What's So Special About the Shred for Summer Challenge?
Our ‘Shred for Summer’ challenge started on Monday, and you’ve probably seen or experienced the workouts and may have noticed they’re a bit different from what you’re used to.
John created the challenge workouts using the Tabata Training method. It’s one popular form of high intensity interval training (HIIT). The standard structure of the workouts is as follows:
- Work out hard for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds
- Complete 8 rounds
The Fit Figures version consists of you pushing yourself hard for 20 seconds and resting for 10 seconds. This is one set. You’ll complete six sets of each exercise.
Tabata workouts can consist of pretty much any exercise, but are typically exercises that work your large muscle groups (think push-ups, squats, burpees…) You’ll notice that not only will your muscles fatigue during the exercises, but your cardiovascular system will get a workout, too.
Tabata is great for beginners and advanced athletes alike because reps and weights for each 20 second interval can be adjusted according to ability.
Where Did this Funky Workout Method Originate?
Japanese professor Dr. Izumi Tabata developed Tabata while he researched how to train the Japanese Olympic speed skating team efficiently. His findings showed that HIIT improved aerobic capacity and also increased anaerobic capacity by 28%. Put simply, doing HIIT workouts like Tabata doesn’t just improve strength and burn fat, but also improves performance of the cardiovascular system.