Peak Week, Burpees, and the Art of Getting Back Up

This week at TITLE Boxing was Peak Week, the final stretch after three weeks of focused training.

Week one was cardio.

Week two was strength.

Week three was power.

And this week?

All of the above. A lovely little combo platter of sweat, soreness, and survival.

Our local TITLE puts on a challenge: three classes a week for the first three weeks, then four classes during Peak Week. Today marked class number four… and yes, it’s only Thursday. Please clap for me... I need the little extra motivation today.

Let me just say this... the coaches love burpees. Or as they like to rebrand them… sprawls. But listen, just because you call it a sprawl doesn’t mean it’s not a burpee. I see you, TITLE coaches. I know what you’re doing.

Normally, I’d roll my eyes, fake-stretch during half the reps, and mentally chant, “these suck” with every jump. But this week something shifted. I stumbled across a video that said burpees are actually one of the most functional exercises you can do as you age. Not because they’re fun (they’re definitely not), but because they teach you how to fall and, more importantly, how to get back up.

And that hit me. Literally and figuratively.

So instead of hating every second, I tried to see each burpee as a reminder: I can get knocked down and still come back up swinging. Was I breathing heavy? Yes. Did I question my life choices? Also yes. But I did it.

And I know myself. Next week I’ll still complain, and I’ll still try to negotiate my way out of burpee sets with deep sighs and slow water breaks. But I’ll also keep showing up. And maybe that’s the real win.

For now, I’m proud that Peak Week is in the books. I’ll be spending the next few days NOT doing a burpee, NOT thinking about a burpee, and possibly even blocking the word “burpee” from my phone.

Until I inevitably walk into another class. Because apparently I like it here.

Proud, sore, and slightly dramatic about it...

-CC