Kicking Excuses in the A@$- Workout with my Gym Boss

My schedule the past two months has been INSANE.  Before moving from Virginia to North Carolina last month, I hit my gym HARD (miss you friends at Health and Fitness) knowing time dedicated to creative workouts would be limited during the transition.  Then I allowed myself one week to simply rest my muscles and allow them to repair.  That week could have turned into two, because my schedule was crazy:  setting up a new house, registering children at school, researching summer activities for children and enrolling them, researching and prepping for two huge parties and one smaller event, guests galore in town,,,,, the list could go on and on and on!!!! 

I could literally only spare a few minutes for myself.  In an effort to stay true to my goals (and to who I have become as a person) I turned to very short high intensity workouts.  TABATAs!  Have you heard of them? 

Izumi Tabata, a scientist from Japan, compared moderate high intensity training with high intensity interval training on two groups of athletes. His research revealed the high intensity interval training athletes improved their aerobic systems as well as their anaerobic systems while the moderate high intensity training athletes only improved their aerobic system and had little to no increase in their anaerobic system.

Current tabata protocol consists of:

5 minute warm-up

8 intervals of 20 seconds all-out intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest

2 minute cool down

My hectic week lead me to the outdoors.  I needed open space.  So,,,, I packed up the three Bs (Brenden, Brielle and Bridget) and took them to the local track to kick my excuses in the a@$.  Now I'm hooked.  At least once or twice a week I've _got_ to feel the sun on my skin as I push myself to new levels of health and fitness with short bursts of energy.

The Bs at the track!  Are they perfect?  No!  Do they interupt me?  Yep!  But I still can get a crazy good workout!

Not one to follow protocol, I take traditional tabata workouts and give them my own flair!

Tabata inspired workout I completed this week: 

8 rounds of each pair:  20 seconds on followed by 10 seconds rest

High Knees (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Burpees  with 10 mountain climbers (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
{Burpee with mountain climber explanation:  Do a burpee; when in plank position rep out 10 mountain climbers}
http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/258/mountain-climbershttp://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/Exercises/Burpee.html


Jumping lunges (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Pushups (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)

Plank knee tucks (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
Low jacks (20 seconds)
Rest (10 seconds)
{Plank knee tuck explanation: in plank jump feet towards hands; jump in and out as many times as possible}

I can tell you 10 seconds never felt so short and 20 seconds so long!  I followed up this workout with five minutes of stair sprints on the bleachers surrounding the track.  Then I grabbed up my kids (who were playing in the field in the center of the track) and walked a few laps around the track as a family!   

This workout wouldn't have been as efficient without my GYMBOSS. 

They are so easy to use.  Set up the interval times of your choice (20 seconds/10 seconds or.... 30 seconds/30 seconds- whatever you desire).  Select the number of rounds you wish to complete.  Press start.  Your GYMBOSS will beep and vibrate (in case you're rockin' some loud music on your Ipod) between each interval.  No need to stare at a watch or clock and disrupt your focus!  As you can see mine has seen some abuse! 

Now get out there and kick your excuses in the a@$!

Thanks for reading!
Krista