I’ve rarely had good experiences with the classes at my gym. The ones I’ve tried were always led by unmotivating (or just downright odd) instructors. One time my friend and I checked out a yoga class at my gym. The instructor was overweight, wore a mesh black top over a sports bra, and made us do FINGER EXERCISES for the first ten minutes. It was… interesting, to say the least.
Over the years, I’ve checked out kickboxing, step, and a myriad of other classes – all led to disappointment. Then recently, my friend convinced me to go to a Bootcamp class with her. I LOVED IT and look forward to it every Monday – I try not to miss if I can help it! This is the 1st gym class I’ve ever been enthusiastic about. The instructor is this amazingly fit, upbeat, charming guy who does not waste a single minute of the hour-long class. He alternates his style weekly – one week it’s a normal bootcamp routine, and the next week we’ll do a technique called “Tabata 20/10″.
What is Tabata? Tabata 20/10 is named after its creator, Dr. Izumi Tabata, from Tokyo. This workout is meant to give the maximum aerobic and anaerobic workout in a short amount of time. Meaning, it combines cardio and weights to give you an incredibly effective workout.
What is 20/10? You do an exercise intensely for 20 seconds (do as many as you can within 20 seconds), then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of 8 cycles, which is the equivalent of 4 minutes. Then rest for 1 minute. Then you’ll go on and do a completely new exercise and repeat the 20/10 method. These can be any exercises of your choosing – some common ones are jumping jacks, push-ups, skaters, and squat thrusts.
It sounds very confusing doesn’t it? Here’s a video that shows you how its done:
It’s a really effective workout that keeps your muscles guessing and your heart rate up! Has anyone else tried Tabata 20/10?
