Here are a few things you may or may not know about me.
I like boxing for fitness
I like the tabata protocol
Strangely enough I like boxing tabatas!
If the word ‘Tabata’ is foreign to you then all you need to know for now is that you are going to work as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat this eight times.
Sounds easy enough right? Well done at the recommended intensity, tabatas are a sure fire way to kick your butt in a hurry. Not only that but they will also get you fit in a hurry and have you dropping those unwanted kilos before you know it.
I’m going to keep things short today and let the video do the talking. Make sure you watch it to the end to see just how effective this four minutes can be.
In one of my recent posts I mentioned that if you are short of time and can only do three, half hour, sessions per week that one of these sessions should be an interval sprint session.
Now running doesn’t agree with a lot of people (neither do I for that matter!!) so the sprint session doesn’t just have to be running. What we want to do is get the heart rate and intensity elevated quite high and then have a rest. So you can do this on the track, in the pool, on a bike or if you’re mad : burpees! It doesn’t really matter what the input is as long as the output is high.
These sprint/interval type sessions have been shown in a lot of research that it can be up to NINE TIMES more effective for fat loss over steady state or endurance training.
Put in the extra effort and you will have your body’s metabolism revved up for 24-36 hours after you have left the gym.
Just a quick word of caution though. Don’t go overboard with this type of training. Too much of a good thing can easily make it bad (think red wine). If you overdo these intervals (more than say three times per week) then you run the risk of injury and burning out. Incorporate it with the rest of your training and you’ll be fine.
Here are a few quick samples of how to set up your session. Remember that you need to do a proper warm up prior to going crazy at it.
Session One
2 minute warm up (specific to your task after your general warm up)
30 seconds hard (8-9/10 Perceived Rate of Excursion) : 90 seconds easy (3-4/10) x 8
3 minute cool down
Session Two
2 minute warm up (specific to your task after your general warm up)
120 seconds hard (7/10) : 120 seconds easy (4-5/10) x 4
3 minute cool down
Session Three (specific to your task after your general warm up)
2 minute warm up
60 seconds hard (8/10) : 120 seconds easy (5/10) x 6
3 minute cool down
Try to increase your intensity with each session either by increasing the level or the speed on the hard section of the interval. You will be rewarded with a new level of fitness and a leaner, toned body.
Do you have a favourite sprint or interval session that you do? Let us know about it in the comment section below.
You know, it really bugs me when people say that they don’t have enough time to train. I can vouch for the fact that time is a very valuable commodity, in fact it is probably one of the most valuable to me at the moment.
But here’s the thing. You don’t need to be spending hours upon hours in the gym. If you are doing nothing, then simply doing something will be better. If you can spare 30 minutes 3-4 times per week then you can still make improvements by increasing your fitness, increasing your strength and burning more fat. Not to mention that by exercising with some intensity you will become more efficient at work, have more energy and decrease your own (and the nations) healthcare costs. Not bad for a few investments of 30 minutes hey?
So what do I do in 30 minutes that will help me to get leaner, stronger, fitter and sexier?
Well I would break it down like this.
If you can only do three days, then one day would be interval sprint session (bike, running, swimming doesn’t matter), day two would be the Killer Upper Body Workout (video below) and day three would be a full body circuit.
If you can get the four days in there I would simply double up on one of the workouts. It doesn’t have to be too complex. Either redo your favourite workout or just restart the cycle above from the sprint session.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. This post was supposed to be about my new upper body workout. I sort of went off on a tangent there!! Here’s the video.
A is for Avocados. Good fats, plenty of fibre, great with any meal. B is for Burpees. Old school, simple and effective. C is for Crunches. Ditch them in favour of Killer Core Exercises. D is for Deadlifts. Great exercise for your legs, arms and butt. E is for Eggs. Natures perfect meal. F is for Fasting. Often overlooked and misunderstood. G is for Goals. Make sure you have them. You can achieve anything you want. H is for Heavy. Don’t be afraid of lifting heavy weights. They won’t make you bulk up. I is for Intensity. Pump it up. When you train, have a proper go. Finish your workout spent. J is for Jumping. Get your own body weight moving vertically and your heart rate will follow. K is for Kangaroo meat. Full of nutrients, very lean and good for the environment. L is for Lifestyle. Make small changes every week and your fat loss lifestyle will be sustainable. M is for Magnesium. Are you getting enough? If not eat more spinach and pumpkin seeds. N is for Natural. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. O is for Obesity. Don’t become a statistic. Stay active and eat well. P is for Positivity. Focus on the good and eliminate the bad. Always be looking for the positives. Q is for Quinoa. Actually a seed, but used like a grain. Great addition to soups, or as a substitute for rice. Have you tried it yet? R is for Rest. Recovery is just as important as the hard work you are doing. S is for Supersets. Raise the intensity of your workouts by doing two exercises with no rest in between. T is for Technique. Always exercise with proper technique. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself when working out. U is for United. Get the support of your family and friends and you will get further than ever before. V is for Variety. Mix it up and you will never get bored. W is for Weight. Don’t get too conscious of the scales. Do your clothes fit better, do you look and feel better? These are much more important than a number on the scales. X is for Xanthines. Caffeine is derived from xanthine, and whether you want an extra boost for your workouts or just to kickstart your day then a caffeine hit will do the trick. (Drawn a long bow here, but you try getting a X for fat loss!!) Y is for You. Get the body you have always wanted. Don’t be afraid of failing. The only way to fail is to not try. Z is for Zinc. Common deficiency. Easy enough to get when eating red meat, peas and pumpkin seeds.
