Try This Upper-Body Challenge

Warming up with burpees does not sound like a great way to start off your day, but a short pyramid like the one below is a good warmup. However, anything after 10 on the pyramid is no longer a warmup, and it starts to become a physical and mental challenge. Luckily, you get to "rest" with pull-ups, dips and your abs of choice every fifth set.

Burpee pyramid warmup and workout:

Burpee pyramid: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with 25-meter jogs/dynamic stretches in between. We usually do this on a basketball court, tennis court or field to get anywhere from 25- to 50-meter runs in between. You can even go 100-meter runs if you want a greater challenge.

• Pull-ups max effort
• Dips max effort
• Bear-crawl 50 meters or stair-crawl up/down
• Abs of choice 50 or plank pose one minute

Burpee pyramid 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 with 25-meter runs in between

Repeat twice

• Pull-ups max
• Dips 10-15
• Abs of choice 50

Burpee pyramid 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 with runs in between

Repeat twice

• Pull-ups max
• TRX push-ups or regular push-ups max effort
• Abs of choice 50 or plank pose one minute

Burpee pyramid 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 with runs in between

• Pull-ups max effort
• Dips max effort
• Bear-crawl 50 meters or stair-crawl up/down
• Abs of choice 50 or plank pose one minute

Finish with a 30-minute run ruck, or swim -- or two of the three.

If you have not done enough yet, you can add 25 push-ups and 25 flutter kicks every five minutes of your run or swim workout.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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