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 Tabata Workouts Part III : Bring on the Pain!

I hope you are ready for week 3 of the Tabata challenge, because things are about to get taken up a notch.

If you haven’t completed all of the Tabata workouts from week 1 and week 2 yet, I suggest you do, because you need to get used to the Tabata format and also need to be comfortable with pushing yourself to the max during your 20 seconds of work if you are to gain the maximum metabolic benefit. 

In the first 2 weeks, most of the Tabatas were primarily done with bodyweight exercises. This was to get you used to the format, but also to make them convenient, making it easier for you to get into the habit of doing them.

As you know, I am a huge fan of bodyweight exercises, and we will still be using them in this week’s Tabata workouts, but to keep things interesting, add some variety and keep climbing up the ladder of intensity – this week’s Tabatas are going to inculde some pretty obscure, even slightly sadistic dumbbell, barbell and kettlebell moves..

We’re also not just going to be doing one exercise, we’re going to be doing multiple moves during the Tabata, with the sole aim of causing as big a metabolic disturbance as possible. As I’ve mentioned before, your aim is to induce a phenomenon known as EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption), once this is induced, your body will burn calories for up to 38 hours after the workout, as it strives to correct this metabolic disturbance.

Here are the Tabata workouts for week 3:

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it again, do not jump straight into week 3 if you haven’t done week 1 and 2 already, because the jump in intensity is BIG:

Tabata Workout #1:

Tabata Barbell complex:

I got the idea to turn this complex into a Tabata from legendary trainer, Joe DeFranco’s Built Like a Badass program.

  1. 20 seconds deadlifts, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds bent -over rows, 10 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds hang cleans, 10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds push-press, 10 seconds rest
  5. 20 seconds back squats, 10 seconds rest

Go through the circuit 2 times.

Choose the heaviest weight possible that allows you to complete all the exercises and to keep going for 20 seconds, it should be a CHALLENGING 20 seconds though, do not go too light..

 Tabata Workout #2:

  1. 20 seconds goblet squats, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds goblet squats, 10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
  5. 20 seconds goblet squats, 10 seconds rest
  6. 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest

Go through the circuit twice.

For the goblet squats, choose a heavy weight that allows you to complete the exercise for 20 seconds, but that does cause you to struggle a little and which produces a pretty good lactic acid burn.

You final set of goblet squats should be particularly miserable – then you know you are using the right weight, but remember, never at the expense of good form and safety!


Tabata Workout #3:

  1. 20 seconds, kneeling jumps, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds kettlebell swings, 20 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds, kneeling jumps, 10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds kettlebell swings, 20 seconds rest

Go through circuit twice!

 Tabata Workout #4:

  1. 20 seconds jump rope, 10 seconds rest
  2. 20 seconds burpees, 10 seconds rest
  3. 20 seconds jump rope, 10 seconds rest
  4. 20 seconds burpees, 10 seconds rest
  5. 20 seconds jump rope, 10 seconds rest
  6. 20 seconds burpees, 10 seconds rest

Go through the circuit twice.

When jumping rope, jump rope AS FAST AS YOU CAN for 20 seconds.

For some of those who are purists, you will notice that some of these are not true Tabatas in the sense that it is 8 rounds, in some cases it’s a little more…That’s just the way we do things, it’s called progression, our objective here is to get results.

Put everything you’ve got into these workouts, because things are going to get ugly in our final week, week 4

Enjoy, and remember to leave your comments below, letting me know just how much you hate me for putting you through these workouts..

 

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