My ideal type of workout goes something like this: a 5 min warm-up; followed by supersets of functional exercises with weights; mixed up with tabata, sprints and/or countdowns with burpees; some chin-ups; and finally runs up and down the four flights of stairs at my local gym.
Now if you asked me what part I like best, I'd have to say tabata. I just love how it hurts like hell, but only lasts four minutes. My favourite exercises to do tabata-style are squat push/press, dumbbell swings or cycling on a stationary bike. It's a really challenging workout so the last thing you want to do - or even can do - is try to keep time. This is where my Gymboss comes in handy: you can set the timer on a Gymboss to do whatever duration you want for however many reps. For tabata, this means 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, eight times, but you can use it for any kind of interval training. It's a real must-have for the fitness fanatic like you and me.
Want to WIN your own Gymboss? Tell me your favourite type of heart-pumping exercise by leaving a comment below. Enter by Friday, February 12th at 11:59 P.M. EST and the winner will be announced on Sunday. Good luck!
Great contest! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love a good HIIT workout but I don't have a timer to clock it so I'm always looking a my wrist watch which I think screws up my intensity. My favorite HIIT workouts? 30 seconds on/30 seconds recovery....or 15/15.
Hurts so good!
I have a pull up bar at home.
ReplyDeleteSet of pull ups, with leg raises. Now I am trying to do wide arm pull ups but the hurt alot.
Am I allowed to enter? You know that my all-time fave is tabata but the sprint/ab work combo is pretty awesome too. Crossing my fingers...
ReplyDeleteThe plank on a Bosu or an exercise ball for a a minute always leaves me exhausted! But I also like to do a couple minute sprint in the middle of a cardio training and then medium speed the rest of the time.
ReplyDeleteHands down my all time favourite heart pumping exercise is a good, complex-choreography heavy step class. It leaves me sweaty exhausted and wondering where the time went!
ReplyDeleteI hope I win!
Burpies. They make me want to puke every time but I can't deny the great results.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like it when I do a good set of drills for a class. Start with a nice 80s flashdance run and then call out random things like squats jumps, burpies, sprawls, leap frogs, split squat jumps. Keeping it to 3 minutes then 1 minute rest then another 3 minutes etc. Having other people around while doing this definitely pushes people harder. And I like the way it feels on my body when someone pushes me this way, so why not torture other people the same way!
ReplyDeleteJane (www.urbanfitt.com)
I love paddling to get the heartrate up. My coach has workouts like ladders and pyramids to keep us focussed and intense.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite heart pumping exercise is body combat. It really helps me to cope with the day's frustrations - by punching and kicking my imaginary opponent!
ReplyDeleteVertical thrusters + sternum chin-ups
ReplyDeleteI was exhausted at the end, but it felt amazing.
here goes- I like the tabata ab sprints. Can't do them very well and I feel foolish sprinting around the track at the gym- but it feels good.
ReplyDeleteJane
Watching the Canadian Olympians in Vancouver. Oh, I jest. I really like doing bench step-ups & press ups on the bench as one exercise.
ReplyDelete