Burrrpees

katscoots
katscoots Posts: 255 Member
edited November 11 in Social Groups
There seems to be some disagreement in my cross fit group as to what constitutes a proper burpee. Some think you have to go all the way to the ground - on your belly and then come back up. Others prescribe to the theory that you just go down to a plank position and then pop back up....thoughts?

Replies

  • ascrit
    ascrit Posts: 770 Member
    At my gym you have to go all the way to the ground.
  • Competition standards state that the thighs and chest touch the ground.
  • dawnnezat wrote: »
    Competition standards state that the thighs and chest touch the ground.


    ^^^ when in doubt always default to what is used as the standard in competition. This way, even if a coach in your group says a different way is fine, you are always practicing to the standards that there would be in a competition. So if you do end up competing, you aren't struggling with trying to change up the way you perform a movement and you are more efficient at doing it the way they want you to.

  • gweneddk
    gweneddk Posts: 183 Member
    I often modify to the plank style burpee you describe, keeping a very tight midsection throughout. Flop burpees bother my lower back and if you keep your core tight on every rep, the plank version should have a good effect on core strength and is still very challenging.

    My actual preference is to do strict burpees where the back remains straight and I perform a full pushup (chest to deck--my thighs don't touch), but I can only do 10 or so with good form and they aren't particularly fast. I can do about 30-40 max in a WOD before I have to start skipping the pushup portion.
  • katscoots
    katscoots Posts: 255 Member
    Thanks everyone. I agree with sticking to the competition standard.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    katscoots wrote: »
    There seems to be some disagreement in my cross fit group as to what constitutes a proper burpee. Some think you have to go all the way to the ground - on your belly and then come back up. Others prescribe to the theory that you just go down to a plank position and then pop back up....thoughts?

    Chest to deck, then you should be jumping at the top. In some of the open workouts I've seen people set up rings above their heads and jump and clap inside the rings on every rep.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    We do all the way down too.

    I've been trying to figure out how burpees compare with the squat thrusts we learned in elementary school gym class, and I seem to recall those just being in plank, although my sister insists they also involved a push up. In any case, they did not have the jump and clap at top.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    All I can say is doing 49 burpees and 1 to grow on for my birthday, and then having three sets of ten during the WOD, I’m in major pain today.
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
    ouch - we also have to do burpees on our birthday - no fun and always a good escuse not to go
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    We did some warming up and with the WOD yesterday and my wrist is killing me today. I think I was dropping down a bit faster than I should have been.
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