Tabatas!

This past April I started working with a company called FIT CHICKS, they are a fabulous bunch of chicks who have women only boot camp locations across Canada. I went to school with the head chicks, Laura and Amanda (I was younger than them, still are - ha!  I always thought they were the cool kids in school! 

 

Thinking back to our school days reminds me of when was I a kid, being asked (kind of)  to dance by a boy two grades higher than me, who I had a wicked, heart aching, stand at my Mumsy's window in Blackburn Hamlet waiting for him to deliver the paper, then hide behind the curtains when he walked up the stairs and painfully listened as my Mumsy opened the door and said "oh you’re the boy Roxanne has a crush on, nice to meet you, I am Mrs. D'Amico, would you like some lemonade young man"?  Holy crap-ola, she did not just do that.  There is no way I can get out from behind these curtains and run up the stairs without him seeing me and my giant wedgie from these short - shorts (who the heck thought those looked good on a chubby kid in grade 6???…)   At the dance, I only wanted to dance with him.  I wanted it so bad, like almost crying bad and my heart would stop beating right that minute if it didn't happen.  A girlfriend walked over to him and after some persuasion from her, I saw him walk across the gym floor towards me (wtf this was not happening!  He was coming straight for me, OMG, OMG!) and I bolted it into the girls locker room. I hid from him until the knocking on the change room door stopped, Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi finished and then the cool - sweet sound of Michael Jackson singing Black or White came on…not that that, umm, ever really happened to me…….Ok, ok, it totally happened and to this day I regret hiding and my face still turns bright red at the thought of it…**sigh**

 

Not that Laura or Amanda have ever asked me to dance…. (Yet! Ha!)  I love working with them and feel that they are super encouraging and great role models! I don’t run away and hide when I see them but I do get excited and super pumped to keep teaching my classes in Kanata!

 

I teach the bootcamp on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Kanata and have a blast doing it!  Not only do I get to meet super awesome chicks on my neighbouhood, I get to push them to work their hardest, make them sweat, all while they are giving me nasty looks as I do the 5 second count-down, which is actually 10 seconds (a little trainer secret we like to do, muhahaha!) One of my favourite workouts, which we did last night are called Tabatas.

 

Tabatas are made up of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This cycle is repeated 8 times (for a total of 4-minutes).

 

You can do any exercise for tabatas!

-high knees

-sprints

-burpees

-jumping jacks

-plank jacks

-jump lunges

-squat jumps

-mountain climbers

 

During the 20 seconds of exercise, you have to push it as hard as you can, then you recover for 10 seconds and repeat.  This is an amazing way to get your heart rate up, improve your endurance and burn some calories!  In between sets of tabatas (I like to do at least 4 or 5 different sets of tabatas) I like to take a minute and some strength training.  When we strength train, we have to make the most of it!  So you aren't going to be doing just bicep curls, you will do bicep curls with a super low squat (working two major muscle groups)  You have to make every minute of your workout count, always incorporate two major muscle groups while doing strength.

 

Here's a 30 min workout that will get  you sweating, heart racing and feeling energized and super proud of yourself when you are done!

 

 

30 Minute Tabatas Workout!

 

Warm-Up, 5 minutes: Start with slowly jogging on the spot, moving your arms across yourself so you feel like you are hugging yourself, move your hips in circles and do the same with your neck.

 

First set of Tabatas - 4 minutes - High knees.  Time yourself for 20 seconds, push it as hard as you can, running on the spot with your knees up as high as you can get them!  It's only 20 seconds, you can do it!  Rest for 10 seconds, repeat 7 more times.

 

Strength - 1 minute - Super low squat with bicep curl.  When you do a squat you want to make sure your bum is out and your knees DO NOT go over your toes. Your elbows should be resting on your knees while you do the bicep curl.

 

Second Set of Tabatas - 4 minutes - Mountain Climbers.  Time yourself for 20 seconds, push it as hard as you can.  You are running on the spot, knees high, moving your arms up and down above your head, using your hands to grab the invisible mountain and climb up it!  It's only 20 seconds, you can do it!  Rest for 10 seconds, repeat 7 more times.

 

Strength - 1 minute - Standard Push-Ups.  Hands are under your shoulders, you can be on your knees or your toes, just make sure that your back is flat, it's not supposed to curve in or out.  Go as far down to the mat as you can, then push yourself back up.

 

Third Set of Tabatas - 4 minutes - Burpees. Time yourself for 20 seconds, push it as hard as you can.  To do a burpee, you start off standing up, jump up, then go down into a push up like position, push your legs out, bring them back in, them jump back up.  It's only 20 seconds, you can do it!  Rest for 10 seconds, repeat 7 more times.

 

(you should be sweating profusely at this point and pushing it as hard as you can!)

 

Strength - 1 minute - Lunges with hammer curl.  How to do a lunge: Step forward with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot. Lower body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Take your hand weights, have your arms parallel to the floor and bring them up to your chest, then back down. Return to original standing position by forcibly extending hip and knee of forward leg. Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite leg.

 

Fourth Set of Tabatas - 4 minutes - Sprints.  Time yourself for 20 seconds, push it as hard as you can. Pick a point and run to it as fast as you can for 20 seconds. It's only 20 seconds, you can do it!  Rest for 10 seconds, repeat 7 more times.

 

Strength - 1 minute - Basic Crunch.  Lie on your back (on the mat or on the floor) and bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. Place your hands by your ears.  Keeping your lower back on the floor, curl your shoulders forward by slowly lifting your head, shoulders, and upper back. Breathe out as you lift and breathe in as you lower down to tense the abdominals. To keep your head in line with your spine, maintain a space the size of your closed fist under your chin.

 

Cool down!  Spend 5 minutes walking on the spot to safely bring your heart rate down, doing some leg and arm stretches to help your tired and sore muscles.

 

Way to go!  I am sure you are sweating (I like to call it a glow) and feel like you want to puke and or punch me in the face, that's ok!  That means you had a super awesome workout and will continue to burn calories for the rest of the day!