GRDXers!
007? Maybe not...
How are you doing? I have something very interesting that I think all of you should try. I would argue that this one is for all those people who “claim” they don’t have time to workout. As a rule of thumb, I personally think that we make time for whatever is most important to us – but that’s for another post.
What would you say if I told you there is a cardio routine that you can do in four minutes that would give you a great burn?
Guess what… There is. Have you ever heard of the Tabata Protocol? It sounds crazy right? I personally thought it was something out of 007….
According to The Post Game and Men’s Health, the Tabata Protocol is a training method originally used by the Japanese Olympic Speed Skating team, and named after scientist Izumi Tabata.
Tabata studied its amazing effect on a group of male college students. The study subjects were all fit P.E. majors, and most were members of various varsity sports teams.
Excerpt from The Post Game
You might think it sounds too simple — and short — to work: On a stationary bike, the university students did seven to eight 20-second, all-out sprints, each separated by just 10 seconds of rest. Total time: 4 minutes. (They also did an easy 10-minute warmup before each session.) The results were fantastic: After doing the routine 5 days a week for 6 weeks, the college kids boosted their aerobic fitness by 14 percent. By comparison, another group (who performed a steady but moderate pace on the bikes for 60 minutes) increased their aerobic fitness by only about 10 percent.
So why isn’t everyone doing Tabata workouts? Well, many people would get nauseous if they actually tried the routine that was used in the study. That’s not good. Plus, to burn as many calories as you might like, you need to regularly exercise longer than just 4 minutes (the study participants literally exercised themselves to exhaustion, making additional work unlikely).
This is where fitness expert BJ Gaddour, owner of StreamFIT.com steps in. He figured out a way to make these workouts accessible and fit into 4 minute workouts. Please note that these are some pretty intense workouts if you do them correctly.
I’ve done a few of them and I must admit they are pretty intense. Fun… but intense. Be creative with them! Maybe you could stack a few 4 minutes videos one behind the other for some intense 12 minute intervals.
Just because you workout, doesn’t mean that it has to be the same thing each time. That is how you plateau. Try something different; incorporate these into your workout regime to create a new challenge. I would suggest that everyone try these videos out – VIEW THEM HERE.
To all the busy folks out there, tell me you don’t have 4 minutes. To all my non-busy folks out there, tell me you don’t want to get in better shape in less time too. What are your thoughts on high intensity workouts such as these? Why wouldn’t you try them? Share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
Remember, Every new meaningful input demands a disorganization and recalibration of your reality.
-Derrick
