7 Day Tabata Challenge

So last night I did a 25 minute Tabata workout with Danny (my super hot husband) ... and lets just say, it kicked our butts. Thus, I want to do it again! So I have created 5 more workouts in the same format so that I can do a full week of them. If you're thinking, you did 1 and made 5 more, that is 6, not 7, then you are correct. You get one rest day, whenever you want it. Are you in? Good. Let's do it.

Step one: Get schooled. Let me explain what a Tabata workout is. It is a 4 minute, maximum intensity interval workout. A guy named Tabata did a study that concluded we can work at our maximum effort for no longer than 20 seconds at a time, so this workout had people work at 100% effort for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and then do it again. 7 more times. It is killer. And it works. The study showed that people who did this style of workout continued to burn more calories over the next 36-48 hours then those who did longer in duration, but moderate in intensity, workouts. This is because Tabata not only improves our level of cardiovascular fitness, but our muscular strength and endurance as well. Point being, it works. (To find out more go to tabatatraining.org)

Step 2: Get ready. Here is what you will need: proper workout attire, including good supportive shoes. Weights. Or soup cans. Or something you can lift. Water. Not Gatorade. Water. An exercise mat or large towel. And finally, a stop watch or Tabata timer. There are about 1000 free Tabata apps that you can download. I use the Tabata timer by gymboss.

Step 3: Get sweaty. Here are the workouts... pick one a day for 6 days, using your one rest day wherever you need to. Each workout is 25 minutes long. You will do 8 20-second intervals of each of the 5 moves. Rest 10 secs between intervals and rest one minute between exercises. So if the first move is squats, you will do 8 sets of squats, 20 secs on, 10 secs rest and then rest one minute before moving onto the second exercise.

If you don't know what one of the exercises is, don't panic. And don't quit. Either sub in another exercise from a different workout or make up your own move. You can use ANY exercise in these workouts. Keep it simple. You can custom fit this workout just for you! I will post videos of the workouts as soon as I figure out how to do it :)

Just for kicks, you can keep score IF YOU WANT. If you would like to track your progress, push yourself harder or compete with your workout buddy (which is super fun and motivating, especially when it is your spouse), here is what you do... Count your reps and record only your worst set for each exercise. So if you did your 8 sets of squats and did 30,31,30,30,32,30,29,28, you would write down 28. Do this for each exercise and then add them up for your total score.


Workout 1: mountain climbers (on the ground), upright rows*, high knees, super lunges (jumping lunges, touch both hands to the floor with each rep), in-out abs

Workout 2: switch kicks, low knee pulls (alternate legs every other set), heisman hops, chest press*, 1/2 teasers

Workout 3: football jumps, dead lifts*, cross country skiers, tricep dips, double crunch

Workout 4: booty kicks, rainbow bicep curls, side hopping squats, transverse plank run, alligator crunch

Workout 5: basketball jumps, overhead shoulder press*, toe taps, plie squats, hip dip plank

Workout 6: jumping jacks, squats, burpees, push ups, diamond sit ups (not crunches!)

* indicates an exercise that requires weights

Step 4: Feel AWESOME! (and exhausted... but mostly awesome)