Workout FAQ!

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A lot of you have been emailing me with workout related questions. After a few months of this, I've realized that many of these questions are fairly common. While I am totally open to emails of this nature, I figured I'd put out an FAQ document that would answer some of these questions for the rest of you... that way, you can get faster answers and hit the gym!

Click here to view the FAQ page. It will be a static page, instead of just a post, to make it easier for me to update with more questions and answers over time.

Some of the questions answered in that FAQ are:

• How many calories do I need to burn with exercise?
• Do I need to workout every day?
• How much exercise should I do? What kinds?
• What is strength training?
• How often should I strength train?
• How much cardio should I do?
• How can I get cardio?
• Do I need to do Cardio on the days I strength train?
• What is HIIT?
• What are Tabatas?
• What are some fun ways to get cardio workouts?
• How often do I need to stretch?
• What music do you listen to?

Check it out and feel free to comment here with additional questions or email me!Check it out and feel free to comment here with additional questions or email me!

Summer Shape-Up Workout: 25 Minute Full Body Tabata Sequence

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I initially created this workout in April as an easy at-home workout to gear up for summer. But, even if you are trying this in the dead of winter, it is a great way to get an amazing workout in when you don't have time for the gym or it is simply too darn cold to head outside. Now that you've seen this post, you literally have NO EXCUSES to not fit in a workout today! How's that for pressure, eh?

This workout is entirely comprised of Tabatas (not familiar with Tabatas? Read up on the concept of Tabatas in this post!). The beauty of Tabatas is how much work they do on your body in such a short amount of time. One Tabata set is said to increase endurance as much as 45 minutes of your regular cardio training would. If you do this workout, you're about to do six times that.

Tabata is really just a fancy word for a four-minute interval workout. The Tabata philosophy is based on creating what we call an Oxygen Debt – that means that you have burned off the oxygen you currently have in your muscles and thus your body has to find a way to replace it. Your body then rushes into oxygen production mode for the next 24 hours, burning extra fat in order to accomplish this task. That means you'll be burning extra fat for TWENTY.FOUR.HOURS!

That said, the workout will give you what you put into it. Tabatas are based on your ability to push yourself as hard as your body will allow during the 20 second work segments. You can't do it half asleep and you can't half ass it. Okay, you probably could... but it wouldn't be nearly as effective as it could be.


Do you have 25 minutes? Do you want to be in the best shape of your life? Get to work!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Timer:
  You either need an interval timer (purchase via GymBoss or download an iphone app for "Tabata" or "HIIT") or music that has been timed out to do a Tabata (Download the 25 minute track with 6 four-minute Tabatas timed out).
• Light Weights:
  You'll need two light weights (between 2 and 5 pounds is best). If you don't have weights, use two full water bottles.
• Mat:
  For ab exercises, you may prefer to have a mat! You can also do the exercises on carpet, or layer a few towels underneath you if you are doing them on a hard surface.

THE SUMMARY:

• 6 Sets! - Each set will consist of eight 20-Second Work Segments, alternated with eight 10-Second Rest Segments (yeah, that's right - you'll need that rest to breathe!). Total, including the 10 second breaks, each set will be four minutes. If you take a 60 second break in between each set, this workout will take 29 Minutes. Try not to rest for any longer than 60 seconds, unless you truly need to. Push yourself.
• 20-Seconds Exercise Segments - High Intensity Exercise. That means you're working as hard as you can and performing the exercise as fast as you can. You can do it because it's only for 20 seconds! 
• 10-Seconds Rest Segments - Rest. Don't try to switch shoes or fill up a water bottle -- do that before you start! The 10 second break will go FAST and you'll need it to catch your breath, lower your heart rate, and figure out which exercise comes next.

THE WORKOUT:
1. The first set gets your heart rate up quickly.
For every other 20-second segment, you will alternate between two exercises, doing each exercise a total of 4 times:

• Burpees (or Suicide Jumps) 
  
• Switch Kicks (Also called Kick Jumps. You can take these on at a time, pausing to put both feet on the ground in between kicks, or make it more challenging by hopping from one kick into the other!)   
  

2. The second set works your butt and thighs.
You will perform one exercise during all 20-second segments, alternating between 20 seconds on your right leg and 20 seconds on your left leg and rest during all 10-second segments, doing the exercise a total of 4 times per leg.

• Alternating Lunge Kicks (Image shown is left leg only. For proper form, make sure the bent front leg's knee is never past that foot's toes!)
  

3. The third set works your arms.
Grab your weights! For 20 seconds, you will do the first exercise. Then, instead of a break, you'll perform the second exercise for 10 seconds. Each exercise will be performed a total of 8 times. If it gets too intense, just drop your weights and move your arms. Don't stop!

• Squat and Front Shoulder Raise (By holding the weights at shoulder-height while in the bottom of the squat and holding the weights up above your head while at the top of the squat, you will keep tension on the arms the entire time. For proper form, make sure not to allow your knees to go past your toes!)
  
• Standing Side Shoulder Raise (Hold the weights out at shoulder length, with your palms facing up. Bring them together above your head, then lower back down and repeat. For an added challenge, stay in a wide squat during these segments)
  

4. The fourth set works your butt and thighs again:
For every other 20-second segment, you will alternate between two exercises, doing each exercise a total of 4 times.

• Frog Jumps (Start in a low, wide squat, with one hand on the ground. Hop forward, still staying in the squat position, and touch the ground again. Then jump back! For proper form, make sure that your knees never come past your toes!)
  
• Narrow Squat Leg Lifts (Start in a low, narrow squat, with feet close together. Lift your left leg in the air, maintaining the squat position with the rest of your body. Then lower your left leg and raise your right leg. For proper form, make sure the bent knee never comes past your toes!)
  

5. The fifth set works your abs. 
You will perform one exercise during all 20-second segments and rest during all 10-second segments, doing the exercise a total of 8 times. 

• Plank (High Plank, on hands, or Low Plank, on elbows. To make it more challenging, you can alternate between low plank and high plank for each 20-second segment or alternate the whole way through, as shown in the image below.)
  

6. The sixth set works your abs again.
For every other 20-second segment, you will alternate between two exercises, doing each exercise a total of 4 times.

• Pulsing Heel Raises (Lay on your back and raise your legs to the sky. Trying to keep the legs as straight as possible, raise your flexed heels to the sky, lifting your butt off of the mat. Continue to pulse until time runs out!)
  
• Double-Sided Crunch (Kind of like a regular crunch, but adding your bottom half into the workout instead of leaving your feet on the ground! To keep a constant contraction on your lower abs, try not to let your knees go any lower than your hips!)
  

You've got demonstrations! That means there's no excuse not to try it out! Just in case you're not ready to take the plunge and purchase a GymBoss Timer, here's a track I've timed out just for this workout. There are six different songs, each timed out to count you in "3...2...1..." to each 20-second work segment and alert you via a school bell when each 20-second work segment has ended.

For free download, click "Download" (right next to "Like" and "Share")!

***Want individual tracks?! Click here!***



**Disclaimer: I am not a certified fitness trainer - I simply created this workout to challenge our bodies and learned that it is extremely effective at increasing heart rate and burning fat! If you are new to working out or have injuries or medical problems, please consult with your doctor before attempting this working routine.**

FIT | Printable Boxing Workouts

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Last week, I posted a Cardio Boxing Workout. For those of us who are visual and want something prettier, here's a printable for ya! :) There are 3 levels -- Level 1 (Beginner), Level 2 (Intermediate), and Level 3 (Advanced). Click on the image for your level to print -- or use the Print Friendly button up top!

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Fit | Intense Cardio Boxing Circuit

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My girlfriend, Kelsey, introduced me to boxing about a year ago and I've been 'hooked' ever since.  The first time we boxed, I woke up the next morning with a good kind of 'sore' feeling... like when you're 12 years old and spent an entire day tubing with your cousins and your entire body feels totally wired the next day. I just felt solid.

I've been doing this workout once a week for  a month or so and have had great results both physically and mentally (by mentally, I mean that I haven't come to dread the workout and have been able to continue raising the bar quite effectively).  Why am I doing it only once a week? Because my body needs to recover from this workout... and so will yours. Boxing really does a number on your upper body and core in a unique way, so it is important to give your body that rest in between attempts. That said, there is no reason you couldn't combine this with other exercises - in fact, I've been doing just that. I generally follow up on this exercise with a yoga the next day, then finish the week out by alternating cardio, weights, and rest.

I begin the workout with a Tabata circuit for a few reasons. First, it gets me legitimately pumped up. Second, boxing seems much less intimidating after completing a Tabata circuit because I'm too busy thanking-my-lucky-stars that I survived the 4 minute Tabata. Third, Tabata gets your heart "in the mood" to raise and lower quickly, which is exactly what it will be doing as the workout progresses.

****Get the free printables of this workout here!****

Part One: 4 Minute Tabata
Summary: For 4 minutes, alternate between 20 seconds of exercise (pushing yourself to your maximum intensity) and 10 seconds of rest. You will end up doing 8 20-second exercises, going through the list twice.
Note: For a bit more information about Tabata workouts, read this article.

Burpees (Suicide Jumps)
Switch Kicks (Similar to high knees but kicking each time. You should feel a bit like you're in a kicking line, except that, rather than lifting your legs straight up, you can bend your knee a bit to increase your speed).
Jumping Jacks
Jump Rope (I don't actually use a jump rope. Instead, I just mimic the motion).

Part Two: Boxing
Summary: Each round of boxing includes a specified number of body shots, hooks, and upper cuts. You may rest for 10 seconds at a time during the round, if you need to take a break between each set of punches, but try to complete each set of punches as quickly as possible. In between rounds, complete 2 minutes of moderate cardio activity (treadmill, elliptical, jumping jacks, etc).
Note: For this part of the exercise, you will be alternating between the prescribed boxing moves and any cardio workout. I typically jump on an elliptical or treadmill, but doing jumping jacks, for example, would also work. The idea is to allow your heartrate to slow down (but only slightly) by doing a moderate cardio exercise.

Round One:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    Hooks 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    Upper Cuts 30 punches per arm (60 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Hooks 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Upper Cuts 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Hooks 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Upper Cuts 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio

Round Two:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    Hooks 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    Upper Cuts 40 punches per arm (80 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Hooks 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    Upper Cuts 60 punches per arm (120 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    Hooks 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    Upper Cuts 80 punches per arm (160 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio


Round Three:
Beginner:
    Body Shots 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Hooks 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    Upper Cuts 50 punches per arm (100 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio Intermediate:  
    Body Shots 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    Hooks 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    Upper Cuts 70 punches per arm (140 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio
Advanced:
    Body Shots 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    Hooks 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    Upper Cuts 100 punches per arm (200 total)
    2 minutes moderate cardio


****Get the free printables of this workout here!****

A Full Cardio Workout in Ten Minutes: Tabata

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What is Tabata?

Magic.  But really.  Magic.  Never head of it? Neither had I until this spring.  It’s a type of workout named after Izumi Tabata, its inventor, and it is the best supra-aerobic cardio workout ever.  Best of all?  It only takes 5-10 minutes.  [Get outta town!]  No, I am not joking!   One Tabata workout supposedly increases endurance as much as 45 minutes of your regular cardio training would.

The concept of a Tabata workout is based on creating an Oxygen Debt – that means that you have burned off the blood sugar you currently have in your body and thus has to find a way to replace all of that energy.  How, might you ask?  By burning fat. 

Tabata uses intervals of work and rest.  During the interval work periods, go full speed. Then, during your 10 second rest period, stop completely (or pedal very slowly if you’re on a bike and don’t want the computer to restart your workout).

A Tabata Workout for Beginners:

• 3 minute warm-up (Light jogging).
• 2 x thirty second intervals, which consist of 20 seconds of all-out, huffing and puffing, head pounding intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of standing-still-so-exhausted-must-breathe rest
• 2 minute cool down (Light jogging, or a walk if you’re dying.  But your body will probably be happy and want to start dancing because this workout releases lots of happy hormones).

*Over time, add additional intervals until you are able to reach 8. 

*Warm-ups and cool downs are technically not part of the Tabata program, but are often recommended for those who are concerned about injuries.

A Tabata Workout for Non-Beginners:

• 5 minute warm-up (Light jogging).
• 8 x thirty second intervals  which consist of 20 seconds of all-out, huffing and puffing, head pounding intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of standing-still-so-exhausted-must-breathe rest
• 2 minutes cool down

* Warm-ups and cool downs are technically not part of the Tabata program, but are often recommended for those who are concerned about injuries.