Introduction to Tabata Workouts - Full Body HIT Training

If you're not familiar with "Tabatas", you're in for a treat. A "Tabata" is a form of high-intensity interval workouts and can be adapted to weight-lifting, cycling, rowing and other cardio-vascular exercises. The workouts are typically short, but are done at max intensity. This variation of interval training gained notoriety through the performance gains outlined in a research study and its use with the Japanese Olympic speed-skating team

Body Weight Workout

This is designed to hit all major muscle groups, with a focus on your core. Each exercise is to be done at 100% effort. This cannot be emphasized enough. You must push yourself as fast, hard and explosive as possible, otherwise you won't get anything out of this workout. If you're coming off any sort of injury, this is not the workout for you.

If you're not gasping for air afterwards, you didn't work hard enough. I recommend getting an iPhone timer or using a watch to keep on time.

Warmup:

Light stretching or jogging

Set 1:

30 Seconds - Mountain Climber
30 Seconds - Rest
30 Seconds - Squats (body weight or kettle-bell)
30 Seconds - Rest
x 2

Set 2:

30 Seconds - Pushups
30 Seconds - Rest
30 Seconds - Bicycle Crunches
30 Seconds - Rest
x 2

Set 3:

30 Seconds - Burpees
30 Seconds - Rest
30 Seconds - Lunges
30 Seconds - Rest
x2

Set 4:

30 Seconds - Seal Jacks
30 Seconds - Rest
30 Seconds - Oblique Leg Raises
30 Seconds - Rest
x2

Total Time: 16 minutes