Burpee "Train for Life" Challenge

Hey everyone,

The other day we came across this great fitness challenge on the Men's Health website called "The Insane Burpee Challenge".  Knowing how tough burpees can be, we were intrigued to try it out...

This fitness challenge is great if you only have 15 minutes to exercise, or alternatively as a finisher to your workout.  No equipment is required, so you can basically do it anywhere (i.e. try it when you are travelling). 

For this workout, set your timer to 45 seconds of work, followed by 30 seconds of rest, for 9 cycles.  We used the kettlebell swing timer to keep us on track (you can download this for free on iTunes).  You complete 3 sets each of 3 different burpee variations, for a total of 9 sets.  Below is a basic summary of what you do (if you want detailed instructions and a video, check out: http://news.menshealth.com/the-insane-burpee-challenge/2013/01/18/).

The Insane Burpee Challenge

1. Sumo Burpee - start in standing position, place your hands on the floor (between your knees), kick your legs out to pushup position, jump back to where your hands are between your knees and stand back up
2. Sumo Burpee with jump - same as 1, but add a jump after each rep
3. Sumo Burpee with pushup to jump - same as 2, but add a full pushup with each rep

If at anytime you cannot complete the allotted 15 reps in 45 seconds, stay at that level until you can.

This workout includes just over 11 minutes of work and 4 minutes of rest.  It goes by very quickly, but is super intense (especially once you reach level 3!).  We were gasping for air by the end!  Give this insane burpee challenge a try and see how fit you are!

-Tannys & Alex