Tabata Archives | Pumps & Iron

Upper Body and Core Workout (Strength Circuits + Tabatas)

January 22, 2018 by Nicole 2 Comments

I got a lot of good feedback on the full-body workout I posted two weeks ago, so this week we’re taking that same structure but focusing on upper body and core. Next week, we’ll see this structure again but focusing on lower body. For this upper body and core workout, you’ll need a set of weights, sliders and an exercise mat. It’ll take you just over 20 minutes to complete.

Upper Body and Core Workout (Strength Circuits + Tabatas)

EQUIPMENT I USED

Set of 10lb dumbbells
Sliders
Exercise mat

This workout consists of high-intensity bodyweight tabatas and circuits with weights. You’ll alternate between the two: weight circuit, tabata, weight circuit, tabata. A tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. For this workout, you’ll do four exercises, cycling through them twice. For the weighted circuit, you do each exercise for 60 seconds and complete all six exercises back to back with no rest.

As with all workouts, make sure to warm up beforehand. Listen to your body and modify as needed, stopping altogether if something doesn’t feel right.

Here’s the breakdown of the exercises in the workout. If you’re unfamiliar with any, just watch the video above. I’ve put the times down so that you can fast forward to the previews of each section.

Weighted Circuit

Video previews of each exercise @ 1:55

Twisted Pike with March (left)
Russian Twist
Twisted Pike with March (right)
Full Body Crunch
Row to Reverse Fly
Biceps Circle Curls

Tabata

Video previews of each exercise @ 8:55

Triceps Push Ups
V Ups
Mountain Climbers
Surfer Get Ups

WEARING | Zella leggings / Reebok tank (old) / Nike MetCon sneakers

Hope you all had a fun weekend (Pats FTW!) and are geared up for a productive week.

xoxo Nicole

Filed Under: Abs, Tabata, Upper Body, Video, Workouts

20-Minute Full Body Workout (High/Low Intensity and High/Low Weights)

January 8, 2018 by Nicole 1 Comment

Today’s 20 minute full body workout coming to you later in the day than planned because I spent a solid two hours uploading the wrong video to YouTube (go me!). Hope you enjoy it and if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my channel. 🙂

20-Minute Full Body Workout (High/Low Intensity and High/Low Weights)

EQUIPMENT I USED:

Set of 10-lb dumbbells
Exercise mat

This workout consists of high-intensity bodyweight tabatas and circuits with weights. You’ll alternate between the two: tabata, weight circuit, tabata, weight circuit. A tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. For this workout, you’ll do four exercises, cycling through them twice. For the weighted circuit, you do each exercise for 60 seconds and complete all six exercises back to back with no rest.

As with all workouts, always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed. Make sure to properly warm up beforehand and take time to cool down and stretch afterwards.

WEIGHTED

Truck Driver Squats | Start standing with weight at chest. Squat down. Holding low in your squat, press the weight in front of you at chest height. Twist the weight to the left then to the right. Return to center, pull weight back into chest and stand up.

Curls to Balance (Right) | Start in a split lunge with right foot forward and ball of the left foot planted behind you. Holding low in your lunge, do two biceps curls. With weights by your side, shift your weight forward into the right heel as you hinge forward with your torso, bringing you left leg off the ground (picture your body is like a seesaw with your right leg as the base). Make sure you keep a soft bend to your right knee as you do this. Pause in the position and then return back to your low lunge stance.

Curls to Balance (Left)

Shoulder Hinge to Press | Start standing with one weight in each hand and you elbows bent to 90 degrees at your sides (as if you were doing a hammer curl). From here, lift your elbows up wide to shoulder height, maintaining the 90-degree bend at the elbows (at top, weights and elbows will be at shoulder height). From here, rotate to a goal post position, raising the weights up, still keeping the 90-degree bend. From here, do two shoulder presses. Reverse the motion back down to starting position.

Crossbody Squats | Start in a wide-stance low squat with toes turned slightly outward and weights at shoulders. As you drive up from your low squat, pivot onto the ball of your right foot and twist to the left as you press the weight in your right hand overhead. Return back down to squat and repeat in the opposite direction.

Sit Ups | Sit on the floor with one dumbbell at your chest and the other between your feet (that’ll help you stay in position). Do traditional sit-ups, lowering and lifting your back off the floor, keeping the weight touching your chest the whole time (resist the urge to press it away from your body for leverage).

TABATA

Chest-to-Floor Burpees | Jump up into the air, arms overhead. Land and squat down, bringing hands to the floor. Jump feet back to plank and as you do, lower your body with control to the floor. Press back up to your feet.

Plank Jack to Bear | Start in a plank position with feet hip’s width apart. Jump your feet out wide, back to starting position, and then bend your knees, hopping your feet under your hips in a tabletop position. Jump them back out to starting position.

Squat Jack to Star Jump | Start in a narrow squat with feet close together. Staying low, jump your feet out wide then back to starting position. From here, jump up into the air, reaching your arms and legs wide in a star position. Land back down in your narrow squat.

Crab Kicks | These should burn those triceps! Start in a flipped tabletop position. Feet under knees, wrists under shoulders with fingers pointing forward. Kick one leg up straight as you bend your elbows. Switch the kick over to the other side, straightening arms, lifting hips and then landing down in the dip.

WEARING: Nike Dri-FIT Training tank (currently on sale!) / Crane & Lion leggings (available in a different color) / Nike TR Flex Supreme sneaker (old, but check out the newest versions of this sneaker here)

Let me know in the comments what equipment you’d like to see in workout videos this year! I’m thinking of buying a step bench, and have already gotten requests for more resistance band workouts. 🙂

xo Nicole

Outfit and workout equipment links are affiliate.

Filed Under: Full Body, Hand Weights/Dumbbells, Tabata, Video, Workouts

12-Minute Dumbbell Tabata Workout with Holds

July 24, 2017 by Nicole 1 Comment

Hope you all had a great weekend! I spent mine in Boston for the first time in what feels like forever and worked pretty much the entire time but was SO HAPPY TO DO SO. I love summer, but I also love routine and the two seldom coexist for me. The result is this constant feeling of being behind on everything (work, self-care, etc.) and it was nice to play catch-up this weekend.

Today’s dumbbell tabata workout was inspired by the 12-minute bodyweight series I posted last summer (upper body, core, lower body (<–the most popular workout on my YouTube channel!), full body 1, full body 2). Those workouts were a big hit so I decided to do a twist on those.

12-Minute Dumbbell Tabata Workout with Holds

This video is sponsored by my friends at MegaFood. One of my favorite things about this brand is that their products are made with whole foods. They source produce from farms around the country to incorporate into their vitamins and supplements.

Equipment I Used:

1 medium weight (I used a 10-lb dumbbell)
Interval timer (no need for one if you follow along with the video!)

A traditional tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. For today’s workout, we’re replacing the rest with isometric holds.

As with all workouts, make sure to properly warm up beforehand. I have a 5-minute warm up on my YouTube channel that’s perfect to do at home.

Tabata 1

Thread the Needle in Side Plank | Start in a side forearm plank with your right forearm down on the ground, elbow stacked under shoulder. Hold the dumbbell in your left hand and reach it up to the ceiling. Feet can be stacked or staggered but if you’re using a heavier weight, I’d recommend staggered with the top foot in front of the bottom so that you have a supportive base when you rotate. From here, thread the weight under and across your chest as you rotate your chest to the floor and square your hips. Return to the starting position. Alternate sides each round.
Plank Hold

Tabata 2

Low Squat Steps | Start in a low squat position with the weight held at your shoulders behind your head. Staying low, step your left foot back into a low lunge and then right back up to your low squat. Repeat, stepping the same foot every time. Alternate sides each round.
Squat Hold with Weight Extended

Tabata 3

Renegade Row to Plank Jump | Start in a plank position, right hand gripping the dumbbell, left hand on the ground. Row the right elbow up to the ceiling, bringing the weight to the side of your torso. Return it to the ground and do a plank jump, jumping the feet up wide to the sides of your hands and then right back to plank. Alternate which arm has the weight each round.
Squat Hold with Weight at Chest

WEARING | alo yoga tank – old but I love their new lace-up tanks // michi ny leggings – old but this pair is basically the same // fierce + regal bra // nike sneakers