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Why You Should Be Resistance Training

What’s stopping you from trying resistance training? If it’s fear, motivation, or not knowing where to start: bookmark this page and come back to it as many times as you need! Let’s start by addressing each of these reasons why you wouldn’t strength train:

  • Fear: are you afraid of getting hurt? Choose a program or a trainer that you trust to help you get started. I recommend looking for certifications and experience. Are you afraid of “getting bulky”? Let me qualm this by sharing just how difficult and time-consuming it is to build muscle. You will not immediately “bulk up” by picking up a weight that’s more than 5 lbs–this idea came from the way the fitness industry marketed to women for years, and it’s completely false.
  • Motivation: are you struggling to feel motivated? The good news is, once you start, it’s easier to keep going because it becomes a part of your routine. I also find that setting a goal, or finding a routine that excites me plays a huge role. If you need more, check out my instagram for regular fitness motivation and inspiration!
  • Not knowing where to start: are you interested in strength training, but overwhelmed by learning how? Start simple. My Get Strong At Home program uses the basics to help you build strength before picking up any weights. And from there, I would again say, work with a trainer or find a program to follow that you trust.

Benefits of Resistance Training

  1. Boost your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories you’re burning just by existing. You read that correctly. By building muscle, you are able to burn more calories at rest. Muscle requires a lot of work and a lot of calories for your body to build and then maintain. By doing cardio, you are manually burning calories in the moment with hard work that raises your heart rate. This doesn’t mean cardio is bad and you shouldn’t do it, but having a faster metabolism due to muscle mass is highly advantageous when it comes to eating the way you want.
  2. Sculpt your body. While spot reduction (losing fat from a specific body part of your choice) is not possible, building a body part up with resistance training is. Lifting allows you more control over the physique you want. Do you have a flat butt that you’re hoping to grow? A properly programmed strength training routine can help you get there.
  3. Build stronger bones. Weight-bearing exercises not only build strength in your muscles, they build strength in your bones–something you’ll want as you age.
  4. Increase brain power. Studies have shown that lifting weights can improve your memory and rewire your brain. There has even been speculation that resistance training can stave off/lessen the impacts of Dementia/Alzheimer’s. On a lesser scale, I know I feel mentally stimulated after a good workout and find it easier to accomplish tasks. That’s why I love my morning workouts.
  5. Improve self discipline. Setting and achieving performance goals requires commitment, and how you do one thing is how you do everything. By sticking with that commitment and doing the hard work, it carries over into other aspects of your life.
  6. Boost confidence. I remember walking into a CrossFit gym, seeing the weightlifting movements and thinking I couldn’t do it. Trying new things and seeing improvements week over week did so much to build my confidence. As a woman, I also felt like if I could unexpectedly lift those weights, there was nothing I couldn’t do.

How to Start Strength Training

This can feel a little more challenging than usual as this post is being written during the COVID-19 pandemic, where most people are staying home. Luckily, if you’re brand new to strength training, my Get Strong at Home program is designed for beginners and requires no equipment so it can be done anywhere. If you’re more advanced (and able to train again), there are strength days in my HIIT the Gym program. And I’ve shared plenty of free workouts on my instagram!

Do you strength train? If not, what’s holding you back?

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Third Trimester: My Week in Pregnancy Workouts

Prior to getting pregnant, I thought my activity level would take a drastic hit. I expected motivation would be harder than usual to find, and movement would be uncomfortable, especially in the third trimester. Now that I’m just about 3 weeks from my due date, I can say: my assumptions were wrong.

Pregnancy and Workout Motivation

I thought getting bigger would be what made things harder (which didn’t really happen for me until toward the end of the second trimester), but the hardest trimester for me to find motivation and movement was actually the first trimester. The increased blood volume meant I had to slow down from the start (cardio became hard), the fatigue made getting up for my morning workouts hard, and the morning sickness made it hard to ever get up and move. This was also mentally tough, as this is the trimester when no one knows you’re pregnant, and I work out in a group setting–I felt like I looked like a slacker!

I stuck with it more out of routine than anything, and I noticed I felt SO much better post-workout (as long as I was eating frequently enough). This was a lesson I learned very early on: while the motivation was lacking and it felt like an uphill battle to get moving, once I did get up and move, I felt much more like myself. Now, I’ve kept that mentality in mind throughout my pregnancy! But before we dive into what my training has looked like during pregnancy, let’s touch on how much your baseline level of activity pre-pregnancy matters.

Pre-Pregnancy Workouts and Training

Once you get pregnant, it is not generally recommended that you start a fitness program other than light walking. That’s why, if you’d like to have an active pregnancy, it’s important to establish a good baseline prior to pregnancy, so that you have something to maintain and eventually cut back from as your pregnancy progresses.

Prior to getting pregnant, my training looked like:
Monday: CrossFit, run 2 miles
Tuesday: CrossFit, accessory work
Wednesday: CrossFit, run 2 miles
Thursday: Mobility workout
Friday: CrossFit
Saturday: F45/HIIT + running
Sunday: walk 3 miles

The type and frequency of workouts that you do should be tailored to what you enjoy and can commit to, but if you’re looking for training specifics that will make pregnancy “easier”, I would recommend building a strong core and glutes leading up to your pregnancy. A strong core will help hold everything in a little tighter and keep you more comfortable as your pregnancy progresses. A strong posterior chain/glutes will help counterbalance your growing stomach, leading to less back pain and movement imbalances as your pregnancy progresses.

Third Trimester Workout Schedule

For the first trimester and into my second, I maintained the above workout schedule. Then due to COVID and pregnancy progression, I changed up my format. For my third trimester, my workout schedule has been as follows:
Monday: lower body strength (squat focused) + HIIT/metcon
Tuesday: upper body strength
Wednesday: lower body strength (deadlift focused) + HIIT/metcon
Thursday: light cardio + mobility work
Friday: long metcon/HIIT
Saturday: accessory strength (glute work with resistance bands) + run (~3 miles, sometimes walking is required)
Sunday: 3 mile walk with my husband.
I also make sure to walk daily (preferably outside), using 10,000 steps/day as a guideline (even though this is not based in science, I find it useful to follow).

Pregnancy Workouts

I linked examples of each type of workout above, but if you’d prefer not to click out, see below for examples of each day:
Monday:
Strength: 5×5 Bulgarian split squats (each leg)
Metcon:
400m run
30 kettlebell swings
30 kettlebell sumo deadlifts
400m run
30 dumbbell squats
30 dumbbell lunges
400m run
30 med ball slams
30 med ball cleans
400m run

Tuesday:
5 x 150 ft farmers carry (45# db in each hand)
5 x 6 bent over row (25# db in each hand)
5 x 8 chest press (25# db in each hand)
5 x 6 bicep curl (20# db in each hand)

Wednesday:
Strength: 5×5 single leg deadlifts each leg
Metcon: 3 rounds
400m run
30 med ball squat and toss (as close to wall balls as I can get from home)
30 single arm alt db snatch

Thursday:
.75 mile jog
3 rounds:
20 cossack squats
20 runners lunge to hurdler stretch (dynamic)
20 windmills
.75 mile jog

Friday:
400m run
50 alt db snatch
50 hang clean and jerk
400m run
50 single arm bent over row
50 squats
400m run
50 single arm push press
50 lunges
400m run
Followed by speed ladder drills + bird dogs 

Saturday: 5×10 single leg hip thrusts each leg, 5×5 sumo squats, 3 mile run

Sunday: 3 mile walk (bonus: make it a hike or pick a nearby park to explore!)

Exercise Movements I’m Avoiding During Pregnancy

Even though I’ve been active throughout my pregnancy, I have still been careful to stick with movements that feel good. While there are a lot of “pregnancy safe” exercise lists out there, what’s “safe” for you is truly individual and depends a lot on what you were doing prior to pregnancy. Any adjustments I’ve made are due to my own activity level, personal experience, and conversations with my Doctor. Here are the moves I removed during each trimester:

First Trimester:
– muscle ups
– handstand pushups
note that these are two of my favorite movements, but I cut them out without trying them, I figured the risk wasn’t worth the reward (and they sounded terrible due to morning sickness!)

Second Trimester:
– ab movements that involved crunching my core (ex: toes to bar, sit-ups. I still kept up with dynamic planks, etc)
– heavy barbell work (started to lighten the weights I was using)
– burpees + pushups (cut these out when my stomach started to get in the way)

Third Trimester:
– jumping movements (box jumps, squat thrusts, etc)
– planks and plank variations (I am now only doing bird dogs as a “core-specific” movement as I notice coning with anything else!)
– running (reduced distance, did not cut out)

These were all the result of listening to my body and watching for abdominal coning. If a movement doesn’t feel right, I stop performing it. If I notice my abs peaking in the middle, I also stop. Every pregnancy is individual, and listening to your body is the most important thing you can do.

So, there you have it! Who else has found that activity during pregnancy helps you feel better than inactivity?

Disclaimer: I know these aren’t options for everyone, some pregnancies are higher risk, doctors prescribe bedrest, etc, but given my low risk factors and per conversations with my doctor, this has worked very well for me. That said, while I hold multiple training certifications and am an experienced fitness instructor, I do not know the intricacies of your pregnancy and you should consult your Doctor about activity levels!

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“The Wobble” Ultimate Leg Burner Workout

To me, one of the best feelings a workout can leave you with is that “I can’t walk” feeling. The one where you finish your workout and start walking, only to have your legs wobble like jello. The one where your mind realizes “if it’s this bad right after my workout, the next couple of days will be a struggle”. The afterburn is a great reminder of how hard I worked and it feels like a badge of honor.

This workout is guaranteed to give you that feeling if you choose the right weights and move through each set without a lot of rest.

What you need: 1 dumbbell (I used 35 lb) + 1 bench/box/elevated surface

Format: 10 reps of each move using your right leg, then 10 reps of each move using your left leg. Rest 1 minute. Repeat 2 more times.

Move #1: Elevated, weighted, single leg hip thrust

Lay on the ground perpendicular to a bench with the dumbbell resting on your hips. Put your right heel on top of the bench and lift left leg straight up in the air. Drive down through your right heel and push hips toward ceiling, driving your left leg straight up into the air. Lower back down to the ground. That’s one rep – repeat for a total of 10 reps on the same leg then switch right into move #2.

Move #2: Weighted Bulgarian split squat

Stand a foot or two away from the bench with your back to it. Rest your left foot on the bench and step your right foot out in front of you. Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest or on top of your hips. Lower your hips toward the floor so that your back knee comes close to the floor – almost like a lunge. Drive through the heel of your right foot to get back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of 10 reps on the same leg then switch right into move #3.

Move #3: Single Leg Deadlift

Stand with feet hip distance apart, holding the dumbbell at your hips using both hands. Pick your left leg up off of the floor and lift it behind you as you lower the dumbbell to the floor in front of you. Return to standing, using only your right leg. That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of 10 reps then rest for 1 minute, before going back to move 1 on the opposite leg. *Be sure to keep your back flat during this movement – if you start to round out, lower your weight*

Give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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April Goals Update + May Goals

In April, I set some pretty light/attainable goals:

  1. Go Streaking: run outside every day in April (1 mile minimum)
  2. Grow my @healthydoseoflife Instagram to 550 followers.
  3. Self Care Sundays: Reading, running for enjoyment, Epsom salt baths, foam rolling, yoga, relaxing with a cup of herbal tea are all examples

So, how did they turn out? Streaking and Self Care Sundays were easy. Were there days I didn’t feel like running? Sure, but one mile is a small enough distance that no matter how sore I was or how hard it was raining, I knew I could do it. I loved it, but I’ll be incorporating rest days again in May. I like to be able to listen to my legs and take breaks when necessary (which would’ve been nice the day before and after my half).

As for growing my Instagram: I didn’t put as much work into this as I should’ve. I grew my account, but not by as much as I wanted to. Ultimately, the purposes of my @healthydoseoflife Instagram are to inspire people on their health journey, get people to check out the blog, and connect with other health/fitness enthusiasts. I need to prioritize the “connecting with others” aspect moving forward to achieve my goals!

April Goals (1)

For May, I’ve set a few more goals and am hoping to challenge myself with a few of them:

  1. Do 3 hours of yoga per week. I feel so great when I do yoga, but I’m quick to cut it out when my schedule gets packed. 3 hours/week feels very attainable to reap the benefits without making it a “chore”. I’d love to do more classes, but to keep my wedding budget on track I’ll be youtubing from home. I love Sarah Beth Yoga and Yoga With Adrienne – let me know if there are others I should check out!
  2. Do ab/core work every day. I usually rely on crossfit and lifting to target my core, butI’m going to spend some time outside of class working on bodyweight movements.
  3. Read 1 book for purpose rather than pleasure. I loved how this goal turned out in March, so I’m excited to revisit it! I’ll probably read “Start Where You Are” but would love to see your recommendations in the comments.
  4. Follow 3 health/fitness publications. I don’t read a lot of news or articles, but I’d like to change that. Starting with a subject I’m passionate about should help this become a habit down the road.

What goals are you chasing this month?

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Thoughts On Crossfit and Working Hard

About a month ago, I posted recaps of the Crossfit Open workouts I participated in. A few things happened during my first open journey – one of them being that I learned a lot about myself. Now that I’ve had some time to digest what I’ve learned, I’m ready to document it and use it moving forward.

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Here’s what happened when I did the Crossfit Open:

  1. I fell more in love with the sport. I don’t have games ambitions (or even regionals ambitions for that matter) – but I do have more goals I want to explore when it comes to Crossfit. I’ve stopped viewing it as just my morning sweat session – I’d like it to be more than that, and I think it is now. It’s not just a workout: it’s a sport; where I will be competing with myself every time I do it.
  2. I learned the difference between doing something just to get it over with, and doing something that I’m trying my best at and pushing myself through. I think this hit me truly in 17.4 – I knew I could do each move, but that the workout would require an ambitious mindset for me to perform well. I pushed through large sets of wall ball shots and didn’t give up on the rower (a large mental task in itself). I knew I had pushed my limits when the workout was over and I couldn’t get off the floor/almost threw up. This gave me some perspective – am I really pushing myself hard enough throughout the week? I know I shouldn’t always go 110% or be on the verge of throwing up every day (I need at least a little bit of recovery to be at my best) but was I ever pushing as hard as I should? Since then, I know I’ve improved my mental toughness and stamina. I push beyond what’s comfortable in a workout, even if the moves aren’t my strengths. I perform more reps per set and I move at a faster pace. I go all-out for at least 2 workouts per week. It’s that push that will make me better.
  3. I nailed a move I’d been struggling with previously: the bar muscle-up! Call it open magic (even though it didn’t happen during a workout) or call it focus. Either way, I’m pleased to have accomplished it, and it’s made me less scared of my weaknesses.

What does hard work mean to you in a workout?

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Crossfit Open: 17.3 Recap + Tips

So this post is a little later than usual, meaning the tips won’t really help anyone trying that’s in the open this year. BUT if your gym is like mine, you’ll have this workout thrown into your programming at some point anyway! Might as well know what to expect, right?

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I like to watch the live announcements for the open workouts. I’m the type of person who needs to know ASAP what to expect. So as I sat with my glass of wine watching Dave Castro put the dumbbell down and say the workout would be using barbells, I felt some immediate relief. THANK GOD, A BREAK FROM THE DUMBBELLS (which are such an irregular part of our programming!). Then he announced “snatch ladder” and I knew I was in for a rough one. Make that a SQUAT snatch ladder. Paired with chest-to-bar pull-ups? Absolutely savage. Brutal. Bring it on.

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Let’s start by taking a look at those jumps in weight! My power snatch max is right around 100 lbs. Squat snatches are a whole other ball game, so I knew 95 would be a struggle. Taking a look at the standards, I also saw there were “no free rides”- aka, you can’t power snatch, adjust your feet, and ride the bar down into an overhead squat. You either had to catch the bar below parallel or ride it down smoothly (no pause). Hellooooo, no reps!

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Let’s also note that chest-to-bar pull-ups increase in reps per round. So as you’re getting more and more tired and your muscles are feeling more and more taxed, you need to do more reps. Good thing I won’t be making it too far into this workout, right?

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Taking these movements into account, I went in with a few strategies.

  • I knew shoulder mobility would be important, so I spent a  lot of time rolling out/stretching and opening up my shoulders prior to the workout.
  • I knew grip would be taxed quickly – the rig + snatches are the special sauce for popeye arms.
  • Being in the rig and on the barbell means your hands are likely to rip. Especially because the kip required to successfully execute a chest-to-bar pull-up means your hands are really moving on the bar. I made sure to chalk up and break up my sets of chest-to-bar to avoid this.
  • Knowing that the weight was going to get too heavy too quick, I made it a point to fly through the reps at 65 lbs so I would have plenty of time to try to get as many 95 lb snatches as possible (and get the best possible tiebreak time at 65 lbs).

So how did it go? I made it successfully through the 65 lb round with few no-reps (squat snatching is awkward. I got better as I went along.) The chest-to-bar pull-ups presented no issues for me.

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Then I got to the 95 lb snatches. There were a lot of deadlifts, high pulls, and no-reps among my 4 successful reps. I power snatched the bar and got stuck/paused on the way down too many times which was wasted time and wasted effort. The last 4 minutes of this 8-minute workout were a bit frustrating and slow for me, but again, I know something I need to work on moving forward: squat snatches!

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I also learned just how big of a difference lifting shoes make. I borrowed a pair from a friend for this workout and they were a game-changer for stability. I went home and immediately ordered a pair!

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All in all, I left this workout with a sense of purpose. I know my goals moving forward. Is a 135 lb squat snatch one of them? Absolutely not. But I’d like to get to a point where 95 lbs is easy. Stay tuned!

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March Goals

You know what they say about March weather: coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb? Well, in addition to the weather portion, March has come in like a lion for my personal life – stomach bug, wedding planning meetings, open prep. So I’m a little late with this post! But I’m excited about everything on this list and will be using this blog (in addition to my fiance and the goals outline hanging on my wall) to hold me accountable.

march-goals

So without further adieu, here are my March goals:

  1. Grow my @healthydoseoflife Instagram to 450 followers. My action plan is to post at least twice a day, follow 100 people per week, and take the time to comment on other peoples posts and connect with them rather than just liking their pictures and moving on. I really enjoy Instagram as a platform to connect with other like-minded people, so this is where I’ll focus a lot of my energy this month.
  2. Break my record for “most viewed post” on the blog. So far, my most popular post has been my 17.1 recap. This post even ranked in search engines for some terms about crossfit open tips which brought people to my site – a first for my blog. I think I’ll need to recap all of my open workouts to break this record!
  3. Run 75 miles. This is always a tough one to complete on top of crossfit. My runs outside aren’t very long (especially when the temp drops below 30) and the treadmill doesn’t keep me occupied for more than 30 minutes. I’ll also count the few elliptical miles I accumulate each month when the only way I feel like going to the gym is if I can read during my workout. So far I’m only 5 miles in and need to pick it up!
  4. Perform a muscle up. This goal has eluded me since I started crossfit. I tried for 7 minutes to get my first bar muscle up last night during 17.2 and failed, but got really close. I know I’m strong enough but my form needs work and I need to believe it will happen. The time is now!
  5. Read 1 book for purpose rather than pleasure. I love to read fantasy. My fiance loves to read sports biographies and motivational books. The more I see him take notes and learn from the books he reads, the more it makes me want to try it myself. So this month I took out a library loan for “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. It is SO good, I can’t put it down. I can’t wait to start my own happiness project after reading it – not because I am unhappy, but because I could be happier and more appreciative of what I have right in front of me. This goal is as good as achieved already.

What goals are you focused on? How do you keep yourself accountable?

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Crossfit Open: 17.1 Recap + Tips

My crossfit journey started in July 2014. Since then I’ve completed countless wods, but not many serious competitions. This year I decided to enter the open.

The crossfit open is a 5-week, 5-workout competition that crossfit athletes all over the world can enter. The workouts are announced on Thursdays and athletes have until Monday to submit their scores. Workouts are completed in the presence of a certified judge who ensures you follow the rules (and in my case, counted my reps out loud for me).

17.1, the first workout of the series, was a couplet: single arm snatches and burpee box jump-overs:

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In my years of being a crossfit athlete, I’ve done countless wods. I start most days doing a wod before going to work. None of them felt like this: heart racing, dry mouth, nerves out of control. I started off strong – 10 snatches and 15 burpee box jumps? No problem. The snatches were unbroken and I jumped right from my burpees onto the box, no step in between.

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Follow it up with 20 snatches and 15 more burpee box jumps? You got it. This isn’t so bad, right?17-1-1

Then came the round of 30 snatches. My back was tightening up, my throat was on fire. I was really starting to feel it – which was evident by the amount of times I dropped the dumbbell, and the step I started taking between the burpee and box jump. This is where my time really started to slide.

I caught myself struggling to get full extension on the snatches and made a conscious effort to catch the dumbbell standing straight up. There were also a few times my non-lifting arm started to rest on my leg during the snatches, which would’ve been a “no-rep”. I felt it happening mid-rep and dropped the dumbbell completely so as not to waste any more time/work. 17-1-2

I was more than 18 minutes in when I started my last 15 burpee box jump-overs. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it under the 20-minute time cap – and you can see from the faces in the picture that the spectators were skeptical too (the ones not looking at me are looking at the clock).

One of my coaches saw I was fading and put on my favorite song (Project T) while one of my other coaches cheered like crazy beside me. I ended up finishing with 4 seconds to spare: 19:56. The energy in the room around me played a huge part in helping me to the finish. I struggled hard and ultimately was hoping for a better time, but I’m happy that I finished. I feel accomplished and ready for the next workout!

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So what are my words of advice for those who haven’t done 17.1 yet?

  1. HYDRATE. This is taxing cardio, you’re going to need all the water you can get leading up to (and following) this wod.
  2. Keep your shoulders above your hips when you bend down on the snatches. It’ll save your lower back in the long run.
  3. Start off taking the burpee box jump-overs slower than you think you should. It’s easy to burn out on them when you’re moving quickly.
  4. Turn mid-air when getting off the box and fall right to the ground into your burpee. Don’t waste time stepping around/setting up between each rep.
  5. Keep a number of snatches to hit unbroken in your head. This was a miss for me – I should’ve set the goal of doing 10 unbroken each round. I didn’t keep this in mind and dropped the dumbbell more times than I should’ve, wasting a lot of time.
  6. Don’t stand to full extension on the box. The completion of the movement is getting OVER the box to the other side. Standing up on the box is unneccessary and will slow you down.

Did you do 17.1? How’d you do? What advice do you have?

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Tabata: Legs

Happy hump day! For #workoutwednesday, I put together a leg-intensive tabata routine. This routine is great for an at-home workout since it requires no equipment. But don’t let the bodyweight movements fool you: tabata is an intense workout. This form of HIIT has a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio – so you’re working twice as long as you’re resting. Each movement should be performed at max effort for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 8 rounds.

Before we get into the movements, let’s dive into some of the benefits of tabata:

  1. It’s a great time-saver. Tabata is a quick, effective workout. Studies have shown that you can burn the same amount of calories in 4 minutes as you would in a 20-minute traditional cardio session.
  2. It’ll spike your heart rate and keep your metabolism fired up even after your workout.
  3. It can be varied easily. Check out this post for more exercise examples to build your own routines.

Seems like a win, right? Try it out and let me know what you think. And don’t forget to warm up first!

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Have you tried tabata? What’re your favorite movements?

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Workout Playlist – Feb 2017

The right music can make or break your workout. When I need a push at crossfit, the right song can get me in the zone. Bumping beats can distract you from the pain and fatigue of a workout. Studies have shown it can even reduce perceived effort and increase endurance, allowing people to work out longer than they would without music.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just about BPMs – the right workout music is different for everyone. I personally tend to perform best at crossfit and sprinting workouts when listening to fast-paced, intense rap and EDM. When running for distance, I actually prefer podcasts over music (like Ben Greenfield). Knowing this helps me plan and execute my workouts in a way I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

If you’re like me, the following songs can take your hardest workouts to the next level:

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What music helps you make the most of your workout?