Born Again Gym Rat: Tabata cardio

Showing posts with label Tabata cardio. Show all posts

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Cardio Blast

I am trying to cut back on my gym time. Really. Today I cut my elliptical sessions to just 10 minutes each, although I did incorporate 4 min of Tabata in the "warm up", and 5 min of Tabata in the "cool down". And I use those terms loosely. My upper back is a bit tight, and surprisingly, so are my hamstrings. I'm guessing those GHRs are really working. The Cage Stretch is mostly for hamstring and only takes a few minutes. Wrapping my hands and stuffing them into my gloves takes longer.

As much as I try to protect my hands, I find that I've skinned the pinky knuckle after today's 15 rounds. My left knee does take a bit of abuse with the Lead Kicks. My jabs range from decent power to a pathetic glance off the pad. I still stop the machine at odd moments. If I slow down, my accuracy is better. But not necessarily better power. Sometimes I get into a rhythm, stepping back and dancing forward one step to deliver the kick or blow. That feels awesome.

I glance at the clock to keep track. I've just enough time to do another quick cardio session. I cut my intro from 5 to 2 minutes, then pedal as fast as I can for 20 seconds. I'm barely walking, still panting when the 10 second rest is up and I have to pedal furiously again. For 5 minutes. Then I clip along at a quick steady pace for the remaining 3 minutes. And I feel good afterwards.

Tomorrow is Back and Triceps Day. I'm probably going to be sore. Oh well. I told my son we'd go to the gym this Saturday while my hubs is away at a Tracking seminar at Practical Primitive in NJ. Sunday we plan to visit a few art museums in New Haven CT and then eat at New Heaven's Taste of China restaurant — it comes highly recommended from my husband's co-worker, a Chinese national. We've checked out the menu online. It's not everyday you seen frog's legs and cuttlefish on the menu. I'm partial to duck myself.

Cardio Blast Thursday

10 min Precor elliptical includes 4 min Tabata

Cage Stretch includes BW heel dips & raises, side kicks, hamstring stretches

Nexersys 15 rounds Beginner Follow Me
Accuracy 97% / Strikes 100% / Average Power 135%

10 min Precor elliptical includes 5 min Tabata

photo posted for actual stats:

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Double Cardio Thursday

Every day is a new day. Today I don't feel particularly dizzy when I roll out of bed. Tilting my head back to administer eye drops doesn't make me grab for the closest stationary object. But bending over to brush my teeth makes me want to hurl. Yep, still got vertigo. Just a tad different from yesterday. Still, I feel as if I'm getting better.

Today is the last day of school and it's only 2 1/2 hrs long. I get on the elliptical and do my 2 miles with 4 minutes of Tabata. It would probably hurt less if I didn't go as fast as I can for those 20 seconds, maxing out at 275 Strides Per Minute. But what would be the point then? I barely have enough time to drop to a walk in 10 seconds before having to pedal as fast as I can. It takes me about 45 seconds to recover from the Tabata and ease into a steady-state pace until I hit 2 miles. Sweat is dripping off my brow and I pull my hoodie over my face to blot it.

A quick Cage Stretch and then I wrap my hands to box and kick the Nexersys. Yesterday I took my son to the mall to return some clothes, and also to shop for summer sandals for him and a new pair of boxing wraps for me. After wending our way through the maze that is Sears, we find the Olympia Sports store only to be told that they no longer carry such items. "You have to go to Sears. They carry that stuff," the clerk tells me. How annoying. So we go back to Sears. I refuse to buy pink wraps, the only ones hanging next to stupid pink kickboxing gloves. The only other wraps are a pair of red ones sitting in an open package that used to contain two more rolls. There's no label or tag on it. I take the lone roll to the elderly cashier and ask him if I can buy it. He takes it to the back, then returns a few minutes later, stuffing it into a plastic bag. "It's a gift," he says. "Really Are you sure?" I ask. I don't want him to get into trouble. "We'd just toss it out anyway because we can't sell it and there aren't any more in back. So just take it." I thank him profusely. Score! I have a new pair of boxing wraps, and they're not stupid pepto pink.

I feel more energetic today than the last time I boxed this machine. Still, by the 9th round, I'm completely drenched. The combinations strikes for some rounds leaves me gasping and a bit breathless, but I recover quickly. I stop the machine a few times and lose accuracy points again. Bummer. I have time, so I do 3 rounds Intermediate. Today I realize that there are glitches in the screen because my strike rate is much higher. I'm striking when no blow is called for, but only because of a residual flicker on the monitor, or ghost images. 12 rounds is enough. I strip off my gloves and wraps and do 2 more miles on the elliptical, the first 5 minutes a gentle stroll, then 5 minutes of heart-racing Tabata, and the remaining time at a steady-state jog. My hips and lower back seem a bit stiff today so I drop onto the mat for some lower back stretches and hip bridges. Done.

The gym scale reads 111.2 lbs. I'm pleased. At least I'll still fit into my summer clothes. Today my son and I are planning to trim our hedges or at least the parts we can reach. My son only comes to my nose and I'm not all that tall. I buy new hedge trimmers at Kmart and spray my rusty old ones with WD-40 lithium grease. I've already harvested the first snow peas of the season. The zucchini don't look very promising as there are only three melon leaves in a field of yellow wood sorrel. But I'm excited about the snow peas. My husband is in Boston until Saturday. Then he'll be home to ostensibly smoke some ribs and do some work at his computer before returning to Boston for another several days. My son starts camp on Monday. Summer's already begun!

Thursday Abbreviated Workout

Exercise Name

1 RM

Lifting Logs