Tabata interval training developed by Japan’s fitness researcher Izumi Tabata, is a high intensity workout of eight full speed sprints for 20 seconds with 10 second rest periods. One interval takes 4 minutes. It has been tried, tested and found to be highly effective for raising endurance levels of sprinters and athletes that are already highly conditioned. It was observed that after a five day routine perfrmed for six weeks, athletes increased their aerobic capacity – the ability to consume oxygen by the body – by as much as 14%.

One of the hardest aspects of performing a tabata workout is staying focused for the full four minutes. As explained above, it only takes 6 to 8 very hard 20 second intervals with 10 second rest periods to substantially improve both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Dr. Tabata’s study proves this. Tabata also found that short-term intense interval training is highly effective in lowering the ratio of lean body mass to fat without compromising muscle size.

This interval training method is an intense and quick workout routine but very effective.The entire routine lasts only about 4 minutes if performed correctly. The rest period can be complete rest or a less intense pace. Tabata intervals are a great way of getting a very intense workout in a very short period of time. I’m sure you’ll feel like twenty seconds has never felt so long, 10 seconds never so short and four minutes never so painful!

Here is a sample Tabata workout that consists of 4 Tabata intervals, it will last for 16 minutes. For example you can do the following exercises, each exercise will take you 4 minutes:

* push-ups
* sit-ups
* squats
* burpees

The Gymboss Timer is an excellent Tabata interval timer which sends out alerts allowing you to concentrate on your workout. This was my workout for 19th Feb. 2011.

Originally posted 2011-09-29 08:58:19.

Not, I was going to make this evenings workout an HIIT workout but unfortunately I’d forgotten to charge a battery for the gymboss timer. I’d wanted to make this evenings workout bodyweight only as I’d done a kettlebell workout yesterday, since I’d also no battery for the mp3 player (I could have put a DVD on but wanted to workout outdoors), I was left with the deck of cards. This evenings workout was a deck of cards workout. I worked through the deck twice.

First deck was:

Spades = crunches
Diamonds = Jumping Jacks
Hearts = push-ups
Clubs = squat thrusts

Second deck was:

Spades = rustys
Diamonds = quantum jumps
Hearts = push-ups
Clubs = squat thrusts

Repetitions
ace = 11 reps
2 = 2 reps
3 = 3 reps and so on
Jack = 11 reps
Queen = 12 reps
King = 13 reps
Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

Originally posted 2009-06-13 19:07:31.

This bodyweight only workout was my workout for 02/04/2011.

200 Punches
100 Squat With a Kick
150 Push-Ups
150 Squats
100 Sit-ups
80 Squat Thrusts
60 Elephants

If you’re pressed for time and can’t get to the gym, bodyweight exercises are just what you need.

These exercises aren’t a substitute for a ‘real’ workout they are a ‘real’ workout. If you put in the effort these exercises can completely change your body all on their own. And fast.

Once you start learning about all the different body weight exercises you can do, you’ll see there are endless ways to put bodyweight exercises into routines..

Some great bodyweight exercises you can use include:

Bodyweight squats.
Pushups.
Lunges (forward, reverse, walking, jumping in place).
Mountain climbers.
Jumping Jacks.
Leg raises.
Squat thrusts.
Burpee.

Many bodyweight exercises have a lot of variations. Take the pushup, for example – regular, hands close together, one handed, spiderman pushups, feet elevated pushups, etc. There are hundreds of bodyweight exercises available.

Using your bodyweight alone, you can get your heart rate up, your blood pumping, and get yourself breathing heavily a lot quicker than you’d think.

You can combine the exercises in any way you see fit and adjust the number of reps based on your current ability.

Sample bodyweight workout. Start anywhere and work through:
20 Bodyweight Squats.
20 Pushups.
Plank hold of 30 seconds.
20 Mountain Climbers.
20 Burpees.
20 Jumping Jacks.
20 Sit-ups.
20 Squat Thrusts.
20 Lunges (ten per leg).
Repeat 3 to 4 times.

If you just want a quick and “easy” leg workout try seeing how many bodyweight squats you can do before the burn in your legs forces you to stop.

This was my workout for January 18th 2011.

Todays workout was just a light one before sitting down to dinner. Snow is still thick on the ground so I went into the workshop at work and with my new heavy duty wire jump rope and Gymboss Timer, I jumped rope for 12×2 minute rounds with 30 seconds of ab work inbetween rounds. I followed this up with 10 sets of 25 push ups, alternating sets between hands wide apart, hands at shoulder width and hands together. Merry xmas.

Starting with any exercise perform:

50 Burpees
50 Squats
50 Sit-ups
50 Thrusters
50 Elephants
50 Walking Lunges
50 Push-ups
50 Tuck Jumps

Grab a quick drink and work through it again.

This was my workout for 2nd December 2010.

You don’t always need to use traditional exercise equipment and training routines in your workout program, as there are many great “alternative” training methods. One of my favourite “alternative” workout tools is the sledgehammer, although this is the first time in ages that I’ve used it. Using my 14lb sledgehammer and 20kg kettlebell after a quick warm up I performed:

* 10 sledge swings from each side x 2 (total of 20 each side)
* 20 2 handed kettlebell swings
* 15 incline push-ups (feet resting on the bottom of my free standing punch bag)

* 90 seconds rest

* 20 sledge swings from each side
* 10 kettlebell swings with each hand
* 15 incline push-ups

* 90 seconds rest

* 15 sledge swings from each side x 2 (total of 30 each side)
* 30 2 handed kettlebell swings
* 15 incline push-ups

* 90 seconds rest

* 30 sledge swings from each side
* 15 kettlebell swings with each hand
* 15 incline push-ups
* Grab a drink and cool down.

This was my workout for July 15th 2010.

For this evenings workout I put together an upper body workout made up of burpees, push ups and bag work. After a warm up. I started with one five minute round of 30 seconds of burpees followed by 30 seconds of shadow boxing. For the first five minutes I concentrated on getting as many burpees into the 30 seconds as possible (10 per 30 seconds). Then after a quick drink, I did another five minutes of the same this time taking it a little easier on the burpees (8 per 30 seconds) but going a little harder on the shadow boxing. I then did 20 0f each of the following push ups interspersed with 30 second rounds on the bag.

1. Standard
2. Wide
3. Bosu
4. One Leg Up (10 with one up and 10 with the other)
5. Diamond
6. Hindu
7. Kempo
8. Robot
9. Three count
10. Inclined (with my feet on the base of the bag)
11. The Pit push up. One set, of one then two then three and so on up to a ten no rest in between push ups, basicly one set of 55 pushups.
12. 20 right hand up followed by 20 left hand up.

Then after a quick drink 3 two minute rounds on the bag.

Finally after another quick drink starting from five and working up to ten clap pushups with jogging on the spot between sets for active rest.

For this evenings workout I ran to the local football pitch and worked through a couple of decks of cards.

Suits
* Spades = Sit ups
* Hearts = Push ups
* Diamonds = Hindu Squats
* Clubs = Squat Thrusts

Repetitions
* ace = 11 reps
* 2 = 2 reps
* 3 = 3 reps and so on
* Jack = 11 reps
* Queen = 12 reps
* King = 13 reps
* Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

Completed twice.

The deck of cards workout is one of my staples, they’re cheap, natural, you can do them anywhere and most of all, they’re effective. A no nonsense workout that works!

Todays workout was a deck of cards workout.

Suits
* Spades = Bicycle Crunchies
* Hearts = Push-ups
* Diamonds =Star Jumps
* Clubs = Squat Thrusts

Repetitions
* ace = 11 reps
* 2 = 2 reps
* 3 = 3 reps and so on
* Jack = 11 reps
* Queen = 12 reps
* King = 13 reps
* Joker = 25 of the previous exercise.

I worked through the deck of cards twice for a total of 908 exercises, I know I keep banging on about it but make no mistake about it, there really are few routines that are as challenging as a deck of cards workout. Don’t rest between exercises and only have a very short rest between decks.