My fitness hero, Tricia, teaches my favorite class of the week - Monday Tabata @ Community Fitness. There is nothing like a good Tricia Tabata. Her workouts incorporate cardio, strength and core to create a challenging full body workout.
For those of you who have never taken a tabata class, I highly recommend it. It's 8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for 4 minute sets. The idea is to go breathless in each 20 second effort. For the cardio junkie with a short attention span, this is my FAVORITE workout of all times. 20 seconds is enough to keep me focused and push myself to hit breathless.
Pair the format of the class with one of the best fitness instructors you will find and you cannot lose. Tricia is known in our gym and throughout the community for her incredible fitness knowledge, her never ending energy and her positivity. She is known for phrases such as, "Just say YES!", "You're Not Tired!" and "We got this, Monday!!" She always provides options for each exercise which allows you to adjust each day based on what your body needs.
What I love abut Tricia's workouts are they predictable yet challenging. They are predictable in the sense that rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 are always cardio and strength while rounds 3 and 6 incorporate core exercises on the ground. (Don't be fooled, most of the time, the core exercises on the ground are the hardest part of the workout. Think CRAZY plank exercises!) But because the workouts are never the same, your body is constantly challenged to push your limits.
Today, for one of the core workouts, Tricia had us start in plank position then slowly move your hips back while you moved down to your forearms without moving your hands. Once there, she had us dip one hip before moving our hips forward and move off our forearms onto our hands. Exercises like this one can make 20 seconds feel like an eternity....literally...
I highly recommend trying out a Monday Tabata class with Tricia The class is less crowded than her weekend class and she does a stellar job of working in exercises that utilize the extra space. Translation: harder workout and more love for your body!! You will walkout of class exhausted but reenergize and ready to tackle anything.
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 4/5
Core: 4/5
Legs: 4/5
Arms: 4/5