Workout: Tabata Sunday

Warmup:

• 4 minutes shadow boxing, with virtual skipping.

Workout: 

Tabata Intervals (20 minutes including rest periods)

• 20 sec Indoor Rowing*, 10 sec Rest - (repeat for 8 rounds).
• rest - 1 minute
• 20 sec 20% bodyweight 1 arm KB Snatch**, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 1 minute
• 20 sec 65-70% of bodyweight Deadlift***, 10s rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 1 minute
• 20 sec Jump Pull-Ups, 10 sec rest - (repeat for 8 rounds)
• rest - 1 minute

Notes:

• Perform flat out maximum effort for the 20 seconds of work
• * - if you don't have access to a rowing machine, substitute a skipping rope, or sprint.
• ** - if you are not sure how to perform a Kettlebell Snatch, perform a shoulder press - using Kettlebells or Dumbells.  My KB weight used: 16kg single arm.
• *** - I used 70kg as my Deadlift weight as a percentage of bodyweight.

Workout: 300

 

 Spartan Workout:

25 x Pull-up  (any grip)
50 x Deadlift @ 60kg 
50 x Push-up  
50 x Box Jump  (24 inch box)
50 x Floor Wiper @ 60kg 
50 x KB Clean and Press @ 16kg (KB to touch floor between reps)
25 x Pull-up (any grip)

= a total of 300 reps.  

This challenge got me exciting about fitness again.  It seemed so fresh and an interesting approach to working out.  I first completed this in late 2006 and have done it about 6 times since, every 4 or 5 months.  The aim is to complete this as quickly as possible, with minimal rest but with quality reps.  

It's not so much a workout, but a challenge, a benchmark of general physical capacity.  Used as a one time test for the actor's in the film 300 devised by Mark Twight of GymJones.

My first attempt at this took around 50 minutes, my best attempt to date 19 minutes.  Good luck!

KB = Kettlebell (substitute with 18kg DumbBell)

10 minutes vs 10 hours?

Can 10 minutes of exercise really be as effective as 10 hours?  

High Intensity exercise seems to becoming a more popular form of workout and is something I aim to do in most of my workouts.  But is there more to this than just being a time-saver?  Or is it just seen as an easy way out?  Well I read an article in the Metro recently that adds some science to the argument.

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada discovered that exercising at very high intensity for short periods (e.g. sprinting) is just as effective in improving the cardio-respiratory system as much lower intensity exercise (e.g jogging) in endurance work.  Which is great news for those of us who have little time, but still want results.  

This is a great way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our exercise program regardless of the amount of time available.

Read the full article in the Metro here: 
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/817371-10-minutes-of-fast-sprints-beat-10-hours-of-cycling