Tough Tuesday Workout February 19, 2013

Only five long days until I head off for Costa Rica so today's workout had to be tough.  It was a small group as the Monday holiday and week of vacation for many teachers means that many of our gym rats are either too tired to get up or choose to come later in the day. However, we still had a solid small group and they put in an intense workout. 

Today we did a Tabata style HIIT training. I say Tabata style because a true honest to goodness Tabata workout is only 4 minutes long. That's it. It's sweat and nausea inducing as Shape calls it in an article on Tabata but it does not run over 4 minutes.  I have been many Tabata inspired workout because I did 3 rounds of Tabata style HIIT intervals broken up with weights.  It was hard. Perhaps only because I had just returned from being severely ill but even most athletic students were definitely red-faced and tired at the end of 4 minutes. I downloaded a great app to my Ipad for crossfit training that allows you to perfectly time the 20 second on 10 off intervals - amazing!  Before class started I explained the Tabata method and HIIT concept.

Needed: step with 2 risers, light and heavy weights and mat

Warmup - walk, run, jump rope, jacks, squats (10), lunges (5 on each leg), and stretches to warm up.

First Interval
4 sets of 20 on/10off mt climbers, switch halfway to high knees holding one light weight (I had 8 lbs)
(After this interval, we decided it would be better to alternate the 2 exercises for 4 minutes - those 2 minutes of mt climbers lasted FOREVER!! - see my previous posts about hating mt climbers!!)

Sculpting Set - Repeated twice more
10 squat and press - keeps the heart rate up! Heavy weights
One arm row on each side with heavy weights
20 reverse lunge with a curl w/light
10 overhead press w/ light
10 squats w/ heavy
10 lunges w/ one foot up on step with heavy weights (10 each side)
10 bicep curls w/ heavy
10 triceps overhead w/ one heavy
10 deadlifts and row w/ heavy

Second Interval 
Alternate power squat up onto the step and toe taps on the step for the 4 minute interval

Repeat Sculpting Set

Third Interval
Alternate lunges side to over the step with wide stance burpee with a tricep pushup (elbows to side) for 4 minute interval (After each interval I was dying so you need to work as hard as you possibly can)

Repeat Sculpting Set

Abs
Plank w/pushup and thread (pushup, rotate to R, thread R arm under left side of body, lift arm up, lower down and pushup and go to the left side, 10 total, 5 each side)
20 crunches legs on ball
Forearm plank or hover (on knees) rock hips side to side, press up to full plank knee in R&L, that's one for 10, I did 2 or 3 in the hover.
20 crunches, legs on ball
Plank - center 10 sec, R 10 sec, center 10, L 10
10 in and out crunches
10 reverse curls.

Cool Down and lots of stretches. This took one hour. Burned roughly 560 calories - I had burned 100 before class doing a 10 minute run on the treadmill.

My motivation for today! From the Harmony Hotel!

Remember to always consult a doctor before working out and to keep on tri'n!