Tabata (Tuh-bot-uh) training was started by a Japanese dude named, you guessed it....TABATA! Izumi Tabata to be precise. It is basically a variation of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). However, it's not just high intensity. It's ridiculously and deliciously high intensity. Standard Tabata training looks something like this:
<Insert Exercise Here>
20 seconds exercise
10 second break (repeat to complete 8 total rounds or 4 min. total time)
***You score yourself based on the lowest rep count in any 20 sec. period of work
ie Round 1-4: 12 reps completed
Round 5: 6 reps completed
Round 6-8: 8 reps completed
YOUR SCORE: 6
The idea is to work EXTREMELY hard for 4 minutes of time, rather than working moderately hard for longer periods of time. What Izumi found out when he tested this theory was those who participated in Tabata-style training as opposed to "normal" training developed a greater aerobic AND anaerobic threshold. What this means is that not only were they pushing their cardiovascular systems to growth and increased capability, but they were also challenging and growing muscles. When I research training styles/types, my goal is to find the most effective means by which to create results in the minimum amount of time. Tabata training is an effective AND efficient. As with any workout routines, you will eventually get bored or lose focus, so feel free to change it up, and maybe add Tabata only from time to time. Maybe you're on the road, or trying to wrestle around your day with 5 kids, and you only have a limited window in which to train. Add some Tabata to your week.
Tabata training can be performed by choosing just about any exercise to be repeated for the proper time and rounds. Exercises I use most often for my clients and myself are pushups, situps, squats, and lunges. What you'll find rather quick is that round one you will feel like the king or queen of Tabata...but wait. Though you DO get a break, that 10 seconds will go quickly. It's designed to give you just enough time to breathe and recognize that you have to start again momentarily. Now what most folks don't recognize when they start their routine is just like starting and stopping your car, you will use more fuel than simply continuing on. That's where the burn comes in. As you start and stop through several rounds, your body fatigues faster and faster...but I challenge you to keep your score as high as you can. Remember, to get that stubborn body fat to go away, you have to burn the junk out of your body first. Train hard, and get excited as the results come in. As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or would like to talk about training sessions, feel free to hit me up.
Stay Strong,
Chad
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Training Frequency...and pain.
So a couple of days ago I woke up at the late hour of 4:45am, swung my legs off the bed, and started to get up and get going. Unfortunately, my legs weren't as inspired to get up as the rest of my body. I just about completely bit it getting out of bed because of sheer sore legs. Why? I'm glad you asked. For about 2 weeks, I had taken a break from strength training and heavy lifting. Then I went back to start it up again. Unfortunately, I'm a competitive person. I can't just do things halfway. I went all out with back squats, deadlifts, and lunges (5x5 squat and deadlift, 80 overhead lunges) until I beat my chest and felt like a man! It was epic. Until that next morning. Matter of fact, my legs are still somewhat sore to the touch.
Frequency all relates to how our bodies can handle the stress of each workout. Now two weeks ago, I would've been up out of bed no problem, but my body had forgotten how to recover from such a vicious beating over those two weeks off. What does it all mean Basil? I'm glad you asked! What that means, is before I go attack my poor quads again, they NEED to rest. And I don't mean just sitting in a chair for a couple hours watching television. I mean getting in a good night's sleep, stretching, fueling, and hydrating properly. If we give our bodies the proper amount of rest, we will build healthy and effective muscles that we can rely on to do the job when we need them. If we don't give them enough rest, we cannot guarantee their performance, or that they'll even stay healthy. With medical costs the way they are, I'd say it would be smart to shoot for healthy muscles. So how often should you put stress on the muscles?
Let's first define what it means to stress the muscles. There are 2 very basic aspect of physical fitness/exercise: Resistance Training (RT) and Cardiovascular Training (Cardio). RT is training that uses a resistance to the force of muscular contraction. Most people know this as "strength training", with the use of weights or machines. This can also be done simply by utilizing bodyweight during exercises. Cardio is typically sustained exercise involving larger muscle groups (ie legs). Cardio is performed to strengthen the heart and lungs, and challenge the body to handle cardiovascular stress.
From general health and wellness to body-sculpting, I would suggest the same routine: one day RT, next day rest/Cardio, etc. Now of course everyone is different and different peoples' bodies will respond to different types of treatment. For the general public, however, it's a pretty safe bet to work your muscles hard one day, then rest them the next, for an easy to follow pattern. What's important to recognize is that cardio can be performed even on rest days, because it is not as specifically strenuous to certain muscle groups. You may choose to do cardio and RT on the same day, and that's perfectly acceptable. Just be sure that you rest on the days in between. Now here's a few more specific setups for different styles of training:
STRENGTH TRAINING (gaining/building strength):
Monday-Lower Body (75% max. ability)
Tuesday-Cardio
Wednesday-Upper Body (85% max. ability)
Thursday-Cardio
Friday-Lower Body (85% max. ability)
Saturday-Upper Body (75% max. ability)
Sunday-rest/Cardio
TONING/DEFINITION:
Monday-Full Body (75% max. ability)
Tuesday-Cardio
Wednesday-Lower Body (75% max. ability)
Thursday-Cardio
Friday-Full Body (75% max. ability)
Saturday-Upper Body (75% max. ability)
Sunday-rest/Cardio
WEIGHT LOSS:
Monday-Full Body Circuit Training (75% max. ability)
Tuesday-Cardio (minimum 40 minutes)
Wednesday-Full Body Circuit Training (85% max. ability)
Thursday-Cardio (minimum 40 minutes)
Friday-Full Body Circuit Training (85% max. ability)
Saturday-Cardio (minimum 40 minutes)
Sunday-rest/Cardio
GENERAL HEALTH/WELLNESS:
Monday-Full Body (55% max ability)
Tuesday-Cardio
Wednesday-Full Body (75% max. ability)
Thursday-Cardio
Friday-Full Body (75% max. ability)
Saturday-Cardio/rest
Sunday-Cardio/rest
Remember again, not everyone has the same body/ability/schedule etc. These are just ideas to help point you in the right direction. If you need 2 days to do RT, then pick the Wednesday Friday setup and put them on whatever days you have available. I would suggest following one of these patterns if you would like to see the fastest results. Whatever you do, give it all you've got, and like always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.
Stay Strong,
Chad
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
the Beach Bod...
Okay peeps, we are less than 8 weeks out from Memorial Day (the unofficial beginning of Summer awesomeness). It's time to make plans (if you haven't already) to prep yourself for beach season. Maybe you've kept off the spare tire, and now you just want to get that delicious muscle tone. Or maybe you decided since last Summer to pick up a couple extra spare tires. Maybe you want to look like Arnold in your tank top, but right now you feel like a pre-spinach Popeye. Whatever the case, don't put off what you can start today.
Now let's get real for a second. Don't think that just because you pick up a set up dumbbells or you can do a kettlebell swing that you will instantly grow a 6-pack. What's most important is the diet. You don't have to be on a specific diet plan per se, but you do need to always focus on MODERATION. Most Americans can quickly shed 5-10lbs. simply by practicing moderation. I call this the push test. Do you have what it takes to push yourself away from the table before that last dinner roll? Before the last refill of sweet tea? Maybe before the dessert tray comes by? If you cannot pass this test, you will most likely struggle in getting that smokin' hot look your shooting for. However, if you can pass with at least a high "C", then you're ready to focus on part 2: Exercise
I'm going to target 3 specific groups right now:
1. The Spare Tires- those who have built up that spare tire(s) since last Summer and are now trying to get rid of it before beach season
2. The Pre-Spinach Popeyes (herein referred to as "PSP's"): those who are looking to build up the body a little to feel less like a deflated balloon
3. The IsoToners: those who have some muscle, but are looking to tighten up a bit
Let's Start with the Spare Tires...the most common group come this time of year. Because Christmas break is spent with family, and pot-luck dinners filled with breads and pies are in abundance, most of you have probably binged on all the sweet deliciousness over the holidays. You then commit January 1 to workout and get fit. Then in February you realize how busy your schedule has become and how unmotivated you are. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Here are some quick things to think about... First, the most important thing for you right now is to GET MOVING. Get that heart rate up, and start pushing your body beyond where it wants to go right now. It's called "training" for a reason, because you have to "train" your body to do what you want it to. Then, as your body gets used to moving around again, start implementing circuit training into your day. (take 4-8 exercises and perform them back to back without rest) Focus on resistance training for your circuits. Go about 3-4 rounds, with short rests in between, for each day of exercise. This will test your strength as well as conditioning at the same time.
Now for the PSP's. You're looking in the mirror wondering how you can look like the guy/girl on the fitness magazine you just ordered (thinking you will instantly become like the cover model). What's more important here for you is to push yourself. If you want to build muscle, you need to be challenging yourself with at least 85% of your maximum potential. If you can lift 100lbs, you need to be lifting at least 85lbs. in your resistance training. Remember not to kill yourself. Don't try to do a million reps at higher weights, but instead perform more sets with lower rep counts. (ie, 5 sets of 4, as opposed to 2 sets of 10) You need to train your muscles to understand that you mean business, and it's time to get to work. Spend most of your time pushing hard, but give yourself enough time to spread out your rep counts throughout a larger number of sets. SIDE NOTE: When you're trying to build muscle, it's important to cool the jets on aerobic training...rather than spending 30 minutes on the dreadmill, take 5 minutes to do 40yd. sprints. Anaerobic training won't affect your building like aerobic training will.
Last, but certainly not least, are the Isotoners. You are the ones who hit the gym pretty regular and do a decent job of eating well. You don't necessarily have a spare tire, nor are you looking to become Governor of California. However, you do want people to see the fine details of definition in your frame. Your best option here is to focus on isolation. You want to choose which muscles you're looking to define, and use exercises at moderate weights for long sets and rep counts. Ideally, it will feel rather monotonous, but more importantly, it will take the pre-existing muscle and make it jump out enough for the world to see. Instead of lifting 95% of your max on the leg press machine, maybe choose to do squats (bodyweight or free weights) at 55% of your max for a larger number of reps.
As always, should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to ask. And if you're looking for some help to whip your body into shape before Memorial Day, let me know. I'd love to help.
Stay Strong,
Chad
Now let's get real for a second. Don't think that just because you pick up a set up dumbbells or you can do a kettlebell swing that you will instantly grow a 6-pack. What's most important is the diet. You don't have to be on a specific diet plan per se, but you do need to always focus on MODERATION. Most Americans can quickly shed 5-10lbs. simply by practicing moderation. I call this the push test. Do you have what it takes to push yourself away from the table before that last dinner roll? Before the last refill of sweet tea? Maybe before the dessert tray comes by? If you cannot pass this test, you will most likely struggle in getting that smokin' hot look your shooting for. However, if you can pass with at least a high "C", then you're ready to focus on part 2: Exercise
I'm going to target 3 specific groups right now:
1. The Spare Tires- those who have built up that spare tire(s) since last Summer and are now trying to get rid of it before beach season
2. The Pre-Spinach Popeyes (herein referred to as "PSP's"): those who are looking to build up the body a little to feel less like a deflated balloon
3. The IsoToners: those who have some muscle, but are looking to tighten up a bit
Let's Start with the Spare Tires...the most common group come this time of year. Because Christmas break is spent with family, and pot-luck dinners filled with breads and pies are in abundance, most of you have probably binged on all the sweet deliciousness over the holidays. You then commit January 1 to workout and get fit. Then in February you realize how busy your schedule has become and how unmotivated you are. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Here are some quick things to think about... First, the most important thing for you right now is to GET MOVING. Get that heart rate up, and start pushing your body beyond where it wants to go right now. It's called "training" for a reason, because you have to "train" your body to do what you want it to. Then, as your body gets used to moving around again, start implementing circuit training into your day. (take 4-8 exercises and perform them back to back without rest) Focus on resistance training for your circuits. Go about 3-4 rounds, with short rests in between, for each day of exercise. This will test your strength as well as conditioning at the same time.
Now for the PSP's. You're looking in the mirror wondering how you can look like the guy/girl on the fitness magazine you just ordered (thinking you will instantly become like the cover model). What's more important here for you is to push yourself. If you want to build muscle, you need to be challenging yourself with at least 85% of your maximum potential. If you can lift 100lbs, you need to be lifting at least 85lbs. in your resistance training. Remember not to kill yourself. Don't try to do a million reps at higher weights, but instead perform more sets with lower rep counts. (ie, 5 sets of 4, as opposed to 2 sets of 10) You need to train your muscles to understand that you mean business, and it's time to get to work. Spend most of your time pushing hard, but give yourself enough time to spread out your rep counts throughout a larger number of sets. SIDE NOTE: When you're trying to build muscle, it's important to cool the jets on aerobic training...rather than spending 30 minutes on the dreadmill, take 5 minutes to do 40yd. sprints. Anaerobic training won't affect your building like aerobic training will.
Last, but certainly not least, are the Isotoners. You are the ones who hit the gym pretty regular and do a decent job of eating well. You don't necessarily have a spare tire, nor are you looking to become Governor of California. However, you do want people to see the fine details of definition in your frame. Your best option here is to focus on isolation. You want to choose which muscles you're looking to define, and use exercises at moderate weights for long sets and rep counts. Ideally, it will feel rather monotonous, but more importantly, it will take the pre-existing muscle and make it jump out enough for the world to see. Instead of lifting 95% of your max on the leg press machine, maybe choose to do squats (bodyweight or free weights) at 55% of your max for a larger number of reps.
As always, should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to ask. And if you're looking for some help to whip your body into shape before Memorial Day, let me know. I'd love to help.
Stay Strong,
Chad
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