The “Quarantine 15”
Happy first day of spring! We are only 72 days out until Memorial Day. This is the official kick-off to summer with pools around the United States will once again re-open. Are your ready? If not, it’s OK. A substantial amount people put on a few pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is affectionately known as the “Quarantine 15.” Although for some it might be 20 or 30! The good news is there is still time left to remedy the situation. Read on to find out what you can do…
The Remedy
One of the best exercises for torching fat and pounds you “acquired” during the Quarantine 15 and winter is the burpee. Before you click off of this article, hear me out! Yes, I know it’s a demanding. But the old adage “No pain, no gain” rings true. I’m not going to sugarcoat this…it’s tough! But name one thing in life worth having that has not been hard to acquire? Plus, we are not talking a lot of time commitment to get extraordinary results. This challenge should only take you 25-40 minutes per week dependent on your current conditioning level. As an added bonus, it should take less time in subsequent weeks as you progress throughout the month. If you’re still not convinced, read through the benefits below. If you need a refresher on how to perform a burpee, see the excellent tutorial on YouTube by the one and only Funk Roberts
The Benefits
There is no denying the burpee is one of the best exercises you can do for fat loss. Let’s take closer look look at the following list of just a few of the benefits burpees will endow upon you.
- Torches fat, burns calories
- Challenges your entire body
- Improves cardio while burning fat
- Can be preformed without additional equipment and minimal space
Torches fat, burns calories
When performed in accordance to HIIT, you will burn maximum calories. Burpees are listed as the 4th best exercise for burning calories per hecspot; according to their article, the exercise is capable of burning as many as 563 calories per hour! There are certain factors that determine exactly how many calories an individual will actually burn, for instance body weight and intensity level, but this gives you a real good benchmark to set expectations.
Challenges your entire body
At it’s core, the burpee is a member of the calisthenics family. With elements of squat, pushups and jump incorporated, it really challenges both your upper and lower body. That’s getting double the bang for your buck!
Improves cardio performance
Since we are using the Baker’s Dozen, a form of HIIT, you are going to be doing the exercise at a higher intensity level that is going to tax your cardio system. By performing the exercise under this protocol, it will definitely improve your cardio fitness levels.
Requires no equipment and minimal space
One of the businesses hit especially hard by the lock downs, other than restaurants, were gyms. That necessitated the need to find creative ways to get in a good workout with minimal space. The burpee answers that requirement. You literally only need your body length + a couple extra feet to safely extend to perform the exercise.
The April ’21 Challenge
I’m sure you’ve seen the challenges where you progressively add one rep per day of an exercise for an entire month, right? This is not really how it’s going to work here. Your challenge, should you accept it, is to complete a set of Baker’s Dozen at least 3 times per week. In order to bust the Quarantine 15 off of your waist line,
Doesn’t matter what days of the week you perform it on as long as you can get three in per week. I would recommend that you establish the days you are going to perform them just to have consistency and ensure that you don’t run up against a wall if you set up
Baker’s Dozen – burpee style
We’re going to use what is referred to as a Baker’s Dozen. I first came across this concept in Josh Bryant’s and Adam benShea’s excellent book, Jailhouse Strong. If you want a quick and interesting read on how the term came to existence, check out “Baker’s Dozen” on Wisegeek’s site. The Baker’s Dozen will definitely not cheat you out of reps. 🙂
Process
The Baker’s Dozen is a form of HIIT training. You are in a race against time, trying to complete the sequence in as short an amount of time as possible. All you really need to get started is some way to track your time. If you need recommendations on an app for your phone, check out my choice for the best HIIT application. But really, you only need something simple like the stopwatch option provided in the clock application on cell phones. If not, even google provides a stopwatch, so just use your browser if you don’t have another option for a stopwatch.
As soon as the timer is started, perform 13 burpees, walk forward 5 – 10 feet, walk back and do 12 burpees. Repeat this sequence, reducing the number of burpees performed until you complete the set of 1 rep. Record the time when you finish. This will provide a baseline for the future, allowing you to a target to beat your personal best and measure improvement over time.
Disclaimer
I have to add the obligatory disclaimer. Burpees are definitely a challenging exercise, no doubt about it. Since I don’t know your current level of fitness and conditioning, there’s no way I can recommend this to everyone. While there are variations that would cover most individuals, they are not right for everyone. For example, people that have existing knee or back issues will probably want to skip this one. I can’t tell you whether you should or shouldn’t; for that, you need to consult with your doctor. As such, I can not be held liable for any injuries or losses you might incur if you decide to attempt this challenge. With that out of the way, let’s wrap up.
Wrap Up
While the burpee is an incredible exercise that challenges your entire body. I’m certain it will help you shed those extra pounds put on during the Quarantine 15 and winter. Burpees also provide the extra benefits of building some muscle, improving cardio performance and can be performed almost any where. However, you will see the best results when combined with a sensible nutrition plan. If you’ve put on some extra baggage, it’s a pretty safe assumption you have picked up some not-so-good habits when it comes to food. Ever heard the saying “You can’t outrun a bad diet?” It is true and the burpee, while definitely capable in helping you torch fat, its not a silver bullet. It’s not going to provide optimal results if you spend a fair amount of time on the sofa, streaming Netflix while pounding chips and cookies. Do yourself a favor and challenge yourself to eat cleaner as well. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Keep an eye out on the site for a tool that will help you track and measure your progress soon!
That’s a wrap!
