thursday’s theme & i’m not telling

Thanks to all of you who volunteered your time to write me a guest post!!!  It will really take a weight off my shoulders in the coming month or so!  Be on the lookout for an email from me!!

I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not to divulge about what’s going on and WHY I need guest posts. I think I’ve decided not to. 

I just want to be as safe as possible about posting things on this world wide web (<-hate that phrase!).  (Now if I could just take back that sex post. )

Just be patient and you’ll find out soon enough!  It’s exciting, at least, for us it is!

The theme for this week’s Tuesday Trainer is TABATA!!  For anyone not familiar with this crazy term, here is a quick overview: (source: Men’s Health)

Who invented Tabata?

Dr. Izumi Tabata and his colleagues at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition wanted to establish the minimum amount of training needed to increase fitness.

What did they find?

The results of their research were astonishing – the team tested athletes’ VO2 max (the point at which they get winded) and found that those who followed the Tabata formula increased their VO2 max by 14% in six weeks. According the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, “Six to 8 very hard 20-second intervals with 10-second rest periods may be one of the best possible training protocols.”

So how do you use Tabata training as a workout tool?  It looks something like this:

20 seconds on.  HIGH INTENSITY!!

10 seconds off.

Repeat for a total of 8 times – 4 minutes total workout time!

I know you’re thinking, “4 minutes?!? That’s not a workout!”  I promise – when you work to your max during those 20 seconds, you’ll get out of breath quite quickly and force your body to workout ANAEROBICALLY!  Tabatas are designed so that you won’t NEED to workout any longer than 4 minutes, but if you are advanced you can do a few rounds of 8 OR pair a Tabata with some cardiovascular training.  As always, listen to your body! 

So here are my Tabata moves:

Just to re-emphasis:  I want TWO exercises.  Perform one for 20 seconds, rest for 10.  Then perform the second exercise for 20 seconds.  Got it? 

Some tips for TT newbies:

• Tell us who you are!  If you blog, tell us the URL!
• Do the exercises correctly!  I can’t post videos with improper form or sketchy descriptions.
• Be yourself – let that personality shine through!
• Anyone can participate. Man, woman, blogger, non-blogger, sheep. Anyone.

Video submissions are due next Monday, the 2nd, at 8pm, EST! Please have them to me before the deadline! Go here to learn how to upload your video.

It’s the LAST day to enter the Twin Cakes Bakery GIVEAWAY on the BLEND site!!  Also, BLEND tickets increase to $100 on April 1st.  If you’re thinking of going (and you SHOULD!), buy your ticket now before the Early Bird special expires!

QUESTION:  I’m keeping a secret from you.  Do you have any secrets you want to tell me??  (Be forewarned –  I’m HORRIBLE at keeping them!)

splendid…lindsay