TABATA // Total Body Workout (No Weights)

Tabata // Total Body Workout (No Weights) is  a very intense little cardio finisher from Heather Robertson. I really enjoyed how she put this workout together. She did it in the traditional tabata format (explained below) but she gives you a 40 second recovery between each tabata circuit. Tabata 1 and Tabata 2 were very intense, in my opinion, so the longer recoveries were welcome. This is a perfect finisher for a lot of reasons. First–no warm up, so you can flow straight from the workout you just completed into this workout. And second, it ends with a short stretch. Heather titles this total body and I guess it is. Even the intense cardio moves work lots of muscles but I would never classify this as a strength workout. However, it is an excellent cardio finisher to tack onto the end of any workout. According to my FitBit I burned 127 calories and spent a total of 4 minutes in my peak heart rate zone. Looking at the graph, those 4 minutes were definitely during Tabatas 1 & 3.

Tabata is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training): 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery; repeat this 20/10 interval 8 times for a 4 minute tabata circuit. There are 3 tabata circuits in this workout. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your recoveries and intervals. During the first recoveries in each tabata Heather previews the next exercise. After that Heather recovers with you while a graphic keeps track of which round you are about to do. This is not a low impact workout.

Tabata // Total Body Workout (No Weights) is 16:13 minutes; no warm up  and 2:10 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat.

Tabata 1:

1. Spin squat (180 jump squat)
2. Climber taps (cross body mountain climbers, tap knee w/ opposite hand when pulling knee under body)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

40 second rest

Tabata 2:

1. Shuffle & hop (lateral squat shuffle the length of your mat + one jump reaching arms overhead)
2. Lay down push up (one push up + one superman)
3. Repeat # 1 & 2 three more times

40 second rest

Tabata 3:

1. Pop squat (squat jacks, tapping one hand to floor while in squat)
2. Plank jack taps (plank jacks, alternate tapping one hand to opposite shoulder in time with feet)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times

For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.