A funny thing happened at the gym...
 

I went to the gym yesterday, which is normal for a Saturday, however I typically go at 8:00-9:00am, and yesterday I didn't make it there until 2:00pm. So there I am the sole female during what must be "Big young manly muscle hour". I think there is a group that regularly meets to do free weights, they seemed to be spotting for each other and working out in teams. Anyway, I don't do a lot of free weights because I usually go by myself and don't have a spotter. But I do some upper body in the free weight room and some floor work, push-ups, planks, stretching, and I use the inverted ab bench too. I usually start with the floor work to warm up, and yesterday I managed to do a plank for about 3 -3 1/2 minutes. I didn't really time it, I just held the plank until my arms gave out. Then I got up off the floor and went out to the weight machine room to do some leg work.

Maybe 10-15 min later I walked back into the free weight room to use the ab bench and every last one of the guys that had been in there when I warmed up was in plank position. So I ask the guy nearest the ab bench, "What gives?". So he sort of chuckles and says that one of the guys is pretty sure that I held the plank 4 minutes and he challenged all of them to go longer". Too too funny. So now I'm going to practice some burpees and when I get so I can do a handful, I'm going back on a Sat afternoon and see if I can make them jump around like demented monkeys.

Very funny!
 

I want video if you get those guys doing burpees!

BTW I saw a T-shirt the other day that said: If burpees were easy they'd be called bicep curls :D

First I need to master the burpee so that I can do it without hurting myself. I'd never heard of a burpee until yesterday when Mike posted a link with a video. Certainly isn't something I would come up with on my own LOL, I'm more of a "built for comfort" sort of girl.

I love that t-shirt slogan. My girls are all swimmers and one of the teams has shirts that say, "Swimming is sport, everything else is a game".

WOW! 4 minutes?! That is IMPRESSIVE! :)

Thanks for sharing. Great story and great unexpected reward for all your work. It must of felt terrific. Mary

I don't think I was there 4 minutes, seemed more like 3, maybe 3+ a little. I think it was just one of those guy moments, a little game of one-up-man-ship. I was sort of impressed with the guy who could chuckle and hold a plank.

Burpees are one of the standard moves at the Cross fit gyms. As if the regular kind aren't hard enough, they'll often add a little sadistic twist like do the burpee under a pull up bar and instead of jumping do a pull up. Or instead of just jumping up, jump to the side over a bar.

Tough, but really effective!

That is so funny. I do have to ask though what is a plank? If its what I think, where you are stretched out with only your toes and forearms on the floor and your back perfectly straight then I know it but by another name, we always called it a table. I can hold a table for as long as you want me to, used to hang out like that and watch TV, I find it really comfortable but then I have never claimed to be normal :-)

What you call a table, I call a bent arm plank. At the gym I was doing a straight arm plank, which is hands and toes on the floor, back straight and in-line with neck and hips. My physical therapist has me do them for my bum shoulder.

Great time on the plank! :D

I used to be addicted to burpees. I had a goal of 30 burpee/lunges but could only work up to 25 before I felt like puking! :eek:

burpees:eek: in your quest to become more effective at the dreaded burpee try doing them in sets of 10 doing 10 sets with 45 seconds rest between sets. BRUTAL:)

My goal was 30 consecutive burpees without stopping! :eek: I could only hit 25 before I had to take a break. When I added in the lunges it was killer! :D

Hold the phone, you have to do lunges too? All I saw in the video was push-ups with a jump between. Where do the lunges fit in?

There are all kind of variants you can do. Here's a vid of 15 different kinds.

YouTube - myjhong91's Channel

I try to do 10 per minute, with the rest of the minute for rest. So if it takes me 35 seconds to do the 10 then I have 25 seconds rest before starting the next set. I can just about do 100 at that pace and it's a killer.

I cant view that video- will someone please tell me what a burpee is!!!? I am dying to know now!

It's a favorite in prisons, lol! :D

Actually in Prison they cheat and do squat and thrusts. They don't include the jump in it. Wooses:D

I do only one kind of burpee in my biggest loser cardio video and its a walk out to plank then a jump. This video is crazy, never realized how many kinds of burpees there are now I am going to have to try more variations. LOL

Start from standing.
Squat down and put your hands down on the floor.
Jump your legs back so that you are in the push-up position.
Do a push-up.
Bring your legs back to the squat.
Jump up hard and land back in the start position.

That's one burpee. They are one of the best, if not THE best, exercise for all-over body conditioning. If I was only allowed to do one exercise this would be it. Arms, legs, chest, abs and lungs... killer. You don't need any equipment and you don't need much space. Just try doing ten and see how it feels.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think this calls for a Plank Off! Give it your best plank and post your times here!

Young muscle-bound manly hour
 

Awesome! I think a lot of these guys forget that there's more to being strong and healthy than bench pressing 400 lbs twice, and that they don't need weights to get in a good workout. Great job on that plank. Those things are brutal -- but so effective.