Tabata

Since this is a favorite thing of mine I'd been meaning to just put a whole thread up dedicated to tabata and just hadn't gotten around to it. I didn't want to derail the motivation thread, so here goes!

Tabata is attributed to Dr. Izumi Tabata and a research team from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. Their study provided documented evidence concerning the benefits of high-intensity intermittent training over a 6 week period. It noted a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity and a 14% increase in ability to consume oxygen by the athletes used in the study. Conclusion, that four minutes of Tabata interval training can do more to boost aerobic and anaerobic capacity than an hour of endurance exercise.

I should note that the Tabata study tested conditioned athletes and utilized a mechanically braked exercise machine. I've heard those machines go in the thousands of dollars, so I just do a bodyweight workout for the most part. I do use things I have like a yoga ball, hand weights and an exercise band to add a little extra.

I didn't have a door leash or attachment for my band, so I made one for quick changes. All you need is some scrap material, I used a piece of webbing for mine...but anything sturdy will do. I cut a 6 inch piece of webbing, folded it in half and looped a pony tail holder around it so it's easy on/easy off with my door and then sewed heavy duty velcro so my band can be released quickly for the next exercises I do. Pony tail holder just keeps it from flying off the door at me.

The basic concept cycles around 20 seconds of max effort followed by a 10 second rest. It's easy to want to overlook the rest periods but they're really important! If you do this in a group setting you can count reps to challenge each other but I solo, so I push for max effort to fail. I'll literally get to where I Can't physically do another {insert exercise here} by the time I hit my 4th Set.

You can use any exercise you want really. Just make sure to get the most muscles going that you can, so on squats do things like raise your arms bending out at the elbows like you're reaching for something.

The most taxing exercise I've ever found is a squat thruster*. You take 2 dumbbells and hold them shoulder height. Squat down and push your butt back, keep weights on the shoulders. Rise up, and then press the bells overhead to a locked-out position. Keep the weight light on this trust me! And when starting out, especially with the weights I wouldn't do this more then once a week. Trust me, my quads still feel like they're going to rip off my legs the day after!

My workout plan goes over a 5 day period.  I run on Saturdays so I technically work out 6 days a week.  I do my hardest tabata on Weds though otherwise my endurance day is more or less shot.  I'm up to daily tabata and some of the exercises are harder for me then others but over time they'll get easier and I can get in more reps.  I do 4 sets, so a 16 minute cycle.  I take off for 1 minute between sets so my workout takes 20 minutes.

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

I run 2 different sets and alternate between them. 20 seconds on each exercise, 10 seconds rest/transition to next exercise.

1- spiderman pushups (you do a pushup and alternate bringing in each leg, so down = leg goes in... up = leg goes out.  looks like spiderman scaling a wall.  Really works core and has helped a lot with my butt)

2- Pistol squats (Right) - left leg off the ground, use arms to balance (held up in front) and squat down.. back up.  (and these are tough... can sub in regular squats though)

3- Side bends with 5# hand weights - can also use a broom. so you get that stretch to the obliques

4- Pistol squats (left)

5- Shoulder press - get in a handstand against a wall and press up and down.

6- Jump squats -  jump up, squat down on landing and repeat.  Swing arms when you jump (kinda like doing a long jump or whatever that was way back in gym class)  extra momentum helps with keeping the motion fluid.

7- Dips - I do mine off a bench, just support your weight and lower yourself and raise back up.  Keep legs straight in front of you.

8- Split jump squats - Little different but I like how these isolate my quads more. 1 leg goes in front and the other behind as you're squatting.. alternate back and forth.  Almost as though you're taking a step forward or backwards, just at the same time with a squat in there.

Set 2 & 4

Squats set: I alternate between 2 exercises under the 20 on 10 off principle for 2 clusters and then switch to the other exercise, so it's 1 min of each exercise vs the 30 seconds my other sets allow.

Chair squats = Feet shoulder width apart just squatting with a chair behind you as a guide so you get the same motion each squat.  Don't sit, just touch the chair with your butt as you come down.  I bring my arms out and in bending at the elbow so they're level with my shoulders. 

Squat Thrusters *see above*

Tuesday - Thursday

When I'm not pushing squats I follow 3 loops.  Loop 1 gets repeated as 1 & 3 and I have 2 alternate ones I follow that replace the squat set for 2&4. 

1- ball squat - place yoga ball behind you on a wall, squat down holding the ball behind you, but not squishing it, and then back up.

2-  hip bridge - lie on back with the yoga ball under your feet, knees bent, raise your hips up, squeeze and keep abs/core tight, then lower.

3- hamstring curls - stay in the same position as hip bridge, may need to adjust feet, use them to pull the ball in to your rear.  Keep core tight and really contract leg muscles to curl the ball.

4- band press - have your exercise band set up to your door.  Make sure it's even and then bend arms at the elbows, hands up near shoulders, palms down.  Press the arms forward, straightening your arms.  hold and then bring them back slowly.

5- shoulder press - release band from door and stand on it.  Hands will be positioned similar to band press, only instead of behind, elbows will be at the sides with knuckles facing the ceiling.  Raise arms straight up, hold and then bring them back down. 

6- arm curls - stay standing on your band.  Position elbows at your sides with your arms bent, and palms facing the ceiling.  Curl your fists up to the shoulders and hold before lowering them back to starting position.

7- curtsy lunges - These are similar to a reverse lunge, however there's a little difference.  Keep knees slightly bent and then move your leg to the rear.  Instead of going straight behind you, cross it to the opposite direction (so right to left and left to right) as if you're doing a curtsy.  Good example on youtube in the Kim Kardashian butt workout clip.

8- bicycle kicks -  lie on back and come up as if you're doing crunches, alternating elbows you touch those to knees as you cycle them like you're pedaling a bicycle.

1-step ups - putting 1 foot on a chair, just step up and tap the chair with your other foot before going down.  I do 1 set of Right then Left so this exercise takes 1 full minute and there's only 7 exercises in this loop.

2-hip thrust - lie on your back, arms along your side, legs straight up in the air.  Raise your hips up (mind your core) and then lower and continue.

3- supermans - lie on your stomach, arms and legs extended to the front/rear.  Curl your body up so you're lifting the hands and feet up.

4- toe touches - lie on your back, hips on the ground but as though you're doing hip thrusts.  Bring your hands in front of you and crunch your body to touch your toes with your fingertips....keep the legs in place though.

5- leg lifts - place your hands back alongside your body, or out to the side if you prefer.  Stay in a 90 degree angle position with your legs and then lower them and raise back up.

6-donkey kicks - Kneel and bring 1 leg up so it is bent.  Kick your heel towards the ceiling and really concentrate on keeping control and squeezing your butt. (I alternate sides so on 2 I do one and 4 the other)

7- hello dolly's - Lie on your back hands along your sides, raise your legs to a 45 degree position.  Hold them together and then bring each heel out putting your legs in a "V" position before bringing them back in.