Say Goodbye! to holiday weight the Tabata way!

Christmas came and went and so did the New Year celebrations, but it looks like that holiday weight you’re carrying seem determined to stay. If you are starting to regret all the cake and cookie binging you have been indulging since Christmas Eve, we’re here telling you to calm down. Everyone cheat-diets once in a while and it’s particularly difficult to resist festive delicacies, so take it easy on yourself. Besides, the stress is not going to help either. What you need to focus now is a way to get back in shape and shed the extra weight.

What if we tell you that you need not spend hours of training on the treadmill or elliptical to burn some serious fat; all you need is 4 minutes! We’re talking about the latest trend in HIIT that is heating up this winter season – the Tabata. The basic idea of this workout is to condense your usual workout into four minutes of intense interval training so it is really apt for this time of the year round when you need to make up for all the training you’ve missed. The idea is to engage all the major muscle groups, if not the entire body, and in Tabata, this can be easily achieved with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or just bodyweight exercises.

A study by Japanese scientist Dr Izumi Tabata, who founded Tabata training, found that high intensity training improved VO2 max (or your maximal oxygen consumption)  by about 14%, while anaerobic capacity improved by 28%. These effects will help you shed those extra pounds of fat, while also building lean muscle.

You can simply add Tabata to your weight workout by picking four barbell exercises that you can easily transition between. Perform the first exercise for as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then perform the second exercise as fast as possible for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, and repeat this process for the remaining exercises.

Here are 3 examples of a typical Tabata workout using just your barbells, dumbbells, and your jump rope:

Barbell Tabata Workout

1. Reverse Lunges
2. Shoulder Press
3. Romanian Deadlifts
4. Back Squats

Once you’ve completed the fourth exercise, you’ll only be two minutes into the Tabata, so go back to the first exercise and repeat the entire complex again without ever dropping the bar.

Dumbbell Tabata Workout

1. Bicep Curls
2. Incline Flyes
3. Arnold Shoulder Press
4. Side Lateral Raise

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds each followed by a 10-second rest x 2 sets.

Cardio Tabata Workout

1. Sprinting – sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times
2. Jump rope – jump for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times

Try this workout for a fast, cardio shred.

So there you go – still something to cheer about even though the holidays are over. Get ready to burn some fat!

If you’re not sure of what you’re doing, it is always recommended to seek the advice of a professional. Gympik allows you to easily find top centres in your area.