DrTri Health & Fitness HomeWork for 2/14/10

So this week’s HomeWork is to spend 4 minutes one or two days this week improving your Cardiovascular fitness (specifically your VO2Max).  We all know the benefits of improved cardiovascular fitness... Right?
Let me share two:
Improved quality of life
Decreased risk of Heart Disease

The list goes on, and can be very technical and specific, but suffice it to say the above two reasons should be reasons enough!

Dr. Izumi Tabata found that VO2 Max can be very effectively improved with the inclusion of a specific 4 minute routine (now termed the “Tabata Protocol”) into a person’s training/workout program. Including the warm-up and cool down it is about 11 minutes.

If you have done a Tabata Protocol within the last 6 months, then you will get to do it twice this week.  Ideally with at least two days of rest in between.
If it has been longer than 6 months, then you will get to do the Tabata Protocol once this week.
If you have never done it, then you will get to do the Scaled Version.

Here we go:
Full Tabata Protocol-
5 min warm up.
8 sets of 20 seconds max effort followed by 10 seconds of complete rest.
2 min warm/cool down.

Scaled Version-
5 min warm up.
8 sets of 20 seconds moderately high effort followed by 10 seconds of complete rest.
2 min warm/cool down.

Done.

So, what do I do during the 8 sets of 20 seconds of effort?

Pick a favorite exercise.  My favorite with this is plain and simple ‘air squats’.  I suggest you do the same.
Air squats are simply standing in one position with your feet comfortable solid stance apart and doing a squat down as far as comfortably possible with excellent form.  It is best to reach up and overhead as you squat down to maintain form as well as stay balanced.  Make sure your heels do NOT come off the floor, and in fact, ensure that most or all of your weight is on your heels, with your chest up and out, flat back, knees over/not beyond your shoelaces.  GO as fast as you possibly can.  This will ‘smoke you’!

If you are doing the Scaled Version, you can simply go out for a walk.  Walk comfortably for 5 minutes to warm up, and then for the intervals walk AS FAST AS YOU CAN.  Then stop for ten seconds, ‘shake it out’, then GO! again and again until you have completed all 8 sets.

Have fun! and have a great week,
MRoss

DISCLAIMER:
If you have any questions, concerns, prior medical history, or anything else related to health, fitness, and/or cardiovascular difficulties then consult your doctor (in person) before attempting this!