Tabata!

I started this morning reconnecting with an old friend who happens to be one of the loyal followers of this blog. He is an incredibly interesting guy, and when he decides to do something he does some fascinating research into whatever it is, and comes up with non-traditional answers that always seem to work. He has recently dropped 30 pounds on a much smaller frame, so he definitely had some good counsel for me.

As you can probably tell, I'm making this life-and-exercise regiment thing up as I go along. My friend gave me his perspective on fitness programs, some of which I knew, and some of which was new to me. One of the pieces of advice was something that is a new good/bad word in this house: Tabata.

Tabata is basically kicking your own butt for 20 seconds, resting for ten, and repeating that eight times total. Do four sets of these, resulting in 16 minutes of exercise in a day, and you've got a great workout for the day that allegedly delivers a much better workout than long runs or swims I've been doing. Apparently Tabata was tried on already-fit athletes and it demonstrated a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity and a 14% increase in the ability to absorb oxygen. I have no idea what those numbers mean, but they sound pretty impressive. So it was Tabata today instead of a run!

You think "heck, I can do anything for 20 seconds" and you're right. But try doing it eight times, only resting for 10 seconds per time. The key is finding something to do that is absolutely brutal that forces you to work hard, struggle, pant, and scream for the whole 20 seconds. I chose burpees, situps, squats, and stair jumps. In case you're unfamiliar with the "burpee", it isn't the seed packs, and it isn't releasing carbonation from drinking beer too quickly. It is standing, then squatting, then shooting your legs out, then doing a pushup, then standing up and then jumping. Lather rinse repeat. Simple? Do four right now. It isn't.

So how did I feel after my 16 minute workout in my office vs. an hour in the pool or on the road? Tired, tingly, numb, and like I had a heck of a workout. I've had a post-workout muscular buzz all day, so something happened. I'll adopt this as a standard part of my routine for a while and see how this goes.

Today's dinner was simple. I made shrimp "cocktail", green beans, and rice. Pan fried a pound of shrimp for the two of us (200 calories per serving) - make sure you sear shell-on because that adds great flavor. I made the best cocktail sauce ever - ketchup, fresh grated wasabi, scriacha, and cumin powder as a dipping sauce (adds about 20 calories for a tablespoon). A serving and a half of rice (300 calories) and some green beans dressed lightly in oil and saba (50-100 calories total, generously), and I had an easy and balanced meal.

One thing I've noticed about calorie counting at dinner: lean food has fewer calories per ounce. Really? Yes, it is true. Actually, more specifically when talking about the protein, if it is something nearly fat-free like shrimp, it is 200 calories per 1/2 pound serving (I usually try to keep the protein at half a pound). If it is heavy like red meat, it is 400 calories per 1/2 pound. Everything else is in between. Good rule of thumb guide for those that can't get online and google their caloric content but still want to watch their intake.