There’s no age limit on fitness
It’s the most feared physical exercise in gym history. A move so ugly, so gruesome, the mere mention sends shudders down the spine of even the most fearless gym goer.
We’re talking about the Burpee.
A staple for military boot camps and elite athletes, the burpee is considered to be the most effective plyometric exercise at blasting fat and improving cardiovascular fitness. It’s a six-count move that includes two jumps, a couple of squats, a push-up, and a whole lot of suffering.
Could you imagine conquering an entire hour of them?
Kate Beeley did. She defeated the Guinness World Record for the most burpess completed by a female in one hour – that’s 1,321 burpees. Which is 22 burpees a minute, in case you were wondering.
We sat down with Kate to find out how she pushed through 60 minutes of hell.
Oh, and did we mention Kate’s a 40-year-old mum from Brisbane? Bet you didn’t see that coming!I had always been physically fit and decided I wanted to start my own business – something I could work in around my family, and something that I loved doing.I train five-to-six days per week, and it usually looks something like this:
- Monday – Boxing, one hour
- Tuesday – CrossFit class
- Wednesday – HIIT (high intensity interval training)
- Thursday – Kangaroo Point stairs and running drills
- Friday – 30 mins lower body exercises
- Saturday – either a rest day or run
- Sunday – either a rest day or run
I find the time because it is so important to me to keep fit. It makes me feel so internally happy so I prioritise it into my day somewhere.No not really. Becoming a mum is no obstacle to any fitness regime. I was eager to return to the way it was pre-pregnancy and do all the awesome things I had learnt over the years and push myself again.I was out running one day and I decided I needed to set myself a goal. Something which was challenging and bring attention to the MissFit brand. The idea of burpees just popped into my head, so I Googled it and started to work out how to achieve that rep count in the hour and beat it.I had trained for it for five months, consistently. Every week and a number of days each week. I was ready in my own mind, but it was tougher on the day. I pushed my form harder to ensure every rep counted, and they did.Age is no barrier. I still feel as fit as I was in my early 20s, and now I have a better mindset too.You need to prioritise some “me” time. It’s not selfish to break free for 30 mins or an hour to do something positive for yourself. Also no negotiation – get up and go!I might have a crack at the Most Burpees Chest-to-Floor in One Hour and the Most Burpees Chest-to-Floor in One Minute. I might even come up with a challenge which involves the entire MissFit community too.
