Feeling overwrought with the bare minimum amount of time to train. As a working father of two, I’ve been there. 

The alarm goes off and you can feel the ticking of the clock. You’ve got so many minutes before the day swings into action with some relentless mix of responsibilities, including kids, work, the household, getting the car to the shop, knowing what you and maybe everyone else is going to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner.

One thing that weighs on my mind when the days are nuts is when I’m going to fit a run in. AND — on top of that pressure, when am I going to get some strength training so that when I wake up in the coming days I can keep running. 

When you’re a parent, a professional, or both, the idea of driving to a gym to lift heavy things for an hour might as well be taking a trip to Fantasy Island. 

Burpee Power

Everyone seems to hate burpees, but for the time-crunched distance runner, there are a lot of good reasons to love burpees. Here is why this single movement is a secret weapon to help you on days when your schedule is being crushed.

1. It’s “Free” Explosive Power

Distance running is essentially a series of plyometric hops. To run faster, you need to produce more force against the ground in less time. The jump portion of the burpee trains rate of force development—the same explosive power.  It teaches your glutes and calves to fire rapidly, which translates directly to a more pop in your running stride and often to better running form overall.

2. Vertical Core Stability

Most “core work” for runners happens on the floor (think planks or crunches). But running happens standing up. The transition from the floor to the jump in a burpee forces your core to stabilize your spine under rapid movement. This builds a “stiff” midsection that prevents energy leaks. As the late running coach Jack Daniels used to preach, it’s when you’re fatigued that you’re in danger of your running technique collapsing – a situation that puts your body at risk of injury.  Marathoners have an intimate understanding of this problem. A simple, consistent burpee workout can help you build a more resilient chassis that can better handle long, hard runs and higher mileage levels as well.

3. Metabolic Conditioning

If you only have 10 minutes to train, a set of burpees are your secret weapon. Maybe one reason no one seems to like them is that burpees – a compound exercise if there ever was one – are so weirdly demanding that they tend to tap into all of your energy systems, from phosphagen to glycolytic to aerobic. One of the attractive physiological benefits of the burpee is the “afterburn” effect, known as Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). Because the exercise disrupts homeostasis so profoundly—requiring oxygen to replenish ATP stores, resynthesize lactate, and cool down core body emperature—your metabolic rate remains elevated for hours after the workout.

4. Mobility Under Tension

Consider the plight of the runner with a job where he or she sits at a computer a lot. Hip mobility takes a hit, and poor hip mobility can be the root cause of all sorts of injuries. Knee problems probably take the cake here.  Not to mention tight hips inhibit performance and make good running form hard to reach and sustain.

Here we go: The “bottom” of the burpee—where you kick your feet back and then snap them forward—requires and builds hip mobility. The burpee forces those hips through a full range of motion under tension, helping you to build your spring and access the tremendous power you have waiting to be tapped. 

How to Fit It In

All you need is 10 minutes (or even 5) when it comes to time. And some floor space to do them.

• The “Top of the Minute” Drill: Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes. At the start of every minute, perform 8 to 12 burpees (depending on your fitness level). Rest for the remainder of the minute. This drill is a good one to monitor your progress. Maybe you can only do six per minute at the beginning. In a matter of a few weeks you’ll likely see a tremendous improvement.
• The Tabata: A VO2max investment. 20 seconds of max-effort burpees, 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for 8 rounds (4 minutes total).
• The Countdown: Start with 10 burpees, then 9, then 8…¹ all the way down to 1. Rest only as much as you absolutely need.
  

Join My Burpee Challenge

As runners, we often get caught in the “more miles is better” trap. But strength and power are the “glue” that keeps those miles together. If you go about building a V8 engine but fail to upgrade the chassis to handle the flow of power, it’s easy to end up in the ditch.  If you’re a busy runner, burpees are waiting to help you out.

Speaking of burpees, I’m supplementing my running with a daily dose of burpees, starting January 9. Up for joining me on a six-week challenge? I’ve done it before. It can be boring and hard, but the pay off for me was big. Send me a note if you want details.

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T.J. Murphy is an endurance author , author, and coach of the Shamrock Running Club. The former editor of Triathlete Magazine, he has more than 40 years of experience in the field. Certified by NASM, USA Track & Field, the Lydiard Foundation, and VDOT, he specializes in merging strength and mobility training with traditional endurance training. Whether you are chasing a 1-mile PR or a triathlon finish, he provides the science-backed roadmap to get you there.