Substitute for Burpees

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ITLBOK
ITLBOK Posts: 35 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Are skaters a good substitute for Burpees?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    ITLBOK wrote: »
    Are skaters a good substitute for Burpees?

    Not when you consider the way a burpee engages just about everything...skaters are fine, but you aren't going to engage your entire body the way you will with burpees.

    Your better bet is to modify the burpee if you can't do them or to break down the burpee into it's individual components and perform those movements individually instead of one complete movement.
  • singletrackmtbr
    singletrackmtbr Posts: 644 Member
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    This^^. There are a ton of burpee modifications. Why do you want to swap out? Is there a particular part of the burpee that is giving you trouble? If so, you can probably modify it and keep working on the weakness while still getting all the benefits burpees have to offer.

    Good luck!
  • ITLBOK
    ITLBOK Posts: 35 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Thanks! And yes, I'm rebounding from a back injury- been trying to do a few here and there but they slow me down due to being cautious
    Will continue to modify and see what happens
  • singletrackmtbr
    singletrackmtbr Posts: 644 Member
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    Hmmm. I can't advise you here as back injuries are always tricky. Burpees aren't the greatest for back injuries unless you have perfect form and don't sag on the down portion. Without knowing your exact situation I would probably avoid plyo-type stuff until you heal. Either way, I hope you feel better!

    PS: I'm not sure I'd do skaters either with a back injury. Lots of lumbar twisting as the back leg shoots out behind you.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    Might talk to your doctor and see what they recommend. If you're​ in physical therapy, they can also suggest some good exercises
  • ITLBOK
    ITLBOK Posts: 35 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions. I've been avoiding burpees all together, do other things instead which so far has been working. Was just trying to expand my options with adding in skaters, which I tried but without the speed.
    Every movement is cautiously done.
    My x ray came back with Bertolotti syndrome - nothing really can be done. It's just my new normal
    Also do more Yoga these days
  • ITLBOK
    ITLBOK Posts: 35 Member
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    Push ups are fine. The burpee part that is challenging is getting up.. I can stay in plank, push up, floor sprints etc. It's the motion of getting up and down quickly. So I've been doing plank jacks instead, which is great for my back/ shoulders but want to expand on my options if possible
    I also walk my feet back for a few things, I find that it does help.
    Guess I'm not burpee material anymore
    Thanks for the suggestion
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    Squat thrusts and/or mountain climbers might work for you if it is the getting up part that hurts.
    Go down into the plank position and jump your feet into your body then back out. You can alternate that with a plank jack for a really intense session.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
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    After the pushup, could you walk your feet in to your hands instead of jumping? And then come out of the bottom in a squat, maintaining neutral spine. It sounds like its curving your lower back (especially quickly) that's problematic.

    Of course, there's no need to do burpees specifically, but it depends what you want to get out of them. If you're just looking to up your heart rate, then skaters can do the job.
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    edited May 2017
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    I stopped during Burpees because I hurt my back. I still do push ups and squats
  • Angela_does_zumba
    Angela_does_zumba Posts: 31 Member
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    I have students in my group fitness classes who can't do burpees because lots of them had back surgeries and/or back pain. If you really want to do burpees, I suggest walking them out and completely eliminating the jump. On your way up, you could pop a squat like someone said above, or do light front kicks with the guard up... Or point your arms straight up while standing. There's lots of variations that I wish I could explain in words here, but searching up the variations works better than reading my long post. lol. :)

    You can do skaters, maybe you could eliminate touching the floor. Really engage that core each time you're alternating sides so you could keep your balance steady. If you get bored, you can change directions by skating forward and back, adding a core twist, etc.

    My students love doing "quick feet" or football runs (maybe better to search up this move). To vary it, you could go faster, face different directions, put the arms out. Shuffling is a good move too. Again, many variations that could involve you engaging the core and getting more cardio in (google this). Jogging butt kicks work well. Throwing fast punches increases cardio and core engagement. The last thing you want to do is put lots of impact on the back, luckily there are lots of moves and modifications for this. Unfortunately I don't know your situation super well and cannot type out everything, but if you have more questions just send a message back. :) Hope this helps!
  • ITLBOK
    ITLBOK Posts: 35 Member
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    Thank you Angela! Appreciate the input and suggestions!
    Plank jacks and half burpees have been my substitution lately, I replaced them tonight with skaters making sure I went slow at first and really stretched out the leg as well as not reaching down to tap the floor: instead tapping my inner leg instead.
    Thank you so much for spending the time to message me back, this is going to be something I will now have to deal with not only for workouts and running but everyday life.
    The messages I've received are encouraging
    Thanks again!

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