Just the Beginning

Well folks, just over 365 days have passed since we started this experiment, and for me, this moment is both fulfilling and bittersweet. Throughout this year I've had my share of ups and downs, learning along the way the values of motivation, time management, and eating healthy.

The Original Paleo Diet

If anything, you could say the Burpee Experiment has given me the determination to continue on this exercise journey, while potentially exploring other fitness avenues, such as triathlons, mud runs, and maybe even a marathon or two. And overall, I feel as though I'm in as good of shape as I've ever been both physically and mentally.

But now it comes down to the question I'm sure ALL of you have wondered over the past year. Is the Burpee Experiment really the greatest full body workout of all time?

And the answer is....

Who the heck really knows? Honestly, there are a million different exercises out there, and what I've learned over the course of this year is that every person is different. What works for some people, may not work for others. I catered this workout to my own body, so if I can leave you with some advice, I'd say try out different workouts until you find one that works best for you.

For me, this experiment worked, and I'll let those numbers speak for themselves. As in my post from December of 2011, I've completed the President's Fitness Challenge for a second time to compare those results. They're listed below along with my results from a 7 minute burnout set as well my 52 week Burpee grand total:

Personal Information
State: Texas

Gender: Male
Age: 28

Body Composition

Height: 5 feet 10 inches (I unfortunately didn't grow in height...)

Weight: 
2011 Weight: 156 lbs.
2012 Weight: 145 lbs. 

Waist Measurement:
2011 WM: 32 inches
2012 WM: 30 inches

BMI/Body Mass Index: 
2011 BMI: 22.4
2012 BMI: 20.8

Aerobic Fitness
1.5 Mile Run Time: 
2011 Time:  12 minutes 8 secons
2012 Time:  11 minutes 24 seconds
Heart Rate: 
2011 Rate: 180 bpm
2012 Rate: 140 bpm

Muscular Strength

Half Sit-ups/Crunches (in one minute): 
2011 Half Sit-ups: 60
2012 Half Sit-ups: 100 

Push-ups (in one minute): 
2011 Push-ups: 56
2012 Push-ups: 73 

Flexibility

Sit and Reach: 
2011 S&R: 12 inches from knees
2012 S&R: 13 inches from knees 

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
12/24/2012	REST
12/25/2012	Burnout Set	1	7 min 00 sec			104
12/26/2012	REST
12/27/2012	REST
12/28/2012	Fitness Test
12/29/2012	REST
12/30/2012	REST

52 Week Grand Total: 23,612 Burpees

Finally, I'll leave you all with another stirring quote from Sir Winston Churchill.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

Love and Respect,
Drew

Let's Get Physical

It's now been a year since I received my last physical, and going into my appointment I was feeling a bit apprehensive. Did I eat healthy enough this year? Did I push myself hard enough (but not too hard) in my workouts? Have I gotten those desired results I was after? Did I hear my body talk?

Olivia Newton-John thinks so.

These are some of the more logical and ridiculous questions I've been asking myself over the past few weeks. But before I get into my blood work and physical results, I thought I'd share the results from my final full week of workouts below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
12/17/2012	Mix 1	6	6 min 57 sec	30 sec	60
12/18/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 38 sec	30 sec	120
12/19/2012	Pull-ups	6	6 min 43 sec	30 sec	60
12/20/2012	REST
12/21/2012	Mix 2	6	5 min  28 sec	30 sec	60
12/22/2012	Mix 3	7	7 min 38 sec	30 sec	70
12/23/2012	REST

And now for the updated results from my physical:

Physical Results (December 14th, 2012):

• Height: 5'10"
• Weight: 145 lbs. (total weight lost = 11 lbs.)
• Body Mass Index (BMI): 20.8 (in the normal range of 18.5-25)
• Temperature: 98.6 F
• Blood Pressure: 138/86 (a little high because of the coffee I drank that morning...)
• Pulse: 61 beats per minute (bpm)

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel:

Glucose: 98 (expected range 65 - 100)

BUN: 13 (8 - 25)

Creatinine: 1.0 (0.8 - 1.4)

eGFR: 90 (>60)

BUN/Creat: 12.4 (6 - 28)

Sodium: 141 (133 - 146)

Potassium: 4.5 (3.5 - 5.3)

Chloride: 99 (97 - 100)

Carbon Dioxide: 27 (18 - 30)

Calcium: 9.0 (8.5 - 10.5)

Protein: 6.7 (6.0 - 8.4)

Albumin: 4.6 (2.9 - 5.0)

Globulin: 2.2 (2.0 - 3.8)

A/G Ratio: 2.1 (0.9 - 2.5)

Bilirubin: 0.9 (0.1 - 1.3)

Alkaline Phosphatase: 65 (30 - 132)

SGOT (AST): 15 (5 - 35)

SGPT (ALT): 19 (7 - 56)

CBC W/ Auto Diff:

White Blood Count: 3.6 (expected range 4.0 - 11.0) 

Red Blood Count: 5.33 (4.10 - 5.70)

Hemoglobin: 14.9 (13.0 - 17.0)

Hematocrit: 45.3 (37.0 - 49.0)

Mean Corpuscular Volume: 84.9 (80.0 - 100.0)

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin: 28.0 (27.0 - 34.0)

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration: 32.9 (32.0 - 35.5)

Red Cell Distribution Width: 13.6 (11.0 - 15.0)

Platelet Count: 253 (140 - 440)

Lipid Panel:

Cholesterol: 188 (120 - 200)

Triglycerides: 71 (30 - 200)

HDL Cholesterol: 56 (30 - 70)
LDL Cholesterol: 117 (0-129)

Overall, there seems to have been a good difference in just about everything that was tested (not to mention the 11 lbs. I lost) with the majority of categories remaining in the expected "healthy" range and only a few falling below due to the illness I had a few weeks ago.

With all that being said, my doctor explained my blood work looked great overall and that I'm in excellent physical condition, which is always great news to hear whether you've done Burpees for a year or not... But especially if you've done Burpees for a year...

So, this week I'll leave you this week with a quote from American boxer and former World Heavyweight Champion, Gene Tunney:

"Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart."

L&R,
Drew

Push it, Push it Real Good

As we continue to inch closer to the holidays, the ever alluring aroma of baked goods, hot chocolate, and pine scented air fresheners are beginning to fill many of our homes, bringing back those childhood memories of Jolly Ole' Saint Nick, Rudolph, and Frosty the Snowman. But while most people have given in to that insatiable urge of laying around eating candy canes and guzzling eggnog for the next month, this week has been a brutal test of commitment to an otherwise satisfying year of Burpees.

Even Santa does Burpees

So faced with the final week of two adays and the yearning for some Christmas ham, I took a note from Salt n' Pepa and decided to 'push it' and finish strong.

My results for the week are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
12/10/2012	REST
12/11/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 49 sec	13 min 00 sec	30 sec	240
12/12/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 39 sec	12 min 46 sec	30 sec	240
12/13/2012	REST
12/14/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 51 sec		30 sec	120
12/15/2012	Ladder	15		12 min 32 sec	30 sec	120
12/16/2012	REST

And this week, I'll leave you with an inspiring quote from American opera singer Beverly Sills:

"There are no shortcuts for any place worth going."

L&R,

Drew

Where's the Beef?

I'm an American. And I love America. And to me, nothing represents our great country more than a hearty dish of meat and potatoes. But not just any meat. A big juicy hunk of steak.

'Merica

Now growing up, I don't think there was a single food my mom could have fixed that would have overtaken steak's spot atop my own personal food pyramid. No, in my mind, this all-American delicacy was the key to growing strong and becoming a man one day. And besides that, no matter how much our parents tried, what kid actually wants to eat something that looks like it was hocked up by an alien...

"Popeye wants us to eat what?!"

To go along with my own thought process as a child, the National Cattleman's Beef Association had the same idea when their research stated, "beef is a number one source of protein, vitamin B12, and zinc. It also supplies an abundant amount of key nutrients to help children and tweens to be healthy by contributing to optimal growth, cognitive function, red blood cell development and preventing iron deficiency during the adolescent years." In other words, eating beef will help you reach your full "pumptential".

Hans and Franz say beef will help pump...you up!

With all that being said, my beefy results for the week are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
12/3/2012	Mix 1	6	7 min 08 sec	30 sec	60
12/4/2012	Ladder	15	13 min 03 sec	30 sec	120
12/5/2012	Pull-ups	6	7 min 02 sec	30 sec	60
12/6/2012	REST
12/7/2012	Mix 2	6	5 min 38 sec	30 sec	60
12/8/2012	Mix 3	7	7 min 53 sec	30 sec	70
12/9/2012	REST

Today, I'll leave you with that famous quote first voiced by actor Robert Mitchum in the 1992 Beef Checkoff Program's marketing campaign:

"Beef. It's what's for dinner."

L&R,

Drew

Exercise the Demons

This past week of two-adays was unfortunately cut short due to what could only be described as a brutal mix of both the swine flu and Ebola virus. Suffice to say, I spent the better part of the week and weekend doing my best impersonation of Linda Blair in the Exorcist...

Head spinning and all...

Now, obviously I didn't really have the Ebola virus...but I did take all the preventative measures needed for a super airborne disease by quarantining myself in my house for four days straight. Morgan Freeman would be proud...

And as many of you know, when you feel nauseous, eating is one of the last things you want to do, so I unfortunately ended my reclusive four day vomit-fest looking like Christian Bale in "the Machinist"...

Okay maybe I'm embellishing a bit...

With that being said, because of this horrible illness, I was only able to finish one two-aday and half of another one before before being bed-ridden. Below are the meek results from this week:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
11/26/2012	REST
11/27/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 56 sec	12 min  48 sec	30 sec	240
11/28/2012	Ladder	15	13 min 05 sec	min  sec	30 sec	120
11/29/2012	SICK
11/30/2012	SICK
12/1/2012	SICK
12/2/2012	SICK

This week I'll leave you with a funny quote from Emily Blunt in the movie The Devil Wears Prada:

"I'm one stomach flu away from reaching my goal weight."

L&R,
Drew

Giving Thanks

As we reflect on all the things we've been thankful for over the past year, I look back with a sort of fond relief, proud of what I've accomplished, but also grateful to be so close to the end. Because I've made it this far, and also because this past week was a time for family, friends, and food, I decided to reward myself (and my body) by entering a 5 day food coma.

Now, although taking a week off from exercise generally makes it that much harder to get back into your routine, I've continually endorsed the idea of giving your body breaks along the way in order to keep your joints and limbs fresh, and your mind "in the game".

So with that being said, I have no workout results to report from this past week other than getting up and down from the couch to indulge my gluttonous alter-ego with more turkey and gravy...

I'll leave you this week with a great poem written about Thanksgiving from an anonymous author:

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump,

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

L&R,
Drew

Putting on the Final Touches

As I said in an earlier post, this past week I started putting the final touches on this experiment by incorporating all of my previous workouts into three separate "Mix" days.

Those workouts are listed below:

Mix Day 1: mountain climbers, lunges, star jumps
Mix Day 2: one-leg, jumping jacks, diamond buddha
Mix Day 3: broad jumps, box jumps, pull-ups

I decided it was important to bring these exercises back into the fold by taking a page out of Tony Horton's book and "confusing" my muscles.

My results from the first full week of triple mix muscle confusing sets are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
11/12/2012	Mix 1	6	7 min 03 sec	30 sec	60
11/13/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 57 sec	30 sec	120
11/14/2012	Pull-ups	6	7 min 09 sec	30 sec	60
11/15/2012	REST
11/16/2012	Mix 2	6	5 min 47 sec	30 sec	60
11/17/2012	Mix 3	7	7 min 54 sec	30 sec	70
11/18/2012	REST

And this week I'll leave you with a quote from the P90X muscle confusion master himself, Tony "Don't Smash Your Face" Horton:

"If you go up and down a ladder a bunch of times, you'll get some exercise from that, but if you climb a rock wall, you're going to get a lot more. The nuances in muscle confusion is that it's multidimensional." 

L&R,
Drew

The Beginning of the End

With the end of this experiment rapidly approaching, the final month of two-adays has been thrust mercilessly upon me. And although this past week has been thoroughly brutal, there is some relief to be found in knowing the finish line draws near.

But, just as the old saying goes, we're "so close, yet still so far". I have to remember that even though I'm almost finished, this doesn't mean I can take it easy and coast in for the landing...Whether I like it or not, what lies ahead of me is 7 more weeks of pushing my body to the Burpee limit and coming out stronger because of it.

Okay...let's not get that crazy...

I'm proud to say I've made it this far, and even more proud that I was able to complete the entire week of two-adays with only a 30 second break in between each set (which was my goal from the beginning). My results from the week are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
11/5/2012	REST
11/6/2012	Ladder	15	13 min 00 sec	12 min 59 sec	30 sec	240
11/7/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 56 sec	12 min 51 sec	30 sec	240
11/8/2012	REST
11/9/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 55 sec	12 min 46 sec	30 sec	240
11/10/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 47 sec	12 min 58 sec	30 sec	240
11/11/2012	REST

This week I'll leave you with a quote taken from TIME Magazine said by one of baseball's greats, Frank Robinson:

"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." 

L&R,
Drew

The Winter Grind

This week was the first week of November, and to many of you, that means you're either growing out your most manly (or in some cases, womanly) mustaches... or that the ever inevitable "winter is coming".

As we move closer to those horribly, yet oh so enjoyably, lethargic holidays, I must continue to look for different approaches to attaining motivation, now more than ever. One way I've done this throughout the year  is to have a good cup of coffee every morning when I wake up. Sure, it may seem fairly unconventional to look at coffee as a good workout motivator, but based on a growing body of research, coffee can have some pretty awesome benefits.

Per WebMD, "people who drink at least one cup of coffee per day are less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dimentia. They have also been shown to have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes." With that being said, if you haven't already, go out and buy yourself a Keurig for Christmas. You can thank me later.

This week I did my best to overcome a bout with some Fall allergies, and I've listed my results below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
10/29/2012	Broad Jumps	6	6 min 24 sec	30 sec	60
10/30/2012	Ladder	15	12 min 58 sec	30 sec	120
10/31/2012	SICK
11/1/2012	SICK
11/2/2012	SICK
11/3/2012	Mix	7	8 min 46 sec	40 sec	70
11/4/2012	REST

And in the spirit of our topic, I'll leave you this week with a quote from the famous publisher, playwright, and poet, T.S. Eliot:

"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons."

L&R,

Drew

Don't Be Such a Halloweenie

With only 2 months remaining in this experiment, it's becoming harder and harder to keep up the routine. Whether it be my busy schedule, getting sick, or just being downright lazy, it's been a struggle to continue keeping my workouts as consistent as I've gone along. And with all of the gluttonous holidays looming on the calendar, as well as the monotonous Burpee repetitions, I feel as though I have Count von Count acting as my personal trainer.

"One Burpee, Ah Ah Ah, Two Burpees, Ah, Ah, Ah"

All that to say, my body still feels great, and if I wasn't spending 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, doing Burpees, it would be a struggle to find the time to do anything else. And I'll take that over poor health any day.

So, the next time you're breathlessly running for your life from a knife wielding maniac, remember you could have used that 15 minutes of watching TV the other day to stay in shape, instead of officially becoming the slowest member of your herd.

"Did someone say Burpees?"

But, as you can see by my results below, the closer I got to Halloween and that insatiable lure of never-ending chocolate, my workouts tailed off much earlier in the week than I would have liked them to. Now I just have to hope Michael Meyers doesn't pay me a visit soon:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
10/23/2012	REST
10/24/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 02 sec	14 min 51 sec	40 sec	240
10/25/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 08 sec	14 min 57 sec	40 sec	240
10/26/2012	REST
10/27/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 17 sec	15 min 09 sec	40 sec	120
10/28/2012	Ladder
10/29/2012	REST

In the spirit of All Hallows' Eve, I'll leave you this week with a quote from TV pastry chef and author, Emily Luchetti:

"After eating chocolate, you feel godlike, as though you can conquer your enemies, lead armies, and entice lovers."

L&R,

Drew

Always Remember to Wear Protection

No, not that kind of protection...But I did get your attention, didn't I?

This week I actually wanted to bring up the importance of protecting both your hands and wrists from the high impact they're likely to sustain while performing Burpees over an extended period of time. Throughout the past year, this experiment has helped teach me about understanding my body's own limits and when I can and can't push them.

One thing I learned fairly early on was that my wrists and hands were taking a bit of a pounding, and I needed to do something about it in order to continue on without hurting myself. With that being said, I ended up purchasing gloves that act as both wrist and hand protection. Now, obviously you don't have to purchase these exact gloves, but I'd highly recommend them as a way to stabilize your wrists and add extra padding to your palms when doing your workouts. You can find the gloves at the below website:

http://www.wristassuredgloves.com/

As far as my workouts went for this week, there was nothing out of the ordinary to report. My results are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
10/15/2012	Broad Jumps	6	6 min 25 sec	30 sec	60
10/16/2012	Ladder	15	13 min 07 sec	30 sec	120
10/17/2012	Pull-up	6	7 min 14 sec	30 sec	60
10/18/2012	REST
10/19/2012	Box Jumps	4	4 min 38 sec	60 sec	40
10/20/2012	Mix	7	9 min 04 sec	40 sec	70
10/21/2012	REST

And this week, I'll leave you with a quote from American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn:

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."

L&R,

Drew

The Windblown Look

As we begin the slow transition from Summer to Fall and then from Fall to Winter, the one thing we can all generally count on is beautiful weather. So with that being said, this past week I thought it'd be a nice little change of pace to exercise outside. And with the wind fiercely blowing and the leaves falling all around me, I have to say, it made me feel a little like Fabio on the cover of one of those cheesy romance novels.

"How I thought I looked"

"How I really looked..."

Not only did I have the windblown look going for me, but exercising outside also allowed me to experience the sounds of nature as I huffed and puffed through my Burpee routine. It's a wonderful feeling having complete silence other than the birds chirping around you and the wind blowing through the trees. Here I go getting all sappy on you all...

"Pun most definitely intended"

...but I just wanted to get my point across that it's important for us to not get caught up only doing the gym thing. Instead, the next time you work out, even if it's with weights, bring them outside. You'll thank me for it. Unless it's snowing.

Other than one missed day this past week due to sickness, I was able to complete my other two adays, and the results are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
10/9/2012	REST
10/10/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 15 sec	15 min 04 sec	40 sec	240
10/11/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 27 sec	15 min 28 sec	40 sec	240
10/12/2012	REST
10/13/2012	Ladder	15	15 min 20 sec	15 min 19 sec	40 sec	240
10/14/2012	SICK					0
10/15/2012	REST

This week I'll leave you with a quote regarding a our human need for nature from Native American writer and actor, Luther Standing Bear:

"Man's heart, away from nature, becomes hard; the Lakota knew that lack of respect for growing, living things, soon led to a lack of respect for humans too."

L&R,

Drew

Good Form Ol' Chap

How many of you out there grew up hearing the phrase "keep good form" when exercising or lifting weights? If you had coaches and parents telling you this as a child and teenager, then you were one of the lucky few. Piggybacking on one of my earlier posts, "Safety First", I felt it necessary to drive home the point that when exercising, form is everything. 

Pictured: Proper Form

Per Bodybuilding.com, "Proper form is essential for success when training for anything from general fitness to sports events and/or competitions. It is the quality of training that influences your progress more than quantity. It is important to understand the proper mechanics of training to get the most benefit of your time."

I don't think I could have said it any better myself, and if you have any argument with this philosophy, well you can...

I've now made it through yet another full week of Burpees, and my results are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time	Beak Time  Per Set	Total  Burpees
10/1/2012	Broad Jumps	6	6 min 42 sec	30 sec	60
10/2/2012	Ladder	15	13 min 05 sec	30 sec	120
10/3/2012	Pull-up	6	7 min 34 sec	30 sec	60
10/4/2012	REST
10/5/2012	Box Jumps	4	5 min 33 sec	60 sec	40
10/6/2012	Mix	7	9 min 03 sec	40 sec	70
10/7/2012	REST

Today, I'll leave you with a quote from exercise physiologist and fitness consultant, Elizabeth Quinn:

"No matter what sort of workout routine or exercise you enjoy, using incorrect technique not only reduces the effectiveness of the workout, but puts you at a greater risk for getting injured."

L&R,

Drew

The Cow Goes Moo, The Dietitian Goes Boo

Forgive me for such a ridiculously cheesy title this week, but I wanted to make my point short and sweet. Growing up, I know the majority of us were consistently given milk during almost every meal of the day. Our parents as well as the TV would tell us if we drank it, it would help us "grow up to be big and strong one day". Well, I'm here to help spread the word that what we've been told our entire lives is false.

"Ahhhhh!"

Based on multiple scientific studies over the past few years, researchers have shown that cow's milk can actually be more detrimental to our bodies than helpful to them. Per SaveOurBones.com, "The most surprising link is that not only do we not absorb the calcium in cow's milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!"

The True Origins of the Apocolypse

So this week, if you haven't already tried it, I'd like to introduce you to a great replacement for cow's milk: Almond Milk. The actual benefits for almond milk are off the charts. A glass of almond milk contains 50% of your daily value of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, as well as other vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A & D, Calcium, and Magnesium. It also has significantly less calories and fat content than dairy milk. When describing the benefits of almond milk, Livestrong.com says, "Antioxidants repair free radical damage, which keeps your skin healthy, your liver functioning at its best, improves overall brain function."

With all that being said, I think it's time you stop paying attention to celebrities in the "Got Milk?" commercials and start paying attention to your body. As always, my results from this week are listed below:

Date	Workout	Sets	Total Time (Morning)	Total Time (Night)	Beak Time Per Set	Total Burpees
9/25/2012	REST
9/26/2012	Ladder	15	17 min 09 sec	17 min 15 sec	50 sec	240
9/27/2012	Ladder	15	17 min 12 sec	17 min 14 sec	50 sec	240
9/28/2012	REST
9/29/2012	Ladder	15	17 min 24 sec	17 min 30 sec	50 sec	240
9/30/2012	Ladder	15	17 min 30 sec		50 sec	120
10/1/2012	REST

This week I'll leave you with an insightful quote from Irish playwright and founder of the London School of Economics, George Bernard Shaw:

"A mind of the caliber of mine cannot derive its nutriment from cows."

L&R,

Drew