Military Monday: For This Brutal Chest and Abs Workout, You Gotta Tabata
There’s no better beach body workout combo for the common man than abs, chest, and HIIT cardio. Two high-priority body parts with a dash of fat-burning. The workout you’re about to see hits all these key areas in only 15 minutes using the renowned Tabata workout method, courtesy of a shredded former soldier. Featured Trainer: Erik Bartell served five years as an infantry officer in the United States Army with the 101st Airborne Division before starting his career in fitness and business. Since 2018, he has used his fitness background to train high-profile clients, host events for major brands, and mentor hundreds of military veterans into finding successful careers in the fitness field. He is a founding team member of the military-native grooming company Bravo Sierra. Equipment Needed: Ski Erg machine (Concept 2), bench press station (barbell, plates, bench, rack), pull-up bar; if training at home, you can modify the workout with resistance bands (see “Exercise Notes” below). Time Commitment: 15 minutes (not including warmup). Workout Overview: Tabata intervals are a scientifically proven method (by Dr. Izumi Tabata originally) of enhancing cardiovascular conditioning and fat loss through short, highly intense bouts of exercise. A traditional Tabata workout routine consists of alternating intervals of 20 seconds on (all-out effort), 10 seconds off (full rest), for exactly eight rounds of a single exercise (four minutes total). This may not sound like much to someone who’s never done Tabata workouts, but trust those of us who have: It’s brutal. The below workout tweaks the Tabata format to include three exercises instead of one: Ski Erg, bench press, and hanging leg raise. Because the three moves target different areas (cardio, chest, core, respectively), muscles that get worked with one exercise will get a rest during the others, thus allowing you to go longer than four minutes while keeping intensity high. So, instead of eight rounds total, you’ll do 30 rounds (20 on, 10 off, for each exercise x 10). Don’t worry, you’ll still be done with the workout in 15 minutes… and your lungs, pecs, and abs will be torched. Erik Bartell’s Chest and Core Tabata Workout Warmup: Do five to 10 minutes of light cardio, followed by dynamic stretching for the upper body, then complete the following workout. The Workout Perform 10 Rounds of the following exercises Exercise Duration Ski Erg 20 sec. Rest 10 sec. Bench Press 20 sec. Rest 10 sec. Hanging Leg Raise 20 sec. Rest 10 …
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