I planned to write an article on this topic much earlier, but it is a bit more controversial topic, so I delayed it until I could. I’m sure a lot has already been written about this exercise – whether good or bad (or rather the bad), so I’ll summarize the knowledge of several renowned fitness trainers, with whom I more or less agree.

So let’s take a closer look . Burpee or English is an exercise that is performed mostly in crossfit and is considered an exercise in which you use the whole body. It is used as part of strength training or as an anaerobic exercise.

So I’ll start with probably the biggest opponent of the English, and that is certainly Michael Boyle. He even called this exercise “the stupidest exercise in the world”. (I’m attaching a video)

Let’s take a closer look. As already said in the video, while performing the exercise, you are basically throwing yourself on the ground, creating unnecessary stress on the wrist, which in this case will be in extension. It is also a huge load on the front of the shoulders, which is usually the weakest link in the shoulder. Shorts require some strength in the upper body, which most people who do this exercise lack. So if you don’t have enough strength, you will perform this part of the exercise with your elbows bent and your shoulders asymmetrical . This again translates as excessive stress on the tendons and ligaments in the upper body and can lead to injuries in the shoulder and back area . When done correctly, it should look like a proper push-up – that is, with your shoulders evenly and symmetrically above your wrist. Of course, this setting cannot be maintained at the volume in which the English exercises are performed, and certainly not when you are forced to perform them as quickly as possible .

So let’s move on to the next part of the English, where there is a higher risk of injury, and that is the transition from squat to support. We see it all the time with this exercise – when the legs hit the ground , the pelvis collapses at the same time and the back becomes hyperextended. For the correct execution of this part, the strength of the core is also very important, which unfortunately most exercisers lack.

Proponents of English do say that it is a very good combination of three exercises, namely squat, plank and push-up. Here I will again refer to Mr. Boyle: “If I were to invent a tool and say that it is a really good combination of saw, hammer and screwdriver and none of these things really work, but it is a really good combination, it would be my analysis of the English.” Therefore, I recommend you to perform these three exercises independently and, above all, in a controlled manner.

We could certainly talk about this exercise longer, but I think the essential things are captured in the article. So for me, English definitely NOT.