bars without compensating part of their body weight with rubber. But push-ups are not a “special women’s” exercise, and cannot be considered as such. Moreover, it does not replace other exercises in women's training.

In aesthetic sports, it is often used because athletes have breast implants and find it uncomfortable to perform other movements. Well, and of course, you need to pump up your triceps because those who don’t pump them up don’t have the best looking arms. The flabby back of the arms adds age and spoils the overall appearance, even if the figure is slender.

Almost every person can choose an adequate triceps exercise technique for themselves. For some, only the option with legs on a bench and body parallel to the floor is suitable, for others – with a “feet on the floor” stance. Both can be done with weights. In fact, standing with your feet on the floor is not a beginner's attribute or a sign of muscle weakness or anything like that. This is just an option for those who are uncomfortable with excessive shoulder flexion.

Fixing a straight body position

As a rule, it is very difficult for beginners to catch and fix the position of a straight body. It is either too arched or too arched in the lower back.

The correct exercise technique will be helped by two important points that you need to concentrate on during the exercise.

Point 3 – fix the tension in the deep core muscles, which encircle the body and, according to the principle of their operation, resemble a cylinder or piston.

Moment 4 – and stretch the body in a straight line from the crown to the heels.

To be continued. PART 2

AIR ALERT II

The program was developed by TMT sports. This is one of the most popular programs for increasing jumps today. The program requires a serious approach and attitude to the exercises. After completing the full course (12 weeks), you will increase your jump by 20–30 cm. During 3 months of completion, you should ensure yourself good sleep and nutrition. Execution order:

Stretching

Before performing it, it is necessary to stretch all muscle groups that are involved in the program. The calves are stretched with exercises similar to step-ups (put your foot on a book or ladder and try to reach your heel to the floor). To stretch the anterior thigh muscle, place your foot on a chair or table and tilt your body toward that leg. The popliteus muscle is stretched by simple bending.

High jump

Feet shoulder width apart. Jump straight up as far as you can. Once down, squat down to about a quarter—that’s one jump.

Note: The speed of the jump is most important when performing the exercise. The point is to jump out as quickly as possible. The time spent on the ground should be equal to fractions of a second. Note: You should feel your anterior thigh muscles tightening more than your calves. Rest between sets: 3–4 minutes

Calf raises

Stand on something so that your heels do not touch the floor (stairs, thick book ~10cm). Lift up on one leg as high as possible using only your calves, then on the other leg. Rest between sets: 25 seconds.

Step-ups

Place one foot on a strong platform (chair, bench) and push up with your supporting leg. In the air, change your supporting leg and repeat the same. Rest between sets: 3–4 minutes

Jumping on toes

Stand on both feet and push up as hard as possible using only your calves. The point of the exercise is to jump as high as possible and “stay on the ground” as little as possible (the faster you jump after landing, the better)

Note No. 1: make sure that your legs do not bend at the knees when performing the exercise.

Note #2: 1 minute break between sets

Burnout

The exercise is named this way because when performed correctly, you will feel a burning sensation in your leg muscles. The technique is approximately the same as in the previous exercise. Standing on two legs, you need to jump, using only your calves. Here you need to jump only 1–1.5 cm, and put the main emphasis on the speed of execution and be careful not to fall on your heels.

Relaxation (stretching)

Air Alert II must be performed 5 days a week and preferably at the same time. The program takes 12 weeks in total.

It is best to perform the program at 13-15 hours of the day (peak muscle work).

Legend: 2x25 means you need to do two sets of 25 repetitions.

I advise you to monitor your progress every week.

What you will need to do: All exercises must be performed on the carpet.

The program must be performed in sneakers with FLAT RUBBER soles.

A chair or other object for step-ups, a book or something else for raising on your toes

The program does NOT require the use of weights of any type

The increase in jump occurs only due to your weight!

Nutrition is an important part of the program. A minimum of 2 meals a day is required.

You need to eat 1–2 hours before execution

Don't overeat and good food is a must not only on performance days, but also on rest days.

Food should contain enough proteins, carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) and calcium (milk).. UNDER PROGRAM

UNDER PROGRAM

Nuances

Before starting this technique, it is important to make sure that the body is ready for this. It’s not difficult to determine: a person should not be more than ten kilograms of excess weight

Regular push-ups should ideally be easy, as should regular jumping jacks. Then it is possible to do such gymnastics.

Push-ups with jumping from the floor sometimes fail at first because the person’s vestibular apparatus is not sufficiently developed, and it is difficult to land straight, maintain balance and continue gymnastics.

It is possible to improve this apparatus in special simulators, but if you practice a little in standing on one leg with your eyes closed, this will also give results.

During such training, there is a high risk of hitting your face. That's why you shouldn't rush and immediately start complex gymnastics. It’s better to first master a basic exercise where you don’t need to jump with your arms and legs at the same time. It will develop approximately the same muscles, but will not be as dangerous.

Correct body position. 2 moments and 2 mistakes

Moment 1 – the body is elongated in one straight line. The head is an extension of the body. Look straight ahead.

mistakes in this exercise is what I call “Yaroslavna’s cry,” when the head is raised up and the eyes are painfully fixed on the ceiling.

Point 2 is one of the most important points in this exercise: the arms are placed so wide that in the bottom position of the push-up the forearm is perpendicular to the floor.

By the way, the “forearm” is the part of the arm from the elbow to the hand, and not what you think