• Post Type: Backblast
  • When: 03/28/2024
  • AO: Bulldog
  • QIC: Nutria
  • FNG's:
  • PAX: Flintstone, Winehouse, Cheesesteak, Stagecoach, Whoopee, Hunchback

7 HIM’s gathered at Bulldog on a perfect day for a beatdown.  There was a multitude of gripes and grievances expressed by the pax, and Flintstone will undoubtedly be haunted for the rest of spring break by the electronic voice calling out “3-2-1-Exercise 1.”  Here’s how it went down.  We started with a quasi-disclaimer followed immediately by Seal jacks, Abe Vigodas (super-slow), Low-slow squats, and merkins (all 10xIC).  I set up music and moved on to The Thang, 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest (“Tabata”).  4 rounds of each set of exercises:

Set 1 = KB pullovers, Thrusters, Lawnmower rows (L), Lawnmower rows (R)

Set 2 = KB swings, Flutter kicks, Mountain climbers, Heels to Heaven

Set 3 = KB pullovers, Curls, Bulgarian split squats (L), Bulgarian split squats (R)

Set 4 = KB swings, American hammers, Star crunches, Scissor kicks

10 seconds of rest is usually an ambitious transition time, especially if changing positions or weights.  However, I really wanted to avoid pauses that extended the rest time.  At the same time, the “Tabata” concept (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest) requires you to work hard to make your 20 seconds of work count every time (more on that below…).  In the end, we all put in good work and got better.

We took one farmer-carry mosey around the parking lot between Sets 2 and 3, and after Set 4 there was just enough time for a down-and-back lunge walk.  Hunchback helpfully posted a permanent American flag on the post that used to have the “Turn your engines off, kids breathe here” sign which curiously got replaced by a “No smoking” sign, so we said the pledge and continued with COT.

Announcements
Montana VQ Saturday at The Yank
Convergence 4/13 at CaroMont Park downtown, followed by Community Foundation Run with Speed for Need, all other AO’s closed
Extinction run to be rescheduled.
FCA Golf tournament on April 15th – see Hot Corner to participate or help sponsor

Prayers
Latte, Huck, Kool-Aid and Pax on IR, marriages.

It’s an honor to lead this morning – thanks to all the pax who showed up and expressed their honest feedback.
– Nutria

Lagniappe:  In case you’re you’re curious about whether or not 20 seconds is REALLY all it takes to get the job done, here’s a brief history (from https://www.verywellfit.com/tabata-training-definition-1230982).

Tabata training originated from the world of athletes, as many of our workout ideas do. Dr. Izumi Tabata, a professor at the Faculty of Sport and Health Science at Ritsumeikan University in Japan, along with the head coach of the Japanese speed skating team, wanted to find out if very short bursts of high intensity exercise, followed by even shorter rests, would improve the skaters’ performance.

Dr. Tabata took study subjects through a high intensity (170% of VO2 max) 4-minute Tabata workout using a stationary bike. A second group of athletes followed a different workout, working at an even higher intensity (200% of VO2 max) for 4 to 5 bouts of 30 seconds, followed by 2 minutes of rest.  The results, published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise in 1996, showed that the Tabata athletes improved their VO2 max, which is the body’s ability to use oxygen more effectively. That translated into improved performance on the ice.