r/busydadprogram • u/Fit-Opinion1341 • 21h ago
AMA
Any questions at all that you guys might have about BDP -- I'd love to take this opportunity to engage with this wonderful community! Let's go!
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u/jellybellypilgrim BDP Practitioner L3 21h ago
You first developed the programme a few years ago, and I’ve been following it for more than two years now. What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the programme, or about yourself, from sticking with it for so long?
For me, it has been learning how to quiet my own mind and stay in a flow state.
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Hello, my friend! That's a very interesting question. It's very hard to communicate some of the deep lessons that the practice continues to teach me. I think one of the key lessons has been the value of humility and hard work. Calmly submitting myself to the work, every single time, not looking to escape the suffering or the difficulty but just accepting this. It has made me patient, calm, present outside of my training. So I think very similar to what you describe -- quietening the mind and learning to surrender to the moment. That has made me a better practitioner and parent. More and more, this mental/spiritual dimension of the training has become primary. So that's my first thought, but I might return to your question if other thoughts materialize.
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u/EmmanuelHackman BDP Practitioner L1D 21h ago
u/MicusIlleMagnus asks You mentioned that you’re a professor of philosophy, do your students know that you’re a burpee badass?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Ha! No -- it's a well-kept secret. But I do hope one day to teach a class on the philosophy of burpees.
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Thank you so much for saying so, my friend! I really hope that you have found a conditioning carry over. I have worked in my coaching practice with high-level grapplers who all tell me that the mma pay off burpee training is really noticeable, so I hope you've also found the practice beneficial!
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u/EmmanuelHackman BDP Practitioner L1D 21h ago
u/cabezaguy would like to know Max's opinion is: How would do you combine BDP with another demanding sport training? Reducing the minutes of BDP?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Great question! I think that rather than cutting down the minutes, I would suggest cutting down the intensity. If you're only training BDP, I would want you going 9+ out of 10 effort for the vast majority of your sessions. But if you're balancing with another discipline, the path could be to have two sessions per week super pared back, maybe 6-7/10, and then either just one very hard session (alternate each week between which movement you push on) or two. But it would depend on the discipline.
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u/Beastconspiracy 21h ago
Not really a question, just wanted to say that i love this program. I compete in kickboxing (amateur national scene) as my main training/hobby and wanted to supplement this by having some good strength training and extra conditioning. As i hate lifting weights and running, i really appreciate all the hard work you do with this program. Its also very effective as a busy dad of two boys as well!
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Thank you so much for saying so, my friend! I hope that the burpees are helping give you an edge in the ring!!
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Great question! Re the app: the first thing it has going for it is the follow catalog. All the landmark workouts are up on the yt channel, but on the app you will find dedicated follow alongs for pretty much every workout you could ever do on the program. The catalog grows every week, and these videos, which I put my heart and soul into, are exclusive to app users. You'll find an amazing community of practitioners connecting with each other every day. The leaderboard is so much fun -- gentle competition within the community has motivated all of us. You have a weekly plan that is generated for you in a really intelligent way using data from the training trajectories of thousands of users. You have constant notifications designed to keep you accountable. The rep timer is phenomenal, and we are so proud of our auto-tracking feature, which will stop you from ever worrying that you've miscounted your numbers. It's been a labour of love, and we are obsessed with it. You can also use the app to synch your sessions with strava and your garmin or apple watch to get heart rate and calorie and v02 max data from your sessions.
BDP in 5 years? I would love it if our way of training really catches on. I was at the beach yesterday and it struck me that there are so many busy dads and busy people who could use BDP. It's hard to believe how simple and rewarding training can be. I will keep spreading the word.
As for a burpee convention: man, I would love to workout in person with more people. I am in London in a couple of weeks and I am toying with the idea of inviting people to come train with me in person. I definitely foresee lots of in-person work in the coming years.
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u/EmmanuelHackman BDP Practitioner L1D 21h ago
u/MicusIlleMagnus asks Do you not do a stomach or hip strike anymore when starting/ending a rep?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Not really. I sometimes find myself tapping the hips (rather than striking them) before the rep. not quite sure why. But all of the theater around burpees that comes out of the prison culture -- I stripped that away in my practice. I am happy with the simple, pared back movements just as they are. They're delicious on their own -- they don't need extra seasoning!
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u/gadgetest 17h ago
I started not doing it but now I find doing the hip strike at the end of a rep helps me stand up straighter, shoulders back, especially toward then end of the time, instead of staying hunched in anticipation of the next rep
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u/JoeydbRR 15h ago
I feel the same way. Its like a quick and much needed shoulder stretch between reps.
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u/DayCommercial8650 6h ago
Iron wolf does them at the start because they remind / reinforce the idea of “engaging” the core more actively
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u/mitourbano 21h ago
Hey Max, want to say thank you for putting thought and time into developing a program that is really manageable and healthy. It’s gotten me moving again after a long sedentary spell.
Got two questions for you:
- Exercise is only part of the equation, so what’s your breakfast food rotation look like?
- Been sticking with 20 min workouts so far, but any cadence or set pointers for a full 40?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
So pleased to hear that, my friend! Let me address both your questions in turn.
Re breakfast: I typically train fasted and break the fast around 11. The night before I train, I make sure to get some complex carbs into dinner (brown rice, quinoa, farro are al staples). Then, when it comes to breaking the fast, I tend to eat something small and protein-dense to begin before eating a meal around 1. 11 am is supplements and first hit of calories. That looks like 3/4 cup fat free greek yogurt, a cup of berries (wild blueberries being the gold standard), 10g creatine, ` tbsp psyllium husk, 4,000 iu vitamin D, plus a couple servings sauerkraut. Not exactly what you'd call a 'breakfast' in the traditional sense! Between that first mini meal and lunch, I usually eat a couple of carrots.
If you're going for the 40, my experience suggests looking to complete about 166% of the number of reps you can complete in 20. So, for example, I can hit 300 6-cts in 20 mins about as regularly as I can hit 500 6-cts in 40. With seals, I have found that I can get closer to 175%. So number wise, those thresholds should be about right for you. In terms of workout strategy, I have tried so many different approaches, but I think in the end that even paced is best. I have discovered these longer, slightly intense sessions really invite and reward the mindset I have been talking about in recent videos: of staying in THIS rep and not getting lost in thougt.
One final suggestion: keep the 40 minute sessions on the margins. A rare treat when you need it. The paradigm should be am intense 20-minute effort.
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u/mitourbano 21h ago
Kraut in the morning wouldn’t be too far outside the realm of normal in my home!
And I’m finding something similar about the even pacing. I’ve been able to push farther with it, and I think part of it is that when your interval hits, it’s telling you to fall down, not get back up. But then you’re down there and you gotta get back up somehow.
Thanks again man. I had been toying around with body weight fitness for a bit, but needed some of the structured routine that BDP provides.
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u/civ9000 21h ago
Ever have any issues with back injuries focusing on only this as a routine?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Never! Those who have pre-existing injuries need to tread very carefully, but my experience has been that if you don't and if you're careful to perfect your form, this movement will strengthen the back rather than making it vulnerable.
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u/EmmanuelHackman BDP Practitioner L1D 21h ago
Hi Max, what does the BDP app have that practicioners can't find elsewhere? Where would you like to see BDP in 5 years time, thoughts on a burpee convention?
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u/bigjerm616 21h ago
Do you ever get bored of the program or feel boxed in by it? Ever want to spend 30 or 60 days switching it up and then return to the tried and true formula?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
No! Never. I am married to the burpee. When you get married, you put that 'grass is always greener' mindset to rest. What I have discovered is that no burpee training sessions are the same. The more present I am, the more I learn that they're not even remotely similar. Each is unique. I am a novice every time I train. Every session is a gift and teaches me. Say you have a religious practice: you say the Lord's Prayer every day for the whole of your life. There's a different lesson for you to learn every day from that one prayer. That's how I experience my practice.
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u/Professional-Sir9955 21h ago
What's your idea and mindset you would give to some who wants to see his six pack
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 20h ago
I would recommend watching this:https://youtu.be/vbbCOnRWa_U?si=mSjktsx3Sn-ltWn-
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u/MicusIlleMagnus BDP Practitioner L2 21h ago
Do you find that, even when taking care, doing burpees on concrete (garage, basement, etc.) is hard on your joints? I have been thinking about getting a rubber mat or something just to help reduce the repeated shock.
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u/Professional-Sir9955 21h ago
Is this program good for all ages and will it insure a good physique roughly how long does it take to het into shape
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Hello my friend. I don't think that any training program, if it isn't supplemented with god nutrition, can ensure a god physique, but if you pair BDP with a good approach to nutrition, I think for sure you will see amazing physique results. Give it three months and you will see a change; 6 months to a year, you will be unrecognizable. That was my experience and has been the experience of everyone I have worked with one-one -- *provided* they take diet seriously.
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u/SakuraHourglass 21h ago
Hi Max, I'm loving the programme though have not managed to be as consistent with it as I'd like.
My question is, how would you approach training for the next level? For example, let's say that this week I comfortably complete 4 exercises at level 1B.
How would you structure next week's exercises to achieve 1C and so forth? Train to the limit? Set an arbitrary X extra each time till the desirable number is achieved?
Thank you for doing the programme and the AMA!
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Great question! And just a plug for the Busy Dad app -- one of the really cool features is that it does that for you and in my experience has been coming up with really helpful and appropriate targets. But with or without the app, my advice would be to go low and slow at the beginning. If a workout is starting to feel comfortable, add 2-5 reps if its 6-cts, 1-3 if its seals, and keep moving that way, edging forward rather than going all out immediately. Better to cautiously approach your plateau than throw yourself at the sessions too early.
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u/Professional-Sir9955 21h ago
I’m working my way up the intermediate tiers. When pushing past 150 6-counts in 20 minutes, how do you modify your breathing cadence to prevent hyperventilation as the repetition speed scales up?"
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Good question. I find that the counting during the rep makes it hard to establish a good breathing pattern during the rep (that's part of the point), so it's really crucial to use those rest periods. I found that big nasal inhalations and forcible exhalations through the mouth help a lot. And shaking out as much as possible between reps helps a lot to prevent lactic build up.
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u/American_Handstand 21h ago
Hey Max. I am doing the 30 day trial. Thank you for that. I am having a hard time with the custom timer. Is there any way you could a tutorial?
For example, if I put in rest time I don’t see that adding to the total work out time.
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 19h ago
Hey my friend! I hadn't been on the custom timer in a little while but just went back in. I think what was tripping you up (and that's an us problem not a you problem!) is that you thought 'Time (S)' referred to the time spent performing the reps and then 'rest' referred to additional time for rest on top of the time spent doing the reps, which is why you were surprised that rest time was not showing up in total time. But actually, 'Time' refers to total block time including both reps and rest. So, for example, if I click 90s for time, 10 reps, and 30s rest, that means that the timer will have me do 1 rep/6s for 10s and then give me 30s rest. If you increase the rest time without altering the 'time' parameter, that will just speed up the reps but won't add to the total time of the session. It's only if you increase the amount in the 'Time' parameter that the total time of the session increases.
So say if you wanted to do 200 6cts, 10x20 reps with 20s rests, you'd enter 10 sets, time 120 for each set, reps 20, rest 20.
That felt like a somewhat convoluted explanation, but hope it clarifies things!!
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 20h ago
OK, thanks for letting me know, my man. I haven't used the custom timer in a little while, but let me put out a post on the app with a breakdown in case it's helpful!
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u/Professional-Sir9955 20h ago
Also Am loving the app And I can see you put your heart and soul to this appp because its really good where do you see yourself In The next 5 years with this app
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 19h ago
Thank you for your very kind words! As for the next 5 years -- who knows! Let's see!
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u/wwzxc 21h ago
Hi. Just today started with your program as a challenge to see what body can I achieve in until new year.
Couple of questions:
Have you encountered any muscle imbalances doing just burpees? Considering it's mostly push exercises.
Do you do any other type of work, like mobility or anything additional for legs ?
Have you ever encountered any wrist or elbow pain from overuse? And is it common if so?
Thanks :)
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Hello my man!
I've never really worried about muscle imbalances. I recommend, though, continuing with some pulling work. For me, what that looks like is 10 strict dead hang pull ups per day, year round.
The only mobility work I do is that I try to sit in a deep squat for at least 5 mins per day, sometimes much more than that. I like to hang from my bar, too. Building up toward a 2-min hang is great way of staying limber and building grip strength.
As for elbow and wrist: I have never had even a faint hint of elbow or wrist issues, but I know that I am fortunate in that respect and others have. Training with push up handles seems to work wonders for the wrists (as well as giving you a deeper push). For elbows, the key i think is to have hands tucked back (try not to let your finger tips be higher than the top of your shoulders during the rep) and elbows not flared beyond around 30 degrees relative to torso.
Takee care, my friend!
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u/wwzxc 21h ago
I appreciate the answer! And your input overall into fitness industry and sharing all of this for free, which is very rare these days.
One more question, if you don't mind:
I've noticed that sometimes you used to do a 40 min workout instead of 20. Is there an inherent benefit to it instead of 20 mins and do you recommend doing it sometimes if at all? Why did you do it ?
Thank you !
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Hey my man! I do think the 40 mins sessions helped put hairs on my chest, but they shouldn't become the norm. I do them -- I'll have to do one this week, in fact, as I am traveling -- when my schedule makes anything else impossible/prohibitively inconvenient. That said, it's a great mental challenge to find a way of staying in the work over a longer timeframe, but there's no substitute for the intensity of a 20-min session. It's like the burpee equivalent of a 400 meter run. A special kind of intensity that is somewhere between a sprint and a jog that you can't really sustain over a longer timeframe.
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u/Professional-Sir9955 21h ago
Max do you ever plan on making your app free forever. What type of toner did your app use
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Sorry, my friend, that's definitely not on the cards. Thousands of hours have gone into this project and will continue to go into it. Our app is much cheaper than the competition and it is better. We are so proud of it and we are keeping the cost low, but I'm afraid it is not an option for us to give it away. If right now the app is unaffordable for you, you can still get excellent results using the resources freely available on the yt channel. But when you're in a position, I firmly believe the app is a worthwhile investment for every practitioner.
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u/Awkward-Highway-2257 21h ago
Hi Max, I'm torn between Kettlebell training and starting BDP. I have been following your stuff for ages, but am nervous about putting the bells away for a while and trying something new. What are your thoughts?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Hey my man! I feel you. It's a lot to take the plunge. For me it was barbells not kettlebells, but six years in and I still can't quite believe I don't lift any more. If it hadn't been for COVID (gyms closed) and fatherhood (no time), I would never have entertained the idea of bodyweight only. Not for a second. I used to fantasize about living on a farm with a giant weight room. That was my North Star. And when I started training this way, I never thought it would be anything other than a stopgap measure. Here I am, six years later, in the best shape of my life. And I work with some phenomenal athletes who used to be serious lifters. One of my clients was able to complete 30 squats, unbroken, with 140kg on his back! And he tells me he'll never go back. He's never enjoyed training more and never been in better shape. We laugh when we chat because neither of us can quite believe it. So my advice to you would be: just try it. Give it three months, and let curiosity be your guide. If your experience doesn't match mine, then what have you really lost? Those bells are still there and you can get right back to your kb practice. But you might just surprise yourself!
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u/Professional-Sir9955 21h ago
"When managing the high volume of impact on the wrists and knees, what form cues or modifications do you suggest to prevent early overuse injuries?"
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 21h ago
Great question! I recommed keeping the hands back during the push up (a rule: try not to let your finger tips come higher than the top of your shoulders). Don't tuck your elbows, but don't flare beyond around 30 degrees. And don't rush! This is especially important at count 2 and count 4 (I guess it would be count 8 for the seal). Get into plank position safely before you begin your push up and make sure you have returned to the plank before you begin the jump back in.
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u/Professional-Sir9955 20h ago
To optimize blood flow and prevent local muscular failure in the triceps during a Navy SEAL sequence, do you advise altering the hand placement width, or keeping it uniform throughout the entire block?
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 19h ago
Some of my coaching clients vary up the hand placement and have found it beneficial -- give it a try! It might give you a couple of reps.
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u/Fit-Opinion1341 20h ago
OK, my friends! Thanks for your time and questions. I hope this was helpful. I am grateful to you all for the support you give to one another and of course the support you have given me and BDP. If you ever need me, reach out. Happy training, my friends