High intensity interval training has always been a go to for many fitness gurus and trainers alike. Through extensive studies, a Dr. Tabata came up with the newest craze in high intensity interval training. The theory is that through quick, high intensity motions, and brief pauses that the body will work so much without recovery time that one will continue to burn calories up to 72 hours post workout. Crazy right? Crossfit gyms all over the country are using these principles in a lot of their WOD workouts and the results speak for themselves!
The protocol is to do 20 seconds of extremely high intensity training (think, as hard as you can go, omgimgonnapuke style, aka 170% VO2) followed by a 10 second rest period. Studies have shown that athletes who added Tabata intervals to their regular routines with less frequency showed more gain than those who worked out longer and more frequently at a lower VO2 rate. The best part?! These are only FOUR MINUTES LONG! Complete the set 4 times for a quick and effective workout.
For my routine, I like to do 6-8 sets of the 4-minute workout. I usually will do bicep curls (the key is to average approximately 20-25 curls per 20 second set), then the next 4 minutes I’ll do squats, then flys, the next 4-minutes deadlifts, and then shoulder presses or rows. It’s a great workout for days that you don’t have a ton of time to workout but want to still commit to burning some calories. It can be done at home with little to no equipment and I HIGHLY recommend trying it. Take 20 minutes out today to get moving and get losing!
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