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Tabata Bodyweight Workout II

We are focusing this week on bodyweight exercises using the Tabata protocol as the basis for our workouts.

You can still get in solid workouts even if you have no weight lifting equipment. There are no excuses. If you really want to exercise, you don’t need membership to an expensive gym, a complete home system or god forbid, the Bowflex.

All you need is desire, a solid work ethic and your own body.

The following workout will take exactly 10 minutes to complete. There is no rest until you have finished the entire 10 minute circuit. The workout begins with a 60 second interval of each exercise. You then move immediately to a 45 second interval, then 30 seconds, and finally 15 seconds.

See, you don’t even need to spend hours upon hours sweating away in a crowded gym. You can get a great workout at home, and believe me, you will be tired after this, in just ten minutes. Perform this workout 2-3 times per week and watch your conditioning shoot through the roof.

When performing this workout, you will move from one exercise to the next without stopping. There is no rest in between rounds. If you become stuck with an exercise, rest briefly and do your best to continue. When you become better conditioned, you can add another round.

First Circuit:
Burpees x 60 seconds
Pull-ups or Chins x 60 seconds
Hindu Squats x 60 seconds
Pushups x 60 seconds

Second Circuit:
Burpees x 45 seconds
Pull-ups or Chins x 45 seconds
Hindu Squats x 45 seconds
Pushups x 45 seconds

Third Circuit:
Burpees x 30 seconds
Pull-ups or Chins x 30 seconds
Hindu Squats x 30 seconds
Pushups x 30 seconds

Fourth Circuit:
Burpees x 15 seconds
Pull-ups or Chins x 15 seconds
Hindu Squats x 15 seconds
Pushups x 15 seconds

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

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Tabata Bodyweight Workout

This program can be used outdoors or indoors if you live in the chilly Northeast like I do.

The phrase Tabata Interval originated from a study performed by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan.

Tabata Intervals consist of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest. This cycle is repeated 8 times (for a total of 4-minutes). Although Dr. Tabata used a mechanically braked cycle ergometer, you can apply this protocol to almost any exercise. A few popular examples include hitting a heavy bag, sprinting, jumping rope, or performing bodyweight calisthenics (ex. squats and pushups).

Your first reaction might be, “How effective can this protocol be with just 4 minutes of exercise?”

Let me answer this question for you… VERY EFFECTIVE!

You will be amazed at how intense 4 minutes of exercise will feel. These intervals will tax both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. Tabata Intervals are excellent for those athletes who participate in high intensity sports such as boxing, MMA, or wrestling.

This form of training is also effective for fat loss. Tabata Intervals will raise your body’s metabolic rate long after the exercise session is completed. You will continue to burn fat throughout the day. Many recent studies have confirmed that the powerful “after-effect” of interval training is much more effective (for fat loss) than low-intensity, continuous exercise.

As mentioned, the Tabata protocol can be applied to almost any exercise. The most obvious choice is outdoor sprinting. For example, sprint 20 seconds, then rest (walk) 10 seconds, and continue until you have completed 8 x 20 second sprints. Always begin with a moderate warm-up and cool down session.

This workout will consist of 4 separate Tabata Intervals, each consisting of 4 minutes. The total workout will last 16 minutes.

Incorporate variety into your Tabata Interval workouts. A few sessions per week will offer plenty of intensity. Don’t forget to warmup before performing the workout.

Jump Rope or Sprints
Pushups
Hindu Squats
Chins

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

Enough of Mine, How About Yours?

I’ve been posting tons of workouts on this blog for over six months now and shot off my mouth on proper training, intensity and what not.

Now it’s your turn.

I want you to tell me your best workouts, regimens and routines. What’s worked for you? What exercises do you love? How many reps? Sets? and days of the week do you lift?

I want to spotlight and showcase you. This blog is more about you than it is me. I created it to showcase sensible training with a variety of different workouts for you to tailor into your system.

But I also know I don’t have all the answers. Hell, sometimes I don’t even know the questions.

So send your stuff to me. Let me know what drives you to lift and the routines you like best. Include number of days lifting, sets, reps and exercises. If you want to send a picture, by all means do and we’ll post it.

I want my readers to be more involved with this blog and help leads others on the road to sensible training.

You have one of two choices – post on the blog your workout routines or, even better, send me your routines at the following email address: support@pigskinplaybooks.com

Yes, that is a real email address, so please don’t spam it with junk. Only those who want to share their workouts with others should use it.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Marvin Eder Workout

For those who don’t know, Marvin Eder was one of the most well-defined, powerful and successful bodybuilders of the 40s and 50s.

Eder was an incredible powerful man who once did dips with 220-pounds strapped to his waist! That my friends, is power.

One look at Marvin proves what can be done with hard work, proper training and no drugs. Many lifters today have no idea who Eder is and that’s a shame. Instead they look at the unrealistic routine of Mr. Steroid Man from the muscle rags and emulate him instead of someone like Eder.

For those of you who want to be natural, who want to build your body to the best of your natural ability, follow the trail left for us by the old-timers. The guys and gals who were strong, powerful, healthy and muscular – without drugs and various protein concoctions.

Below is an example of a typical Marvin Eder workout. I have eliminated the sets and reps Eder used because I feel you must tailor those protocols to your specific goals and what you fell comfortable with.

Day One:
Overhead Press
Dips
Squats
Snatches
Abs

Day Two:
Bench Press
Chins
Deadlifts
Calf Raises

Notes: Train consistently and use whatever set and rep scheme you feel comfortable with. It could be one or two sets to failure, 5 x 5, singles, doubles, triples – anything you want, so long as you’re consistent and work hard. Add weight to the bar whenever possible and get lots of rest, eat good food and drink plenty of water.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

Bodyweight Extravaganza

Bodyweight exercises have been around for centuries. Thanks to Matt Furey and some others, this type of workout has made a monster comeback and Furey a wealthy man.

If you’re a serious lifter, you may be rolling your eyes right now at the thought of bodyweight stuff, but don’t make the mistake of thinking bodyweight exercises don’t produce mass, strength and agility – because they do.

In addition to getting you in the best cardiovascular shape of your life, bodyweight exercises can make you very powerful.

In amateur wrestling circles, everyone knows of Lou Banach, at least us old-timers do. He was a 3x national champion from Iowa who once lifted 447-pound Tab Thacker (there was no weight limit then) off the ground, stuck him to his back and pinned him. Banach was powerful, agile and muscular.

Guess what? He never lifted weights. His training regimen consisted of bodyweight exercises and some cardio. That’s just one of many examples of what bodyweight exercising can do.

So for those new to it or if you’re a grizzled veteran who wants a change of pace from the weights – give the bodyweight stuff a try. Here’s a routine that features the best of the best.

Chins or Pull Ups
Dips
Push Ups
Squats (Hindu-style)
Sit Ups or Crunches

Advanced Techniques:
Handstand Push Ups
One-Arm Push Ups
Pistols (One-leg squats)

Notes: Workout 3 days per week on the bodyweight stuff with whatever protocol you see fit. You could do multiple sets with X amount of reps or just do the exercises to failure. Whatever is good for you. If your just starting out, practices the basics before you try to move on to the more advanced techniques.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

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