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>The HOW and WHY of TABATA Interval Training

January 3, 2011 — 4 Comments

Well, it’s a new year, and new class formats abound. Today, I’d like to explain the TABATA Interval training in a bit more detail, to remind you of key things to watch for, as you rock out that class.

CLASS FORMAT BASICS

Dr. Izumi Tabata, Ph. D of the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan tested and is credited for this high-intensity, interval-training format. The basic idea is to perform as many repetitions as you safely can, with good technique, for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

The workouts are for 6-8 cycles (aka rounds/sets) totaling 3-4 minutes to finish a workout period, called a “Tabata”. Notice that we use a very specific timer in class, to keep us on pace with the program.

With the proper combination of exercise choices, coaching, and good execution, you can expect VO2 Max increases (i.e. better cardio capacity), high-calorie expenditure, and overall accelerated fat loss compared to traditional group classes.

WHY TABATA TRAINING?

With previous class formats, we’ve kept our movements rhythmic and on-the-beat of the music. Despite the constantly changing use of equipment, and consistent progression/regression of exercises, there is an element of predictability in these classes that can lead to decreased results over time.

Introducing a much higher-intensity training protocol, coupled with the use of non-rhythmic exercise execution (typically leading to speed/power application) kicks up your workout intensity and effort in a way that our traditional conditioning classes could not achieve.

HOW DO I SUCCEED IN THESE CLASSES?

Here are my best tips for you:

1. Use the first 20-second cycle/set to gauge your level of ability. Going all out before you have the technique down can be a recipe for trouble.

  • You’ll notice we also start the classes with a rhythmic warm-up, a sampling of the movements we will do, and a show of beginner to advanced options. These, coupled with the active stretching we do before class, will guarantee better execution and reduced chance of injury, particularly when we go all-out and perform the movements way above the beat.

2.  Do as many reps as you can safely perform.

  • I am there to demonstrate how fast you can go, but do be mindful of your pace. Always be in tune with your body.
  • Movement quality is key to success in any class or training session. Without this, you can’t get to your goals.

3. The high-intensity classes factor in CRITICAL periods of rest/recovery — a must for your joints.

  • You’ll notice that I don’t just give you reps to failure of the same movement. In fact, we alternate core stability/mobility moves in between cycles, to re-activate your core alignment, before proceeding on.
  • This is for the sake of working out smart and hard … versus just hard.

4. Be cool about asking for options, if the exercises don’t work for you.

  • I’m extremely open to feedback, and requests for exercise options.
  • These classes will tend to attract the very fit, who want to kick their workouts up a notch, but they can be for everyone if you allow yourself the privilege of learning things you can do, given your own injuries or limitations. (Trust me, I had back surgery 5 months ago, so I am the first one to promote working out smart, and going for necessary changes)

See you in class!

In Fitness Information and Tips, How To (Get Fit, Stay Fit, Perform an Exercise ...) , , , , , ,
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>5 EASY ways to AVOID excess weight gain over the holidays

November 26, 2010 — Leave a comment

Hopefully, you haven’t done too much damage from yesterday’s big feasting day.

Let’s face it, as much as I believe that you deserve to enjoy the holidays and celebrate with some sort of abandon, food-wise; most of you want to find ways to avoid the guilt and “work” that comes with too much weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

I thought of these 5 tips, based on what I’ve routinely done through the holidays since I’ve been living in the US. Year after year, it seems Americans routinely increase their unwanted weight gain. There’s a way to successfully approach this dilemma.

Most of you reading this are already on regular fitness schedules, so the advice below is geared toward ensuring that you’re not thrown off-track too much. This information is useful for any period where you dread weight-gain “landmines” due to other holidays or special-event weekends.

1. Save your calories for the main event

For example, yesterday, I ate smaller meals from breakfast onward, knowing I’d eat a bit more at dinnertime. This way, my metabolism stayed consistent, but I was allowed some extra “elbow room” for more calorie consumption at dinner time. This allowed for extra servings of stuffing or pumpkin pie, and guilt-free, at that!

     2. During your regularly scheduled workouts, tack on an additional 10-15 minutes of high-intensity work.

At the right intensity level, this can mean at least an extra 100 calories burned, which adds up, depending on how often you work out in the week.

Based on the same concept, some of you can add an extra workout day, if you know your consumption will also be significant.

    3. Be cognizant of the “mindless eating” that comes with being around family or social situations.

Let’s face it, most of us are emotional eaters that turn to chewing on food when faced with the stresses of being around family, or the joy/comfort of being among people we love.

Before you approach the kitchen table for that first nibble, take a moment to reflect on the food before you. Remember your overall fitness regime; particularly if you’ve worked so hard to get to where you are.

You may deserve a reward for all your efforts, but no reward feels greater than knowing that you’ve found effective strategies for keeping yourself on track, despite the challenge of holidays.

4. If consuming alcohol, eating less food makes it easier to feel the effects.

Yes, I went there! I know we all sometimes require slight amounts of inebriation to deal with family or social situations, so I am addressing that fact.

Keeping your portions in check will require less alcohol / and overall less calories to feel the effects.

Now, I am not advocating that you consume alcohol on an empty stomach — that’s never a good idea, even if you may think it’s the “best” way to keep your calories in check. Having some food will help reduce the ill effects of the alcohol hitting your bloodstream too quickly.

*please, take this advice with the good intent under which it was written :)

5. Believe in the power of tasting versus DEVOURING the flavors of food.

I personally love the subtle nuances of food flavor and texture, particularly when prepared lovingly by masterful chefs/cooks. This is why I enjoy fine dining, and even in instances where the food is specially prepared with love from friends or family, tasting and savoring food in morsels, while enjoying great company and conversation, makes for a better experience than “scarfing down” huge portions while barely appreciating the food itself.

This tip typically goes with Tip #3; it’s easy to disregard the actual enjoyment of food when there are emotions involved that make the appreciation of the food a 2nd priority, over getting through the event.

Perhaps this year, try learning the strategies that can keep your emotional demons in check when dealing with social/family gatherings, so you can properly enjoy holidays and appreciate the food/libations that come with.

I hope these tips work for you; and should all else fail, there’s always New Year’s resolutions to look forward to!

Have a healthful holiday!

In Fitness Information and Tips, How To (Get Fit, Stay Fit, Perform an Exercise ...), Nutrition , , , , , , ,
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>WHY I thought of the Information Postcards

November 8, 2010 — Leave a comment

>Well, I thought of YOU, of course, but allow me to be more specific.

This morning, I taught a new CardioSculpt program at Equinox in Pasadena (the class is called “Fired Up!”) and per usual, we had a newcomer in class who I’m sure found herself the minority among the regular students that come in knowing the intensity level, commitment, and amount of work needed to get through the class today.

The Information PostCard below was a reminder for her that the class had nothing to do with the group “looking good” by performing the exercises in sync. My goal was to get her to experience the exercises in their various levels (1 to 3, or beginner to advanced), so she can choose what works for her today, and execute accordingly.

Read through this carefully. Kitschy graphics, but useful info I came up with, FOR YOU.

The ultimate goal: That she get a workout that was challenging yet safe, and APPROPRIATE to her level, making her motivated to keep coming back and working on her fitness.

Details on how to do that even better are all on the postcard, but suffice it to say that for all of us that have already made fitness classes part of our regime and lifestyle, we need less and less motivation to show up. It’s already part of our DNA to seek out classes and workouts that we know give us good technique, challenging movements, and promote overall fitness performance benefits.

Meanwhile, there’s a whole demographic of people that want to learn how to get there, and they are the ones who need the most encouragement, motivation, and reason to believe that they can do this, too.

I encourage you to find one new person whom you think may be struggling in this regard, and bring them in to your favorite class one day. It’ll do 2 things:

1. You will get the opportunity to share the gift of motivation that may be more innate to you.

2. You will find yourself looking at your fitness classes and your own progress from a unique perspective, realizing hopefully, how far you’ve come along, and exploring other paths that you may want to discover, given your progress.

And just like the postcard ends: “Work hard, Be Safe, Have Fun, and Make sure to STRETCH afterwards“

xoxo
theDelfaiLama

In Fitness Information and Tips, Group Fitness Classes , , , , ,
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