Everyone wants a sexy body, but few possess the drive, the time or the ability to spend hours in the gym. For those with kids, the thought of spending time in the gym is almost laughable. The great news? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually have to spend hours in a gym to tone your physique. In fact, you don’t have to go to a gym at all. There are quick routines that you can do from the comfort of your own home that will have you looking sexier in no time at all. If you can find just 15 minutes a day to spare, you’ll be well on your way to toning that physique. How? Tabata workouts are fantastic for busy people who need a quick work out, and who want results quickly.
Warm Up
Go ahead and set a timer for the first 3 minutes, and use that time for warming up. Jumping rope, or a quick speed walk or jog are great ways to get the blood flowing. Once your heart rate elevates around the second or third minute, begin your stretching. The warm up and stretch are pivotal parts of your workout, as they’ll keep your body safe from injury and promote faster results, so it’s imperative that you don’t skip them!
The Work Out: Two Tabata Exercises, Back to Back
As previously mentioned, the Tabata exercise is the key to a fast and effective work out. What is a Tabata? A Tabata is a four minute high intensity fat burning workout, often used in cross fit. It’s pretty simple, and you don’t need more than a weight or two (depending on your exercises). Simply set a timer, jot down 8 exercises (for example – squats, planks, lunges, push ups, mountain climbers, mason twists, rows and crunches), and roll through each exercise, back to back – 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of rest. You’ll get an intense cardio workout, burn a significant amount of fat, and build muscle and strength in a very small period of time. Two Tabata workouts back to back will save you tons of time and give you a great workout – all in about 8 minutes!
Great Tabata Exercises
Mentioned above are a few great exercises to incorporate in your Tabata, though a few can be more effective than the rest. Consider incorporating some explosive resistance training in your exercises for drastic results very quickly. Studies have shown that explosive resistance training (like jump squats) are great for building muscle; in fact, they’re just as effective as slow and intense leg presses at the gym. The key is uncovering numerous plyometric and resistance oriented exercises that you can do from home: planks, jump squats, push ups, lunges… these are all great ways to exercise, as long as you do it quickly and explosively with every effort and fiber of your being.
Cool Down
You spent 3 minutes getting your blood flowing and stretching out your muscles, and about 8 minutes on two back to back Tabata’s. Now what? It’s time for cool down- another vital part of your workout. Consider how high your heart rate gets, and consider how bad it can be for activity to just cease. You should slowly ease your heart rate down by gradually decreasing your exercise. Think: another light jog and stretch for the final four minutes.
And just like that, in only 15 minutes, you’ve given yourself an excellent cardio workout, you’ve built muscle, and you’ve burned fat… all in favor of creating a sexy physique!
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