Masters Running

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MARCH Challenge!!! (Read 43 times)

jeffdonahue


    Okay, so I was put in charge of taking over the monthly challenge thread for the month of March and here's what i've come up with.  So far, we've been doing a lot of planks (lots of variations though) which is great for core work, but not much else.  So let's add a bit to it and do some BURPEES!!!!

     

    What is a burpee you say?  A burpee is full body exercise that will not only work your core, but also your legs and upper body.  Here is my best explanation and an illustration.

    Start in a standing position

    1. Squat down and put your hands on the floor in front of you
    2. Kick your legs back so you are in a pushup position
    3. Do a pushup
    4. Kick your legs back in so you are squatting
    5. Explode upwards and jump as high as you can
    6. Repeat

    How to do a Burpee

     

    And here's the Challenge

     

    THE CHALLENGE

    Depending on your fitness level, start with the determined amount of burpees for your level and increase that amount by one burpee each day for 30 days. There are three levels of difficulty so pick the one that works for you.

     

    Beginner:
    If you are a beginner to fitness or exercise, this may be a good place for you to start. Your goal is to do 1 burpee on your first day.  Tomorrow you’re going to do 2 burpees and on day three you’re going to do 3 burpees. Increase the amount of burpees you do by 1 each day so by day 31 you should be doing 31 burpees a day.

     

    Intermediate:
    The intermediate challenge is for someone who’s fitness levels are pretty good. You may not have done a burpee before but you could pull off 3-5 without stopping. Your challenge is to start at 8 burpees.  Again, you’re to add 1 burpee a day for 31 days.

     

    Advanced:
    You may be at the same fitness levels as the intermediate (or more advanced) but you’re like me and always want to push yourself harder and further. Your challenge is to do 15 burpees today. Yup, 15! And if you’re up for it, you’re going for 15 burpees in a row.  And as the other levels, you’re adding a burpee a day to your total amount and I’d love to see if you can end up doing 46 burpees in a row without stopping by the end of day 31.

     

    So there you have it.  Let's bust this up, I'm going to be starting at the advanced level even though I havent done a burpee in about a year.  But I like to be challenged, but start where you feel comfortable.

     

    Any questions or thoughts, let me know.

     

    Jeff

    Mike E


    MM #5615

       

      Any questions or thoughts, let me know.

       

      Yeah--I have a question.  Who the heck put you in charge?! 

      Mike E


      MM #5615

        Actually, this will be a good one.  Thanks!  I've never done a burpee...maybe in grade school...

          I remember Burpees from Junior High school!  I'll give it a try. Just as long as you don't make us do Chicken Fat next month! http://youtu.be/EFofqe26t-4

          Although this would be an excellent workout for our school kids to combat obesity.

          “Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, but by those who fought, fell, and rose again.” — Adrienne Rich

            Burpees?!?  You are the devil in disguise, aren't you?

             

            *sigh* I so hate to do these, but I SO need to do these.  I'll have to do them in my living room as opposed to my workout room.  My workout room has indoor/outdoor carpet over concrete.  Anything that has to do with jumping on the concrete doesn't work for this ole bod . . . . . . . . . althoooooooo, the concrete is a most excellent excuse, if I do say so myself . . . . . and obviously I do.

            Leslie
            Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
            -------------

            Trail Runner Nation

            Sally McCrae-Choose Strong

            Bare Performance

             

            jeffdonahue


              Yeah--I have a question.  Who the heck put you in charge?! 

               

              I'd have to check back through the postings last month, but I think it was TammyinGP - so you can blame her.  Smile

              coastwalker


                Hi Jeff,

                 

                I skipped February's challenge because of my hip issue, but I think I'm ready to begin anew in March. We'll see how the burpees go. I can tell you two things for sure: 1) These are going to scare the heck out of our cat (who doesn't like sudden or too-quick movements)! 2) I'm gonna be banging my knuckles on the ceiling every time I jump with my arms up - I may have to do a short-arm jump...

                 

                Good question, Mike!  Big grin

                 

                Jay

                Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.

                mrrun


                  for folks who want something without jumping, sun salutation would work - I'll let OM find the pictures!

                   

                  marj

                  wildchild


                  Carolyn

                    Oops, I didn't realize this wasn't supposed to start till March!  I've done burpees with my DD before, but not recently, so last night I did 8 to start.  Really gets your heartrate up quickly!

                    I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.

                    jeffdonahue


                      for folks who want something without jumping, sun salutation would work - I'll let OM find the pictures!

                       

                      marj

                       

                      Sun Salutation


                      #artbydmcbride

                        I accept the challenge and will pledge to do 1 burpee per day!  Cool

                         

                        Runners run


                        #artbydmcbride

                          .....! 2) I'm gonna be banging my knuckles on the ceiling every time I jump with my arms up - I may have to do a short-arm jump...

                           

                          ...

                           

                          I will NOT have this problem!

                           

                          Runners run

                          TammyinGP


                            I've never done a burpee before, but I was thinking I could start out with the 8 burpee challenge and build one a day from there. When I told my son, who has done burpees in PE class and as part of warm-up training for basketball before, about the burpee challenge, he gave me like this evil sort of chuckle.

                            I decided maybe I better just start at one burpee. . . Undecided

                            Tammy

                            jeffdonahue


                              Last Fall, I was helping my daughter get conditioned for soccer and I took her down to the football field and made her do 100 yards of burpees.  Basically, do a regular burpee but when you jump, you jump forward until you have jumped the full length of the football field- the farther you jumped the less burpees you needed to do.  By the time she reached the other end, she wasn't jumping very far.  Evil

                                We didn't call 'em Burpees back then - we had a much more "descriptive" term for them - but my High School Basketball Coach used to end every practice with a bunch of these.  And then after these, we had to run Gassers.  You couldn't leave and go shower till you won a Gasser.  You either ran really fast or you were going to be doing a bunch of Gassers.

                                 

                                Did I happen to mention I didn't like my BB Coach?  Wink

                                 

                                But I have to admit they did the trick.  We weren't very good and didn't win many games.  But you couldn't run us out of the gym either.

                                 

                                Bill

                                "Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong

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