Happy Wednesday! I hope this email finds you well. All is well in my neck of the woods.
I wanted to swoop in with an alternative way to get some quick conditioning in. Be sure to let me know how it goes!
So...
If you’re looking to improve your conditioning without doing traditional style cardio, then try this Tabata workout that I've put together.
Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a protocol that is so short, fun, intense, and fast way to get it DONE!
So, the good news is, Tabata works for almost everyone from beginners to advanced athletes.
That’s because what’s “high intensity” to one person might be completely different for someone else, based on their fitness level.
Bonus: Because Tabata workouts are so intense, you don’t have to work out for as long as you do for the same benefits offered by moderate-intensity workouts.
Here’s how it works: first warm-up really really well (do some of the mobility drills that I share to warm up your body, or some dynamic total-body exercises like leg swings, lunges, push-ups, etc. to get your muscles prepped for the work ahead.
Traditional Tabata workouts have you alternate between two different exercises.
You do the first exercise for 20 seconds, take a 10-second break, and then do the second exercise for 20 seconds, and take a 10-second break. You repeat that for a total of 4 times through for a total of 8 rounds – for a total of 4 MINUTES, and then you're done!
If are completely new to a higher style of conditioning, I'd encourage to cut the Tabata in half and only do 4 rounds and work your way to the full Tabata overtime!
Some ideas for exercises you can use for your Tabata Session:
💪🏾 Battle Rope Slams & Bodyweight
💪🏾 Squat Thrusts & Alternating Lunges
💪🏾 Kettlebell Swings & Push-ups
💪🏾Squats & Mountain climbers
💪🏾Push-ups & Pull-ups
You can combo it any way you see fit:
- Upper/lower
- Push/Pull
- Quad Dominant/Hip Dominant
Just to name a few.
So, it would like this taking one of the examples above:
Work: 20 sec - Squat Thrusts
Rest: 10 sec
Work: 20 sec - Lunges
Rest: 10 sec
Work: Squat Thrusts
Rest: 10 sec
Work: 20 sec - Lunges
Rest: 10 sec
So, on and so forth for 8 rounds!
Tabatas can be used for finishers (at the end of your workout), for a conditioning day (Non-Lifting Day), or when you're time-strapped - for a quick workout - you could 2 of them!
You can start by integrating Tabata Training into your workouts a couple of times a week!
Listen to your body – if you haven’t done a HIIT workout in a while, it’s a good idea to do a little less than you think you should because they can be sneaky and give you some delayed-onset muscle soreness the next day.
So, STRONG friend, give it a try. I think you'll like it! Let me know if you incorporate Tabatas and how it goes for you!
Have a great day!
In Strength,
Xo
Candace
P.S. If you don't have a timer to set your Tabata Interval, this is a great resource here. There are ton of Free ones in the Apple App store and Google Play as well.
