Freebie Week

I hereby declare I am using my one and only Freebie Week for my third blog post.

Tabata Training: Is it for you?

What is Tabata training, you ask? It's a workout strategy developed in Japan by Izumi Tabata. Tabata training is a four minute, high-intensity interval workout, during which you work as hard as you can for a set amount of time, and then rest for a few seconds in-between each station. It sounds pretty extreme, and it is. If you try Tabata training, you will experience the longest four minutes of your entire life. But don't be discouraged; there are countless benefits of Tabata training, some of which I am about to list!

Pros:

• It increases both the aerobic system and anaerobic system at the same time
• It increases metabolism during and after the workout, which means that you'll still burn calories after you're done!
• It takes up less time than other workouts
• It's a very effective way to burn fat, build muscle, and boost cardio

Although Tabata can be very good, there are still a few negatives that should be considered before attempting this form of training. 

Cons: 

• This workout could be dangerous if you are a beginner, as with the high level of intensity it can be easy to pull a muscle if you're not careful
• It should be avoided if you have any sort of heart problems

It is important to remember that this is a very high intensity exercise. However, it's great for quickly improving your fitness level. If you are still interested in Tabata, here's how to do it yourself!

Getting Started:

The first thing you should do while designing your own Tabata workout is what your goals are. Are you trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or improve cardio? Or maybe a combo of these things and more? Make sure you include exercises that help in the areas you want to build on. You should plan eight different things to do, each for twenty seconds with ten second breaks. (You can time it differently if you want, but people seem to like twenty seconds work / ten seconds break for Tabata). Also, you will need a timer, weights if you need them, and a bottle of water handy.

An example Tabata workout would be:

1. Squats with weights - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
2. Weighted lunges - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
3. Push ups - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
4. Leg raises - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
5. Burpees - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
6. Prisoner get-ups - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
7. Sit ups - 20sec.
-Break - 10sec.
8. More push ups! - 20sec.


Tabata Tips:

Here are some tips from me for Tabata.

• Don't try to count the twenty seconds yourself. Time seems to go a lot slower when you're in excruciating pain!
• Know what you can do. You won't be able to use the biggest weights on the shelf at first. While testing your limits once in a while can be invigorating, you should start small.  
• Warm up and cool down. If you don't warm up, you are at a higher risk of injury, and cooling down with some stretching will make your future-self thank you!

If you have strong willpower and are looking to reach your fitness goals fast, Tabata training is for you! Having it your routine is a step towards a healthy future. Good luck, and have fun!

First Month of Fitness Class - Thoughts

September (the first month of school) has finally come to a close. It was a rocky start to this year, that's for sure. Fitness class so far has made for many weird, new experiences; both good and bad.

I like fitness class, but it's one of those thing's that's bitter-sweet. After the warm-up, all remaining tiredness from the morning goes away and an energized feeling radiates from everyone. Then the workout begins. It's a bit tough (especially at the beginning, I thought I was going to die) but as soon as the endorphins start flowing everything gets better. For a half an hour or so, everyone is your friend. It's kind of strange, actually, to think that a bunch of acquaintances will cheer eachother on and be so encouraging. That's the nice thing about fitness: everyone is a team.

However, after the workout ends and everyone starts putting mats away and dragging their feet to the change room, your stomach starts churning and your head is spinning. Ms.Port recently mentioned that if you get an earache you may get sick, and you are very frightened of that thought. That was me, at least. I have countless google seaches in my history about how to avoid feeling sick from working out. I'm too nervous to eat my favourite cereal and there's a full box in the cupboard going stale. Oatmeal is healthier and won't make me feel sick for sure.

In first few weeks of the year I was very worried, but as the number of classes where I felt fine increased, so did my relief. I hope that as the year progresses I will get used to fitness class and will get to a point where I can ignore the negatives and be excited for it. I really like this class, and the people in it. This September was a strange month though, but I think October and the rest of the year will prove to be better for me.