Day 78!!!! March 7, 2011

I feel like saying “Is anybody there? Anybody at all?” as Jason Robards did in the movie “The Day After (1983).” Today is day 66 of the 100 day burpee challenge. If you have made it thus far, you have already performed 1122 Burpees! Can you believe it? My boys and I have been pressing on in spite of having to make up for missed days bringing our total since Dec 20 to 3267 Burpees! My goal for the year is 10,000 and I am almost half-way there. Even if you have not been able to be consistent try to jump back in there, maybe starting just before it became too difficult.



Many of you have had to bow out of the challenge due to increasing pain in neck, back, knees, etc. Do not get discouraged because you now have an opportunity to learn more about your body and discover its weaknesses . . . no, “training opportunities” is a better phrase. This is the time for honest, detailed evaluation of movement patterns, correcting of years of microtrauma to the muscles and tendons. If you have developed pain, say in the shoulder, you must carefully look at your form and correct the functional movement first. Pain in the shoulder indicates a movement problem in the push up (assuming you are performing the Burpee with Push Up). Hands placed appropriately? Arms bent at good angle? Core muscles activated? Glutes tight? I can not go into every aspect of a correct push up, but careful evaluation will show you the culprit. If you have been over every aspect of the movement in absolute detail, then you move to strength improvement. If you are weak in one movement, you can not correct by doing more of the same movement! You must decrease the resistance, lessen the strain. Usually with bodyweight exercises this means looking at movements that build up to the one you are trying to strengthen, those that come before your movement goal. For instance, the push up progression should go from wall push ups, incline push ups, knee push ups, then regular push ups. One of the best resources on Progressive bodyweight movements to date is the book called Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade. Sure, you can laugh or make fun of the title, but a few weeks into this you will not be laughing but encouraged with the functional, progressive strengthening that you have gained!