Somewhere around today I hit 60,000 cumulative burpees since starting in December 2011. I don’t keep track rigorously, I only know I haven’t missed a burpee. Sometimes I do a few extra, like to show someone how to do them, if I lose count and want to make sure I do enough, or if I want to make up for eating candy.

What started as ten burpees per day has grown. Then ten was challenging. Now ten is easy. When my skills develop to make a SIDCHA too easy, I make it more challenging. Also, as much as burpees exercise most of your body, they have you push with your arms but not pull. So I added reverse-rows. Also, as my abs got more defined (mainly from diet) I added ab exercises to increase the definition.

So my twice daily workout is

26 burpees

Seated hamstring stretch, hold for sixty breaths (I can’t reach my toes yet)

L-sit (can hold 13 breaths now at half-extension)

Mornings: 50 crunches and 50 bicycle crunches; Evenings: extended elbow plank for 30 breaths, 12 side plank lifts on each side

20 reverse rows

I don’t like using equipment so I count breaths for time, not use a clock. I’d guess a breath is two or three seconds.

The hamstring stretch isn’t because I value flexibility. I started doing it because my lack of flexibility was preventing me from doing an L-sit. I started doing the L-sit because the first ab exercises I tried seemed to hurt my back.

Sickness hasn’t stopped me. I’d say I’m sick less for the exercise and even when I’m sick, it affects me less because I know I’m going to do the burpees anyway. Injuries haven’t stopped me. I find a way to do them.

I find this routine gives me a body I’m proud of. Come to think of it, I have to put a picture to follow up my “Six pack pic for accountability” from over a year ago. Like anyone, I recommend exercise for everyone, but unlike many, I don’t recommend a specific exercise, even the burpee I write about so much. I recommend doing something—anything—regularly, no matter how simple, as long as it has some challenge, and to make it a sidcha by doing it daily without fail. You won’t be able to help yourself improving the routine as you improve your skills and research how to do it better.

Read my weekly newsletter On initiative, leadership, the environment, and burpees Success! Please check your email to confirm your subscription.