Get the Ball Rolling Tabata Workout 16 min
2013
This Tabata workout is comprised of four 4 minute interval rounds. The first and third rounds are ab focused and have new medicine ball ab exercises. The second and fourth tabata intervals are based on balancing exercises. You may be surprised, it’s a little tougher than it looks. The whole workout is great for body toning and core strengthening.
Balancing exercises are great for working the stabilizing muscles. These are the muscles that support and assist the major muscles. Working these muscles builds inner core strength and is especially helpful and protective to keep the body strong in our day to day life, especially beneficial as we get older.
Tabata workouts
Tabata is a form of high intensity interval training, which has been shown to be the best type of training for burning fat as well as for improving cardiovascular endurance. This training method that was originally used by a Japanese Olympic speed skating team and studied by Izumi Tabata. in his studies he discovered that it had dramatic effects and showed huge improvements in both their aerobic and aerobic fitness levels. Read more on HIIT workouts and tabata training.
Equipment and Modifications
Medicine balls are not expensive and available at most sport stores. It is a great piece of equipment to have in your home gym. I have links to a couple ones with different weights from Amazon on my Resource page. I just have one and I use it a lot. Mine is 3 kilos.
If you do not have a medicine ball, you can use an unweighted ball for all of the exercises. A dumbbell or other heavier weighted object can be used for: one leg ball touch down and press, 5 low jacks to ball lift and the 3 point get up exercises.
You will also need an interval timer for this workout. Click here for info on the Gymboss interval timer and links to online timers.
Get the Ball Rolling Tabata Workout
Workout Breakdown
4 rounds of Tabata intervals
For each round set your timer for 8 rounds of 10 seconds rest and 20 seconds work and go through the exercise sequence twice:
Round 1
Rolling Pin Abs – left
Ball Leg Roll
Rolling Pin Abs – left
Ball Leg Roll
Round 2
5 Low Jacks and Ball Lift
One Leg Ball Touch Down and Press – left
Front Lunge Bass Pass Under
One Leg Ball Touch Down and Press – right
Round 3
Sit Up with Ball Pass
Ball Leg Roll
Toss and Catch Ball
Ball Leg Roll
Round 4
Back Lift, Butt Squeeze Ball Pass
One Leg Ball Touch Down and Press – left
3 Point Ball Get Up
One Leg Ball Touch Down and Press – right
Tabata Workout on Video
Exercise Descriptions
Start lying on ground with legs bent and come up so that torso is at a 30 to 45 degree angle and hold medicine ball close to the knee of one leg. This is your start position. Roll medicine ball out towards the outer part of knee while crunching body up and then reverse movements coming back to start position. Continue rolling medicine ball out while crunching up and releasing, tighten abs during movements.
Start lying on ground with legs bent and come up so that torso is just a little up from ground and hold medicine ball just between legs and low. Sit up while you roll ball up to your knees and then down to your ankle and then reverse movements rolling it back and bringing torso back down close to ground in your start position. This is one rep.
Lie back with knees bent, feet on floor, holding medicine ball overhead, sit up and pass ball around one leg, lie back bringing ball back overhead and repeat circling ball around other leg, continue alternating sides.
In seated position with knees slightly bent and feet up off floor, lean back at a 45 degree angle and throw up medicine ball into the air and catch it while holding your core tight. Keep on tossing up ball and catching it while keeping feet off floor and leaning back at 45 degrees.
Your Content…
One Leg Ball Touch Down and Lift
Start at standing holding medicine ball in front of you at navel area and lift one leg balancing on the other. Bring body forward and touch medicine ball to ground balancing on the one leg. Then straighten body and lift medicine ball up high towards ceiling and then back to navel area. This is one rep. Continue these movements doing as many reps as you can during interval period. For the next round alternate legs.
From standing ring one leg forward and bring it into a front lunge position with front leg bent, always keeping knee behind toe. Bring medicine ball and pass it under front leg, around and bring ball back up close to body as you bring front leg back to standing. This is one rep. On the next rep do a front lunge with the other leg and bring ball again under and around leg lunging in front and bring back as leg comes back in out of lunge. Continue these movements alternating legs for each rep.
Ball Pass with Back Lift, Butt Squeeze
Lying face down on the ground with ball in front of you lift your legs up off ground, squeezing your glute muscles and lift your shoulders up from ground arching back as much as possible and then with arms out wide in front of you, roll ball from one hand to the other, keeping back arched and butt squeezed until the end of the interval period.
Standing at one end of mat hold medicine ball in front of you, lower yourself and lie on mat and touch ball on ground behind head, then get up and touch ball to ground in front of you, and next come up to standing and lift medicine ball high overhead and then bring back to start position. This is one rep.
