Ever heard of tabata? For those that have, you are probably up to speed with the current fitness trends. If you hate mundane cardio, this is definitely the workout for you. It is extremely fast paced, torches calories at an extremely high level and is versatile; ergo exciting!
Tabata is a branch off of the old HIIT tree (high intensity interval training). This quick exercise is ideal for when you are short on time as it is a total of 4 minutes. 4 minutes… what can you really get done in 4 minutes many people ask? This is no “half ass” messing around and going about leisurely type of workout. You must use maximum effort to essentially reach complete exhaustion.
These 4 minutes consist of 20sec on of EXTREMELY high intensity and 10sec of rest for a total of 8 rounds. So why is tabata useful? You are essentially targeting multiple muscles with these full body exercises thus building your endurance level. You simultaneously build muscle, burn fat AND you continue to burn fat after your workout. Every workout is a different experience and I add my own personal flare by adjusting the time sequences and the amount of exercises I incorporate. Now for the fun part… my version of tabata.
Get ready to sweat, torch calories and be out of breath!
- Always start with a 10min warmup (I enjoy the stair-master at a high incline)
- Utilize the interval timer app (free from App Store) to keep your timing on track
- Choose 3 exercises: 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off for 3 rounds. Then continue to pick a new set of 3 exercises till you end up with a workout consisting of 5 specialized circuits.
Circuit 1: – (30sec on 15sec off) up down planks, scissor kicks and burpee’s (3 rounds)
Circuit 2: – (30sec on 15sec off) mountain climbers, Russian twists and high knees (3 rounds)
Circuit 3: – (30sec on 15sec off) Push ups, lunges and jump squats (3 rounds)
Circuit 4: – (30sec on 15sec off) walkouts, squat and press and jumping jacks (3 rounds)
Circuit 5: – (30sec on 15sec off) v sit ups, bicycles and lunge hops (3 rounds)
thepapayaperception 