I hit 100,000 burpees a couple weeks ago, on September 5th, if I remember right.

Each ten thousand felt like a big milestone. Hitting six figures felt like it should be a biggest milestone yet. Instead I’m writing this minor post.

It’s the biggest number with the most zeros, but the greater accomplishment is to see them like brushing my teeth—not that big a deal, just something I do.

I have a minimum level of fitness I consider acceptable for myself. Some people are more fit than I am, some less. Where I am feels right to me. More fit would be nice, but I do other things with my time. Less fit would be unacceptable to me, however acceptable to others for themselves.

To the extent burpees rank among the most efficient exercises, doing them would mean I’m doing the least work necessary to reach my level of fitness. In other words, anyone else who reached my fitness level in other ways did more work. People content with less fitness… well, that’s their business.

I’m also increasingly calling my twice-daily burpee-based exercise routine calisthenics, though I use weights. The name reflects that the routine includes stretches, abdominal exercises, back exercises, and bicep exercises. I also like that the word calisthenics combines word roots meaning beauty and strength.

• ← How I feel after hard exercise versus watching TV
• An ideal year’s outcome →