From the lady who knows how to seriously whip you (and your entire body) into shape with her trademark 28 minute circuits and new clever app, we asked Kayla Itsines to share with us the moves she loves and should all be including in our fitness repertoire this year. And they are? Burpees! But wait. These aren't your ordinary burpees. So before you say, “Kayla’s crazy”, give them a try and be prepared for total body burn and a whole lot of love for these new variations.
Burpees
Try doing 10 Burpees in a row.
Bend both your hips and knees and place both hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. Kick your feet backwards so that your legs are completely extended behind you, resting on the balls ofyour feet. Transfer your body weight onto your your hands and jump your feet inwards to land in a crouched position with feet shoulder width apart. Propel your body upwards in one explosive movement, extending both your legs beneath you and your arms above your head. Land in a neutral standing position, ensuring that you maintain ‘soft’ knees to prevent injury. Repeat.
Then try adding a Tuck Jump.
Burpee + Tuck Jump
As you stand up, propel your body upwards and bring your knees into your chest.
Try adding a push up to your burpee.
Burpee + Push Up
Place both hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder width apart and feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is called push up position. Stabilizing your back through your abdominal muscles and bend your elbows and lower your torso to the floor until your arms form a 90 degree angle. Push through your chest and extend your arms to lift your body back into push up position.
When you are comfortable doing burpees with push ups, try laydown pushups.
Burpee + Lay Down Push Up
Start by laying flat on your stomach, with arms extended out in front of you and legs straight behind you with feet slightly apart. Position your toes in towards the floor. Bring your arms in towards your body and position your hands on either side of your chest. Push through your chest and extend your arms to lift your body into push up position.