Tabata Workouts and Why You Should Be Doing Them

So exactly what is a Tabata workout? In its simplest terms, a Tabata workout or regimen is a high intensity interval training segment consisting of 8 cycles of 20 seconds of work (exercise) and 10 seconds of rest with a duration of 4 minutes.

Common ways to utilize the Tabata regimen:

How to Perform the Push-up, Squat, Plank, and Pull-up

As promised, here is the video showing the recommended technique for each exercise in the 2015 Fitness Challenge.

As always, any questions or comments are welcome.

Challenge starts tomorrow. Are you ready?

I don’t know about you guys, but this winter I’ve been pretty inconsistent with both my exercise program and my eating habits (and blog posts. Ugh.). The result is an extra 8 – 10 lbs in my waist area that I’m none too happy about. And now that the weather is finally getting warmer, I’ve decided to do something about it. I’ve created a progressive calisthenics program of steadily increasing repetitions over the month of April with the following exercises:

One of the more recent phrases added to the fitness lexicon is something called Functional Strength. I’m not sure who actually coined this phrase, or I would give them their due credit.

So what exactly is Functional Strength?

In the simplest of terms, Functional Strength is strength that allows you to do everyday things with less physical effort/energy expended.

Here are some examples:

• Carrying the groceries in from the car using less trips back and forth.
• Picking up your child and putting her on your shoulders so she can see the parade better.
• Walking up stairs carrying a loaded suitcase because the elevator is too slow or broken.
• Moving a piece of furniture to make your spouse happy.
• Changing a flat tire–just removing the lug nuts can require a significant amount of strength, and then you have to lift the spare out and put the flat back in the trunk.
• And many many more.

If you think about each of the above examples, every one of them is you working against the forces of gravity or friction.

So the next logical question is: How do we develop this Functional Strength?

Assuming you used the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. strategy for choosing your goal(s), you might we wondering, “what do I do now?” If so, that’s what today’s post is about.

If you are serious and committed about your goal, you first need to look at some of your HABITS.

• What HABITS do you currently have that will help you toward reaching your goal?
• What HABITS do you currently have that will hinder you from reaching your goal?
• What HABITS do you need to develop to help you reach your goal?
• What HABITS do you need to break right now so you can more easily and quickly reach your goal?