I did nearly 100 yards of burpee broad jumps every day for a week — here's what happened to my body

Tom's Guide

6 days ago

If you've ever done a Hyrox before, you'll be very familiar with an exercise called the burpee broad jump (BBJ). It tests endurance and explosive power by combining a big jump forward with a burpee. I decided to do 80 meters (about 262 feet) of them every day, and here's what I learned pretty early on.
But before we (quite literally) jump into it, you might be wondering why anyone would want to commit to meters of burpee broad jumps for seven days. Well, I have now completed two Hyrox mixed doubles, and I can tell you that this is one station you want to get right.
There's a technique to them, and to get the 80 meters done fast (without a penalty for not meeting BBJ standards), you'll need to get tactical, whether you're going at it alone or with a partner. Without the pressure of a crowd, I thought it was about time to test myself — and get some practice in.
As a trainer, I've seen my fair share of this exercise over the years. But Hyrox provides a BBJ standard that all participants must adhere to. Fail that, you may get a warning; mess it up again, and you get a distance penalty.
So, what are the Hyrox standards?
Nothing prepares you for this exercise, and if you don't pace yourself from the start, you'll get gassy fast.
Yes, I did try to do the 80 meters as fast as I could (I timed myself every day), but I also balanced this with a consistent pace. There's no point going super speedy early on, just to slow to a halt halfway through.
I did manage the 80 meters every time, but my heart rate spiked wildly, and my entire body felt it the next day. Honestly, this is one station during Hyrox that puts you in the pain cave, so get used to this feeling.
On race day, if you compete in a Hyrox with a partner, you can split the distance on a you-go-I-go basis, however you like. I was going at it alone, so I didn't get this luxury. That meant pace meant everything, and I learned quickly to go at a slightly slower pace than I'm used to. Tactical.
One way to manage energy is to go for shorter jumps. Sure, it technically makes sense to opt for bigger jumps to cover more distance, but this requires more power from your body, exerting you even more.
You can also step up from the bottom of each burpee (one leg at a time, but you must jump both feet back and land with them parallel) if you prefer, which conserves some much-needed energy. I did the step-up, which preserved my legs.
I quite enjoy burpee broad jumps — it fits well with my workout style, as I'm short and nippy and enjoy gymnastics and calisthenics. That said, 80 meters of anything is a challenge, whether that's sprinting or jumping. I had to really dig deep to want to get it done every day while balancing work, my dog and a regular exercise routine.
But that's the beauty of a fitness challenge — you can build a lot of mental fortitude by committing to hard things and doing exercise you dislike from time to time.
I felt a sense of achievement after I'd completed a week, and even managed to up my pace a little, fine-tune my technique and find some extra power from my wobbly legs, because I'd ironed out previous mistakes I'd made throughout the week — and learned from them.
I feel a little more prepared for this station come my next Hyrox, when (luckily) I'll get to share the work with my partner. This is a really helpful tip I learned from a Hyrox trainer: do more in training than you need to do on race day. Cover extra distances, move faster, add extra reps or weights. It all pays off in the end.
If you have a Hyrox coming up, you'll need a Hyrox plan in place rather than repeating the same exercises every day. That will include a mix of longer and shorter runs, strength work and practicing your weakest stations. However, for a fitness challenge? Why not.
Remember to warm up using a short mobility routine that targets your hips, knees, ankles and shoulders. Then, work on opening up your hamstrings using movements like inchworms. Cool down with some light stretching, unless you're heading straight into your workout routine.