My Inc. article today, “2,192 Days of Burpees,” begins

2,192 Days of Burpees

I’ve done burpees every day for the past 6 years, about 85,000 so far. I’m just getting started.

In April 2011, the New York Times Magazine published an article asking fitness experts, “What’s the Single Best Exercise?” In it, Martin Gibala, the chairman of the department of kinesiology at McMaster University, suggested the burpee.

I had to look it up. You drop down, do a push-up, then jump. Pictures and animations here illustrate it. No equipment, gym, spotter, or anything necessary.

Gibala studies high intensity workouts, as his upcoming book, The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That’s Smarter, Faster, Shorter, documents. The article said:

“It builds muscles. It builds endurance.” He paused. “But it’s hard to imagine most people enjoying” an all-burpees program, “or sticking with it for long.”

The Habit Begins

On December 22, 2011, I mentioned the article to a friend. One thing led to another and we decided to do 10 burpees a day for 30 days, checking in by text, email, or phone each day.

Today completes my sixth year of daily burpees. 2,192 days. I’m just getting started.

Read the rest at 2,192 Days of Burpees.

• ← Secret Entourage Academy interviews me on entrepreneurship and leadership
• Leaders Listen: Crossing the Political Divide →