Workout of the Week: Tabata Til You Don’t Wanna
Challenging Tabata workout to train resilience.
Tabata Til You Don’t Wanna
10 Tabata Sets
(Standard Tabata Set = 8 rounds of 20sec on and 10sec rest)
Odd Sets:
Odd Rounds: Push-ups
Even Rounds: Large flutter kicks
Even Sets:
Odd Rounds: Air squats
Even Rounds: Leg scissors
(One minute rest between sets)
Two different alternating sets of Tabata done five times each.
Two different alternating exercises per set done four times each.
Find a challenging but manageable number of push-ups and squats to aim for each round. Try to maintain this number throughout the workout. Just hit the core movements at a high pace without counting reps.
80-90% perceived exertion throughout.
Reminder for perceived exertion guidelines:
My preferred timer app:
Timer for today’s workout:
Workout Considerations
I apologize for the names of these workouts. When I read them, I probably hate them as much as you do but I can’t help myself… As silly as they often are, they’re also quite accurate.
Your arms and legs will be feeling this one by the end.
One set of Tabata can be a great, quick workouts. Ten sets will be very hard.
Attempting to maintain a steady number of push-ups and squats is what transforms this workout from difficult to brutal. You’ll know you’ve found a good rep count for your current abilities if rounds one and three within each set feel comfortably challenging, round five hurts, and round seven is barely possible without digging deep.
Modify push-ups to low knees and decrease range of motion in air squats as needed. Modify core exercises by choosing preferable movements or taking microbreaks between reps.
Adjust your rep count up or down for the push-ups and squats based on how you feel at the end of the first few sets. Dial back a rep or two if you fail to meet your goal. Increase a few reps if you finish that seventh round with time to spare or without feeling much fatigue.
If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right…
My Experience
It was a brisk 34 degrees Fahrenheit outside without much wind chill when I did this one with my fitness group over the weekend. Took the chance to increase the challenge by doing it barefoot in a t-shirt and shorts.
I was able to maintain 18 or more push-ups and 22 or more squats per round.
I’ve done variations of Tabata workouts many times for several years. My mind and body have become systematically adapted to the challenge this unique training structure creates. It was the cold that messed with my mind throughout the 50 minutes of work. No matter how calm I stayed, how hard I focused, or how much I attempted to physically warm myself up, my fingers and toes stayed numb throughout.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about an odd object carry workout in similarly cold conditions. This workout involved rucking up and down a large hill. Once I found my rhythm, my heart rate settled and the feeling in my hands and toes returned to normal even though the external temperature remained the same. I found myself thinking of Wim Hof and the many people he trained to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro, some in just shorts, without getting frost bite.
The power of the mind and body is quite remarkable when we are consciously in control.
Thermoregulation is possible even in extreme environments if the stress response is effectively managed.
The Tabata structure requires periods of extreme intensity followed by brief periods of rest. It’s impossible to maintain a steady heart rate and settle into these workouts. They’re all about variability and high exertion. Unlike the ruck challenge two weeks ago, the intermittent periods of extreme exertion prevented my system from finding a rhythm. I was consistently focused on maintaining pace and intensity rather than decreasing my stress response.
I walked away from this workout looking like I was wearing cinder blocks for shoes. After about ten minutes, feeling in my extremities returned and euphoria set in.
The subconscious powers within ourselves, such as thermoregulation, are only possible when we are in control of our mind.
There are times when we need to react and exert. The capacity to quickly respond and perform at our limits is invaluable. It’s also unsustainable.
Tabata workouts allow you to train your ceiling, your max output. They also allow you to feel the variability of going in and out of extreme stress. There is no settling into max exertion, only grinding through as long as you can.
This weekend’s workout highlighted the importance of exertion and stress response management when in an extreme environment. My inability to regulate my temperature stemmed from my system having to dedicate its resources to the stress I was putting it under from the workout. Had I dialed back my exertion and found a steady rhythm, I’m confident I would have restored feeling in my hands and feet much sooner than I did after the workout.
We are subconsciously powerful when we are consciously resilient.
Resilient mental states result from mindset and our ability to manage our stress response regardless of circumstance.
Make this knowledge your own personal wisdom by intentionally training resilience with intentional stress.