“No-Rest” Tabata Workout with Isometric Holds

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Target® C9 through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Target® C9, all opinions are my own.

Gooooooood morning! I know the Monday after Fourth of July weekend is, well, the worst, but I’ve got an awesome, no-frills bodyweight workout for you today, and there’s nothing like a good sweat to brighten your mood. Actually, I take that back—there’s nothing like a good sweat and a new workout outfit to brighten your mood…

I recently got the opportunity to try out a couple pieces from the Target® C9 activewear collection, and decided on the Run Short with Knit Waistband and Sporty Layered Run Tank. They come in lots of color options, and I went with a fun, printed combo.

Especially now that it’s a million degrees outside with this good ol’ New England humidity, the shorts are perfect. The waistband is wide and comfortable; there’s a little key pocket attached to the inside lining; the material is lightweight; and there’s a built-in brief, which I always like. I still wear underwear with it, but I find that the built-in helps keep the shorts in place and prevents them from riding up as I run (adjusting your shorts every few steps is the worst!).

The tank is great, too! The built-in bra is supportive enough to do high-intensity workouts and run (if you’re using this as a buying guide, keep in mind I have a small-ish chest), and the cut is really flattering. I love the bra-with-flowy-tank-attached look, so this was right up my alley.

The best part, as with all apparel from Target®, is the price! You can get both items for about $40. The only downside to affordability is that I’ll run into Target® for paper towels and leave with like four new outfits, a couple DVDs, a new bath mat…oops. Anyone else have that problem?

Alright now that you’ve got something to wear, let’s do today’s workout…

“No-Rest” Tabata Workout with Isometric Holds

In a traditional tabata workout, you complete 20 seconds of work and then get 10 seconds of rest. Today, we’re swapping out the rest period with an isometric hold. This is a great workout to do when you’re traveling or don’t have any equipment at your disposal—you need very little space and nothing but your bodyweight.

Equipment I Used:

• Gymboss Interval Timer
• Exercise mat

You’ll stay on each exercise for 4 minutes, using tabata intervals: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of movement and 10 seconds of holding. Once you’ve completed all 8 rounds, you’ll do the same thing for the next exercise. As an example, for the first exercise, you’d do jump squats for 20 seconds then hold a deep squat for 10 and then go right back into jumping, and so on and so on.

• Jump Squats / Hold Squat: Feet about shoulder width apart, squat down, sending hips back and booty down (don’t let your knees shoot out farther than your toes). Explosively jump straight up, swinging your arms back for momentum. Land softly back in that deep squat position. For the isometric, hold your squat. If you’re advanced, you can hold a set of dumbbells while you do this. If you’re a newbie or you have knee issues, take out the jump: just squat up and down and then hold it down.
• Push Ups / Hold Lowered Push Up: Shoulders aligned over wrists, do push ups either from your toes or knees (I made it through the first two rounds on my feet, then dropped down to my knees). For the isometric, hold the lowered push up, elbows bent, and chest as close to the ground as you can get it.
• Bridge Hip Thrusters / Hold Bridge: Lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat on ground. We’re working your booty here. Lift your hips off the ground, squeezing those glutes. Lower back down, but not all the way—you never want to let your butt come to rest on the ground. For the isometric, thrust those hips high up towards the ceiling and hold ‘em there.
• Mountain Climbers / Hold Plank: In a plank position, drive one knee forward, then the other, in a sort of horizontal running position. These should be quick! For the isometric, hold a plank position. If your wrists start to bother you, come onto your forearms for an elbow plank.
• Leg Lifts / Hold Hover: Lay on your back, hands under your bum for support if needed (you want your lower back to stay glued to the ground as you do this—if you find it lifting up, placing your hands under your butt will help). Lift legs straight up, perpendicular to the ground and then lower them to where they’re hovering about 6” off the floor. For the isometric, hold that lowered, hovering position.

If you try this workout, leave a comment telling me the section that was hardest for you. Pushups definitely won that distinction for me! I tried to do “real” pushups, but after two rounds of those holds had to switch to my knees—and still struggled.

And if the pushups and mountain climbers in this workout aren’t enough to get your shoulders burning, check out this 5-minute video from Target® and POPSUGAR: