Ironbear24
Senior Master
Am I the only who hates them? My sifu loves them and so does every gym trainer I have come across.
Burpees.
- Thread starter Ironbear24
- Start date
Am I the only who hates them? My sifu loves them and so does every gym trainer I have come across.
What do you hate about them? Doing them, or do you not feel like they get results?
OP
OP
Ironbear24
Senior Master
Because it is cardio. My only weakness, well that and bullets. They make me feel like passing out, especially after all the other drills we do.
That just means you need to focus more on cardio.
And to answer your original question: I don't hate them. Actually I love them. I also have a modified version: Start with a burpee. After the pushup, instead of going up, roll on your back and do a situp. Follow the situp with a leg lift. Without using hands bring your feet down and use their force to do a star jump. Repeat.
And to answer your original question: I don't hate them. Actually I love them. I also have a modified version: Start with a burpee. After the pushup, instead of going up, roll on your back and do a situp. Follow the situp with a leg lift. Without using hands bring your feet down and use their force to do a star jump. Repeat.
OP
OP
Ironbear24
Senior Master
So if I'm dripping seat all over the mat, that means they are working? I probably will learn to like them over time.
Midnight-shadow
3rd Black Belt
Cardio is very important to make you a good overall fighter, and Burpees are a great exercise to do for that. And as my instructor says whenever I complain about a certain exercise, "in order to do the things you love well, you have to do some things you don't love. The things you don't like are generally the things you find hard, so you should practice them until you can do them easily."
JR 137
Grandmaster
One of the leading authorities on exercise physiology and strength & conditioning (I think it was Mike Clarke) said the most important exercise to do is the exercise you hate most. Why do you hate it? Most likely because you're not good at it. If you're not good at it, you need to work on it.
Squat thrusts/burpees used to be a staple exercise, but somehow fell out of favor or were forgotten. They've made a comeback, and for good reason IMO.
I'm also a big fan of the Turkish get up. I like using them as a warmup and cool down. I think I overdo it with weight during the cool down, but it is what it is. When I load up the weight on them, I'm constantly swearing at the friend of mine who taught me them in my mind. He had a big smile on his face when I told him that one.
I also hate burpees ... which is how I know that I need to do more of them.
Very few people like burpees because it's the type of exercise that is brutally honest at reflecting your fitness level without doing a lot and it's one of the few exercises that people will suck at but will come away thinking "Yeah... I need to do more of these"
This is what it looks like when you explain it. you can change the difficulty of it by going faster and jumping higher and adding additional stuff in between. The basic burpee is difficult for many so get used to the regular burpee first
You can't be a good fighter without good cardio. You also need the will power, and forcing yourself through a exercise that challenges you mentally and physically is gonna be good for that.
So what it all comes down to is... do more burpees
Spinedoc
Brown Belt
Cardio is the most important aspect besides technique. Before my last Aikido grading, the Assistant Chief Instructor came down to our dojo to do a pretest for myself and one of the other senior students. He came to lead a class first, and proceeded to beat us both to a pulp. Non stop for almost 3 hours. As soon as one of us was slowing down at all, he would come over and proceed to do technique and throw after throw after throw. I almost vomited. The other senior student looked at me, and said "I don't know if I'm going to make it to the test, let alone through it".....
Only after that 3 hour intense workout, did he do our pre-tests, and he explained to the rest of the group that in our dojo (much more martial/practical than many Aikido dojos) stamina and endurance were a LARGE part of the test.
He stated "Everyone practices way before their tests, and everyone can demonstrate good technique when they are rested and prepared, this is a given. We want to see how you can perform when you have nothing left. When your tank is empty and you can barely stand anymore, how well do you do then? ESPECIALLY at higher ranks".
This is also why the ACTUAL test, is done at the end of a seminar weekend, and if you are testing, it is a rather firm expectation that you will participate in the whole seminar. 3 hours Friday night, 5-6 hours Saturday, and 3 hours Sunday morning, with the tests to be done Sunday afternoon.
Strength doesn't really matter as much as you might think (Yes, I know it plays a part), but in both BJJ and Aikido, and to a lesser degree MSR Iaido, which are the 3 arts I study, Stamina, Endurance, and proper form/technique (maai, timing, speed, balance) all play a MUCH larger role....
IOW, work on your cardio......a LOT.
Only after that 3 hour intense workout, did he do our pre-tests, and he explained to the rest of the group that in our dojo (much more martial/practical than many Aikido dojos) stamina and endurance were a LARGE part of the test.
He stated "Everyone practices way before their tests, and everyone can demonstrate good technique when they are rested and prepared, this is a given. We want to see how you can perform when you have nothing left. When your tank is empty and you can barely stand anymore, how well do you do then? ESPECIALLY at higher ranks".
This is also why the ACTUAL test, is done at the end of a seminar weekend, and if you are testing, it is a rather firm expectation that you will participate in the whole seminar. 3 hours Friday night, 5-6 hours Saturday, and 3 hours Sunday morning, with the tests to be done Sunday afternoon.
Strength doesn't really matter as much as you might think (Yes, I know it plays a part), but in both BJJ and Aikido, and to a lesser degree MSR Iaido, which are the 3 arts I study, Stamina, Endurance, and proper form/technique (maai, timing, speed, balance) all play a MUCH larger role....
IOW, work on your cardio......a LOT.
oftheherd1
Senior Master
I hadn't heard of burpees myself and had to look it up. Apparently there was more that one exercise. But the squat thrust was one of the Daily Dozen we used to do in the US Army. We would squat, then thrust, the do two pushups, then stand again. Repeated until the sergeant got tired.
crazydiamond
Purple Belt
Okay - brag moment.
A few weeks ago my instructor added them to our 10 min workout before training. I had not done them before, and he was surprised at my age and size - that I moved so well. I was as well. But I suppose my push ups, lunges, squat/deadlifts that are in my weekly (off days) home gym helped with the burpees.
Now my situps need work - and I am doing that. Was never a big fan of full sit ups.
and yes unlike the younger smaller class mates - my matt area needs a mop for the sweat.
A few weeks ago my instructor added them to our 10 min workout before training. I had not done them before, and he was surprised at my age and size - that I moved so well. I was as well. But I suppose my push ups, lunges, squat/deadlifts that are in my weekly (off days) home gym helped with the burpees.Now my situps need work - and I am doing that. Was never a big fan of full sit ups.
and yes unlike the younger smaller class mates - my matt area needs a mop for the sweat.
