The above video preview is for Aqua Tabata Deep, posted on 1/12/16
What is my new favorite thing? Tabata Gold music CDs produced by Yes! Fitness Music. Big thanks to Julie See, AEA’s Director of Education, for turning me on to these music CDs when I attended her fun session, Tabata This, at the AEA Regional Event in Landisville, PA. These formatted music CDs provide you with a template for moves and verbally guide you through the timing of the Tabata cycles. I have been having a blast using the Tabata Gold music CDs in my classes and designing Tabata rounds with creative themes. And now I am sharing these Tabata themes in a Fitmotivation video - Aqua Tabata Deep. And good news! There is an audio download and CD also available for Aqua Tabata Deep.
10 KEY TAKEAWAYS
#1 Tabata Gold 1 Music CD
Produced by Yes! Fitness Music, the Tabata Gold 1 CD features music for a warm up, 8 Tabata rounds and a stretch. This CD verbally guides you through the Tabata rounds and the 20-second work/10-second recovery cycles. Thankfully, there are no whistles. Whistles in music are NEVER good when lifeguards are present. The energetic music featured in the Tabata Gold playlist is oldies but goodies, appropriate for older populations. I have been having so much fun with this music that I wanted to share and promote it
The music CD can be purchased in the Fitmotivation store for $20.00.
You can listen to the CD and download it directly from Yes! Fitness Music
Normally $12.95, you can get 15% off the download and pay just $11.00 by using coupon code: fitmotivation
Offer expires 3/15/16
#2 Tabata Gold Music CD vs. Video Approved Music
VERY IMPORTANT! Tabata Gold 1 is the music I have been playing in my classes. The music you hear in the video is NOT Tabata Gold 1. The Tabata Gold CD is not approved for use in a video. The music you hear in the video is a playlist (Tribal Rush) provided by Yes! Fitness Music that is specifically approved for use in a video. If you like the music in the video it is available for purchase as a CD or a download. I know this can be confusing for viewers but please understand that getting music approved for use in a video - music that is not your OWN - is a complicated and expensive venture.
#3 Template
The main reason why the Tabata Gold Music CD is my new favorite thing is because it provides a “no brainer” template to simply drop moves into. 8 rounds x 8 cycles = 64 places to insert moves. The challenge and fun comes from inserting moves into each round to create a theme. You can create themes from simple base moves (jogs, jacks, skis etc…), movement techniques (travel, impact options, etc…), from muscle groupings, from various fitness formats, sports and more. The options are endless.
#4 Exercise Selection
The video, Aqua Tabata Deep, is less about the individual moves and more about a template as described above. The takeaway here is in observing how many exercises are selected for each round and the order they are arranged. When filling 8 cycles per round, you essentially have the choice of choosing 2,4 or 8 exercises per round. If choosing 4 exercises they arranged ABCDABCD or AABBCCDD. If choosing 2 exercises they can be arranged ABABABAB or AABBAABBAA or AAAABBBB. Additionally, it is important to make sure that all of the major muscle groups represented in your workout so that muscle balance is achieved.
#5 Moderate Intensity
Why would you want to moderate intensity? This is Tabata – isn’t it supposed to be intense? The answer is yes – but now think about teaching 8 rounds of Tabata – a full class – to an older population in the pool. If you are only doing one or two rounds of Tabata, then by all means choose intense exercises and high intensity. But if you are teaching a full class of Tabata, intensity will have to be scaled back. The reason I enjoyed having this music CD and teaching a full 8 rounds is because it forced me to step outside my box and think of designing Tabata rounds in terms of creativity and movement variety – not just intensity.
#6 Use Portions
With that said, I rarely use the full CD, all 8 rounds in my classes. I used all 8 rounds the class before Thanksgiving. I used all 8 rounds the class after New Years Day. However, normally I use portions of the CD. Lately I have been doing 15 minutes of choreography, 1 Tabata round, 10 minutes of choreography, 2 Tabata rounds and then the final choreography and a cool down. And yes, I go back and forth on my iPod between the Tabata Gold 1 playlist and a regular playlist for the choreography and cool down. Sometimes I do the first half of the class with cardio (choreography) and the second half with Tabata rounds focusing on upper body, lower body and core. Once again – the fun comes from being creative with the template provided by the music.
#7 Adapt to Shallow Water
As in most of my deep water videos, many of the selected exercises in the Aqua Tabata Deep workout can be performed in shallow water with little to no modification.
#8 Notes
Choreography/practical notes are provided with every Fitmotivation video. The notes for the Aqua Tabata Deep routine provide you with a sample of how I created 8 rounds with themes. #1 Arms, #2 Jogs Travel #3 Inner Thigh/Abs, #4 Skis, #5 Chest & Back, #6 Power Core, #7 Legs and #8 Abdominals
#9 Worksheet
Also included with the notes is a worksheet featuring a blank template for 8 rounds of Tabata, each with 8 cycles. Create your own themes and fill in the blanks with your own favorite moves using this worksheet.
#10 Audio Workout
Looking for your own challenging workout to do in the water? Aqua Tabata Deep also features an audio workout. The audio workout is essentially the video with the visual stripped out, leaving just the verbal cues and the video approved music. The audio workout can be purchased as a download by video subscribers or as a CD in the Fitmotivation store. The audio download is available now. The audio CD will be available in the store by January 29, 2016.
Stay tuned next month for Aqua Tabata Shallow. This video and audio workout will feature 8 rounds of movement themed specifically for creative shallow water programming.