Breaking a world record in one of the world’s most hated exercises is an incredible feat
One man from the United States made burpees look easy recently. You might find them a pain to get through when they’re including in a HIIT class, but he completed almost 5,000. This also smashed the world record in the process, and raised a whole load of money for military charities in the process.
Army reserve officer Bryan Abell initially had sights set on a 4,500 total, but outperformed that by performing 4,689 repetitions. A hugely impressive achievement, for an admirable cause.
Bryan Abell from Michigan breaks the Guinness World Record for the most burpees in one day with 4,689 burpees in 12 hours pic.twitter.com/U88o50l0hc
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 11, 2019
According to Michigan Live, Abell’s motivation for blasting through so many burpees was to raise money for a charity he had set up with his sister.
The Stronger Warrior Foundation says its mission is “to provide help to those who have or are actively serving and their families through financial, physical and mental support”.
How to perform burpees
Burpees aren’t an essential exercise, but adding them to the end of your workout or as part of a wider circuit can work well. They don’t target a specific muscle, but fit into a metabolic conditioning plan.
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Here’s how to perform a standard burpee:
- Start by standing upright, then drop into a deep squat
- With your hands just in front of you, kick your feet back so you end up in the plank position
- Then bring your feet back to behind your hands so you’re in the deep squat position
- Jump up, with your hands above your head
There’s also the potential to make burpees extra difficult by adding a press-up in at the plank position. But if you’re trying to smash a new world record, you’re better off sticking to the standard variation.
