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BJ Gaddour: Let’s go through these, what we like to call "life-changer workouts" that Dave is famous for. Let’s start with Dave kind of talking about the use of each workout template, kind of a sample workout that you would set up, and what’s the best band set up for a lot of these workouts. The first one in our list is the classic 20/10 Tabata Station Workout that goes for 20 minutes.
Dave Schmitz: Let’s talk about that one first. That’s a great place to start for a lot of different reasons. But let’s just go ahead and let’s just use bands in a free-band set up, which is what we’re going to do with this 20-10 tabata workout. Typically what I will do is I will take two exercises that compliment each other. For example, a front squat followed by an overhead press. I’ll put those exercises together doing one for 20 seconds and then taking the 10-second break and then coming back and doing the other. So you end up doing four sets of each or eight total rounds. That’s one way you can go ahead and do it.
The other way that eventually you can use 20-10 Tabatas is you could use it in partner-based training if you wanted to because you had the 10-second ability to transfer from Partner A to Partner B. My suggestion is though when we look at the 20/10 Tabatas for the resistance bands that we’re going to do, you just start implementing either a station-based workout or a free-band workout, pair up two complimentary exercises, and start there. That’s the best way to get your group, your fitness group or you athletes, to start buying into how to go ahead and utilize resistance bands.
Trust me, we do a Friday chaos conditioning at our high school for my athletes and we do 20/10 Tabatas. We go through actually two 20-minute bouts, so we actually go through eight stations instead of just four stations. The kids love it. Essentially it’s just plug and play, the kids know the workout. It’s total band training and they really enjoy it. So, that’s how I do it, free-band training 20/10 Tabatas on that one. BJ, do you want me to go right in to the next one?
BJ Gaddour: To touch on just one thing too, I think it’s important because again Tabatas are like a craze now and a lot of people don’t really know how to use the protocol appropriately. One thing I think that’s important and I think Dave you’ll probably agree with me on is that ideally in these 20-second work periods, these are metabolic workouts, we’re trying to get a lot of fast, powerful contractions in that 20 seconds. Ideally, we’re looking for about 10 fast, powerful reps in those 20 seconds.
If you’re getting a lot less than that, then most likely your band tension is a little bit too high. If you’re getting a lot more than 10 reps in that 20 seconds, then most likely the band tension is too light. So, you want to find a band tension that really makes it challenging to perform about 10 explosive reps in those 20 seconds. That really is that sweet spot for that metabolic workout, we’re getting both strength and cardiovascular benefits at the same time, a lot of good endurance as well.
Again, these short sets are really cool, especially for kids, because a 60-second work period for a lot kids in the youth format, it’s mental torture where with these short burst, high-intensity efforts you get the benefits of really working on strength and power, but getting your endurance going at the same time with a lot of short recovery periods and repeat bouts.
Dave Schmitz: Exactly. Also, you choose the bands that fit your weakest exercise. I know you just recently talked about that BJ, but for instance if you’re doing a front squat and an overhead press, the overhead press is obviously going to be more challenging than a front squat. The way I will go ahead and adjust that a little bit is I will say on front squats I want to make it high rep metabolic. I will go ahead and say I really need 20 reps in 20 seconds, as close as you can. Then I’ll flip flop it when they go to overhead presses, knowing that’s their weak link I’m shooting for 10 reps. So you can tweak it a little bit that way.
Now because you have this 10-second rest period, literally I will have people who have three different levels of bands – and if you’re blessed with having multiple bands, they’ll literally have enough time to take a stronger band, so they’re pushing a heavy band for both front squats and overhead presses. You can do that. As people start to get really into this, what you’ll see is they’ll just go ahead and pick up two or three different levels of bands when you say we’re doing a Tabata workout today, and my group typically does. The way I set it up now in my bootcamp just helps people out. I have enough bands, I line up piles of bands at various stations where I’ll have three different levels of bands, a red, a black and a purple or a black, purple and green. I’ll set it down and people will go ahead pick up their piles, they’ll go to their area and we’re going to knock out a Tabata free-band workout without any problem, and they’ll flip flop band tension.
BJ Gaddour: Beautiful. Again, I think that’s a great point you made Dave in the sense that when it comes to exercise selection the lower body inherently has just a lot more endurance. An example like the band front squat, trying to get a rep per second in that 20-second time frame, getting 20 reps in 20 seconds, that definitely is a great protocol to use as well. The key is just knowing what you’re trying to accomplish in that workout. If you’re not someone who has a lot of heavy bands in your arsenal, let’s try to really intensify it by just getting as many possible reps in those 20 seconds as well. If we’re doing really fast 20-rep front squats with good band tension and the fact that the band really forces you to accelerate through the top position, where the resistance is at its peak, you’re going to really jack things up in a good way.
Dave Schmitz: Exactly. That’s what people won’t know until they try it. Until they try it they’ll say, “Wait a minute, I got to work through the full range of motions,” which is one of the fundamental things about resistance bands that we didn’t cover earlier is that you have to work to the full range of motion, and especially at your weaker points. So, that’s very important and again will be a big metabolic expenditure.
Tabatas Band Reaction Workouts
Workout#1- Tabatas Free-Band Workout: 20 minutes
You will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for 8
 total rounds at each station followed by a 60-second rest and transition. Perform this 5-minute sequence at all 4 stations as outlined below for 20 total minutes.
Station#1
Exercise1- Band Front Squat
Exercise2- Band High Pull
Station#2
Exercise1- Band Push Press
Exercise2- Band Deadlift
Station#3
Exercise1- Band Lateral Pillar Left
Exercise2- Band Lateral Pillar Right
Station#4
Exercise1- Band Bent-Over Row
Exercise2- Band-Resisted Push-up
Workout#2- Tabatas Band Attachment Workout: 20 minutes
You will alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for 8
 total rounds at each station followed by a 60-second rest and transition. Perform this 5-minute sequence at all 4 stations as outlined below for 20 total minutes.
Station#1
Exercise1- Band Horizontal Chest Press
Exercise2- Band Squat Pull
Station#2
Exercise1- Band Bent-Over Press
Exercise2- Band Bicep Curl
Station#3
Exercise1- Band Shuffle Left
Exercise2- Band Shuffle Right
Station#4
Exercise1- Band Lunge Left
Exercise2- Band Lunge Right
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