During the windy and snowy winter months, it becomes hard to keep sight of that toned spring break body. Going to the gym seems like walking a across Alaska in snowstorm. Not to mention that once you do get there, every treadmill and elliptical are taken, and all of the weights are being used. But what is stopping you from getting a great workout in your room?
Better than P90X or the Insanity videos is the newest workout on the block: Tabata Training. A new advanced form of interval training that was developed by Izumi Tabata in Tokyo, Japan, Tabata Training proves to be short on time and high on results. The training involves 8 rounds of 4-minute sessions. Within the four-minute session, you work at an intense pace for 20 seconds, followed by a ten-second rest. During the 20 seconds, you do one particular exercise as fast as possible while maintaining the proper form. You repeat that same particular exercise 8 times before taking a minute break and moving into a new exercise for 4 minutes.
The best part about this form of exercise is that you can do it anywhere in any amount of time! If you only have an hour between classes, you can stay in your room and do the exercises. When the weather gets nice outside, your workout can double as a tanning session. Tabata training allows you to use kettle bells, dumbbells, resistance bands, and jump ropes, but does not require you to use them. Every exercise can be done with bodyweight, or a can of soup as a replacement for a dumbbell.
The exercises that you can do with Tabata Training are endless. If you are just starting out, try doing exercises you are used to, or things that don’t require weights. Once you get into a groove, work in different, more challenging exercises. Some of the specific exercises you can do include: push ups, sit-ups, planks, squats, lunges, thrusts, burpees, jumping rope, sprinting in place, curls, bodyweight triceps dips, leg lifts. The possibilities are really endless.
Each workout you choose to do comes with a list of pros and cons. The positive side of Tabata Training includes three shining stars: Time, Fat Loss, and Anaerobic and Aerobic Benefits. While the short amount of time is obvious, the weight loss may be skeptical. Because you work so hard so quickly, and with such a short recovery period, you jumpstart your metabolism quicker than even running can, thus giving you extended fat burning. The Anaerobic and Aerobic benefits will follow in about 6 weeks time if you stay true to the plan (which is just in time for spring break!!)
The one major con of Tabata is injuring yourself. Be sure to maintain good form throughout the exercises. Also, be sure to add weight in small increments. Perhaps you could add weight for the first two minutes of a round, rather than the full four minutes.
Sources:
http://tabatatraining.org/?p=44
http://www.livestrong.com/article/531819-what-is-tabata-exercise/