I hate cardio. There I said it. I really do. I’ve tried all the different ways to make it more interesting. You know the tips listed on the shiny fitness magazines…
“Switch machines for variety!”
“Try this bordem buster cardio workout!”
“This playlist will get you pumped up for your cardio session!”
None of these “tips” do anything for me. They might as well say “Gouge your eye out with a spoon to make your cardio more interesting”. Ok, that might be a little bit of an exageration but you get the point. Of course I still do cardio but I like to get it done in as short of time possible. How do I manage this:
Enter TABATA training! My (and my client’s) lifesaver!
Tabata is a type of workout program that provides similar health benefits to that of cardio workouts, but is shorter and much more intense. Instead of hours upon hours slaving away on a treadmill, Tabata can be completed in 4 minutes. Tabata falls under the category of high intensity training or high intensity interval training.
Tabata was founded by a Japanese scientist named Izumi Tabata and fellow colleagues at a department of physiology in Japan. I could go into more of the history and science behind the intervals but I know you just want to know how it’s going to help you lose weight and get in better shape!
Basically a tabata workout looks like this:
• 20 seconds of intense training
• 10 seconds of rest
• Total of 8 sessions or rounds (4 total minutes)
Simple enough, right? Yes and no. The secret to the workout is the word “intense”. Most people don’t understand how intense the 20 seconds needs to be. You should hold nothing back during those 20 seconds. For this protocol to be effective you MUST give all you have for the 20 seconds and completely rest during the 10 seconds. Many people feel nauseous after these workouts, to which I say “Good job, that’s exactly how you should feel!”
During your next workout give this a try:
5 minutes: warm up
high knees for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
high knees for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
skipping for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
skipping for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
burpees for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
burpees for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
mountain climbers for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
mountain climbers for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest
5 minutes: cool down
The bottomline is that tabata training will
*provide a significant “after burn effect” that primes your body to continue burning fat for hours after completion.
*improves both aerobic and anaerobic capacity, better than steady state cardio.
*provide the best fat burning cardio workout.
So, give it a try and let me know how it went…just try not to puke on your exercise partner!!! 🙂