You Gotta Tabata

If you attend any of the cardio classes here at Fusion, you're probably familiar with (and may wence at) the term Tabata. Named after Japanese doctor Izumi Tabata, this type of interval training requires short bursts of 100% maximum effort coupled with even shorter breaks in between. So you can make the most out of your workout, here are the reasons why you just gotta tabata.

More Bang for Your Buck

When things sound too good to be true, the general rule is that they most likely are. But not with Tabatas. Researchers at the National Institute of Research and Sports in Japan proved through a six-week study in 1996 that working out at a high intensity for four minutes at a time, five days a week, produced better results than did moderate activity for an hour at a time five days a week. That's 20 minutes a week compared with 5 hours. They were measuring aerobic and anaerobic improvment, and while the moderate group did see progress in aerobic abiblity, the high intensity group saw more aerobic progress and an almost 30% increase in anaerobic functions.

Exhausting but Quick

Tabatas just have two requirements: an exercise and a timer. Choose any sort of exercise you can do on your own from sprinting to mountain-climbers. Here at Fusion we get the advantage of our instructor shouting out the seconds, but at home be sure to have an easy view of a timer because you will have no patience for annoyances. A 20-second burst of full-out sprinting is met with 10 seconds of recovery, and the cycle is repeated eight times to create the challenging 4-minute workout. At the end of each 20 second interval you should be gasping for air like you've just broken the finish line at the Olympics. Then you get a quick 10 seconds to recoup, and you're right back at it. Simply put, Tabatas should be the hardest workout you've ever done. But like we hear so often in the studio, "you can do anything for 20 seconds." Fusionista Amy Hodes notes one of Tabatas' biggest benefits is time. "When you know that you are only going to be exercising for such a short period of time," she says, "your mind and your body are able to go all out and not have the normal tendency to save up or pace yourself like you would for a long workout."

Burn Baby Burn

Another reason for the buzz on Tabatas is that "your body keeps burning fat long after you've finished your workout," says Hodes. "Because you burn off all of your glycogen, or carbs, during the actual workout, your body only has fat left to burn through the rest of the day." Athletes and trainers all over the fitness world use Tabatas as an addition to their regular sessions. You can't just Tabata all day long, so adding them two times a week to your workout can provide results and is a great way to begin incorporating them. Triathlete Magazine recommends using them as little as once every ten days to increase your stamina. The key? Challenge yourself to complete each 20-second interval as hard and fast as you can go. You may surprise yourself with just how much you can give.

Want to learn more? Checkout sites like Tabata Exercise and Tabata Training for more ideas.

Mind Over Matter

Yesterday in Amy’s Bikini Bootcamp I was wincing my way through pushups and begging for the final countdown as I listened to her shout, “Mind Over Matter!” Here at Fusion we are constantly reminded of the phrase, but in my perceived exhaustion I’m always thinking “f* it I’m done!” rather than trying to harness the power of my brain when I feel like I’m dying. But it got me thinking, the instructors say it so much that they must really believe it and use it themselves.

Putting your mind over matter requires being aware of what goes on inside your brain all day. It can be used for physical training and also to create a positive emotional state and a sense of optimism. While some are just natural optimists, many must make the choice to be. From how we see ourselves in the mirror to the voices in our heads, thinking positively gives us, not our circumstances, power over our lives. Pushing yourself when you want to give up is a choice, whether you’re talking about major life issues or a simple hour of working out.

As Tim Noakes, M.D., author of Lore of Running says, “the brain holds us back from pushing past a certain point. There’s a control mechanism to make sure that you reach the finish line not in a completely utterly, wilted state. You always have a little reserve.” Although it feels like pure physical fatigue tempting your body to quit, it also has to do with how your brain is interpreting the situation. Noakes says, “the brain can be taught to give the body more leeway by incrementally pushing past that perceived max level of exertion in training.” I tried hard today in Erica's Switch Up to ignore myself and push past my (very) strong desire to screw those last 60 seconds of spiking my heart rate at the end of class and you know what? I did it. I pushed myself until that final 3..2..1 and literally almost burst into tears when it was over. (Part genuine relief and part happiness for my little victory.) Mostly it just gave me the confidence that I can do things I don’t feel capable of, even if it’s lasting another minute of class.

If “mind over matter” can help train your brain for physical endurance, what about the power we have to choose our emotional thoughts? TheMayo Clinic states that altering negative thoughts into positive, optimistic ones can increase life span, lower rates of depression, stress, and disease, and help you better cope with stressful situations. Living in a pessimistic state “triggers physiological pathways such as the fight or flight response...evolved over time to protect us from danger, but if switched on long-term they increase the risk of conditions such as diabetes and dementia” according to New Scientist. Have you ever paid attention to the stream of thoughts running through your head all day long? The Mayo Clinic outlines four common thought patterns that can be altered simply by paying attention and choosing optimism.

·        Filtering: focusing on the negative instead of the positive. You came to Fusion tired and grumpy and just to keep up had to modify all the exercises. Instead of patting yourself on the back for working out, you feel guilty for the rest of the day for not trying harder.

·        Personalizing: assuming blame for everything that happens. Your girls-night-out plans get cancelled for a legit reason, but you still wonder if they just didn’t want to hang out with you.

·        Catastrophizing: making everything the end of the world. You are running late to work, sitting on the highway full of traffic, about to be late for a meeting. Although this is a normal mistake to make, you tell yourself you’re going to get fired, your life will be ruined, and you’ll be in the poor-house by the end of the month.

·        Polorizing: seeing things as good or bad, black or white. You forgot so sign your kid’s permission slip so instead of going on his field trip to the zoo he was stuck at school all day. An honest mistake, but in your head you are ashamed, embarrassed, and feel like the worst mother in the world.

Awareness of the way you talk to yourself is the first step to taking charge over it, so pay attention to your thoughts and evaluate them rationally. “I’m such a big hog for eating that third piece of cake at the birthday party” can be identified and changed to “it wasn’t the best decision to go for seconds (then thirds) but it sure tasted good and I had such a fun time watching my kids play. Next time I’ll eat an apple before the party so I won’t feel so tempted.” Remember, talk to yourself as you would your friend. You wouldn’t put up with your girlfriend or husband telling you you’re a hog would you? So don’t do it to yourself. WebMD Magazine points out a harsh but encouraging idea that “your kids, family, and friends listen to what comes out of your mouth. If it’s mostly self-disparaging, you’re giving them permission to rate your value in life on appearance alone.”  

In a culture that deems physical appearance more important than who we are as women, we are surrounded by pressure to be skinny, beautiful, put-together and flawless. Check out this article by Ashley Judd speaking out on the ridiculous way women are objectified. It’s easy to blame the media, but you may not realize how much pressure comes from within. You can harness the power of your brain if you choose to. Next time at Fusion, practice “mind over matter,” and see how good it feels to just make it 10 more reps or 1 more minute; it may inspire confidence in more areas than fitness.

In the mood for affirmations? Choose one from this list of 100 on RN Central.

You Fusionistas may recognize this from our schedule wall; take heart and Be Good to You!

Stretch Yourself Calm

Ahh, the end of class at Fusion. Not a lot of things come close to the feelings of release and pride I feel when the light switches flip off and we are allowed to hug our knees into our bodies, dripping with sweat and exhaling loud sighs of sweet relief. Then comes the most relaxing part: a few minutes to stretch, breath deeply, and appreciate what our bodies just did for us. To motivate you to not only stay for the stretching but also enjoy it, here are the advantages of taking just a few minutes at the end of a workout to pamper your muscles and your mind.

There are contradictory studies out there about when the most beneficial time is to stretch, how long to hold each pose, and if it’s even worth our time in the first place. But the one thing all experts agree on is one of the most beneficial reasons to stretch, at any time of day, is to “help your joints move through the full range of motion,” according to the Mayo Clinic, “by upping your flexibility and promoting healing between workouts, decreasing the risk of fitness injuries.” All of the moves we do to create the body we want, from pushups to lunges to those darn burpees, can be even more defined when we stretch afterwards. “After exercising, your muscles may feel tight because during training your muscle length shortens” says Nicole Palacios, a physical trainer with Self Magazine. Lengthening the tenseness out of our bodies helps define those coveted long and lean muscles we’re striving for. Sports medicine program coordinator at University of North Carolina explains “when you stretch a muscle, sensory receptors pick up the info and send it to the central nervous system, which signals the muscles to contract. If you hold steady, the muscle relaxes to protect itself,” hence the feeling of release.

One of the reasons I love Fusion is that many of the moves remind me of the dance classes I loved so much in college. Stretching like a ballerina just makes you feel pretty, long, and balanced. Self Magazine backs that feeling up, stating another benefit is “better posture, fewer aches and pains, greater confidence, and a cheerier outlook on life.” Since stretching increases blood flow and circulation, it gets blood and oxygen moving through the body, right to the brain where it makes us take a deep breath and really release the tension of the workout and the stresses of our daily lives. Men’s Health Magazine even recommends stretching twice a day, once post-sweating and once in the evening, to enjoy the full benefits.

Back in the Jane Fonda days we did a good five minute stretch at the beginning of a workout, but these days many new studies recommend cutting out the pre-stretch and doing it after your workout when muscles are fatigued, warm, and ready to relax. (We all know Fusion got this memo!) Of course it’s okay to do some light stretching to get your body loose before class, especially if it’s the 8:30am class and your body is still asleep from rolling out of bed at 8. Okay maybe that’s just me. But the important thing to remember pre-workout is that stretching too deeply can pull muscles, so don’t push it like you would after class.

The most important thing to remember is to modify and adapt stretching to your own needs. When our instructors hit those poses so gracefully, it can be tempting to try and replicate exactly (can I have their bodies too?) But even they do it differently from day to day. Pam Curry said in class that one day she may barely be able to hold the pose, and the next she may do it much deeper, it just depends on how our bodies are feeling. So it’s important to not push too hard, and modify the poses so you are actually enjoying yourself. "No pain" says the Mayo Clinic, and “do not bounce as you stretch. It can cause small tears in the muscle, creating scar tissue as it heals, causing a tighter muscle in the end.” You push to the point of pressure, and to a pose you wouldn’t want to hold for 10 minutes, but not to the point of pain.

Not only is stretching an important part of a fitness routine, but Mallory Lister, trainer at Prairie Life Fitness says “without proper stretching, you’re more likely to have limited range of motion, which can ultimately lead to injury. Then you’re left not being able to do some day to day functions, let alone exercise.” It’s important that as we gracefully grow older each year, we keep treating our bodies with respect, and since we expect it to look good and bounce around for an hour during class, we should reward ourselves with the five minutes at the end of class. Wellness expert Peggy Hall in Self Magazine says it even gives us a “clearer mind and sunnier mood” when done a couple times a day. The good news is with all of the other things we try to do each day for our health, stretching is the most relaxing, least challenging, and quickest way to an energy and positive thinking boost.

So if you feel the urge to beat the crowd and leave as soon as the music slows down, consider how it will benefit your mind and body to truly relax at the end of class and stretch your muscles. Take those 5 minutes to breathe deeply and reward yourself for your hard work, let the stresses of the day drip away with your sweat, and go in peace to enjoy the day.

*Also remember those around you are trying to relax, and leaving early creates disruptions for students and teachers. If you must leave early it's important to get a spot near the door and respect those stretching near the equipment area as you quickly and quietly return equipment.*

Winner, Winner, ChicPEA Dinner!

Shawna Wright recently won the Kansas City Weight Loss Challenge with a 25.4% body mass loss. She has literally worked her buns off over the last 12 weeks. 57 pounds less and 6 dress sizes smaller in a matter of 3 months. She didn't take a magic pill or eat cookies instead of real food. She did it right. The old fashioned way: LOTS of exercise and a healthy, portion-controlled diet! Her rock solid determination coupled with exercise advice from Fusion Fitness and public weigh-ins provided by KC Fitness Mag were the perfect combination for Shawna to win!

Shawna and I have been getting asked a lot of questions about the success of her weight loss. As I stated earlier, she did it the honest way - counting calories and exercising 2-3 times per day. She also had a lot of little tricks that helped her to focus on a healthy diet and lifestyle. 


In her words, here is how Shawna made the competition look like...CAKE!


1. Surround yourself with positive thoughts and people. There is a whole world of people that enjoy working out and eating healthy. When I was not feeling confident about myself, these were the people I would avoid. During this challenge, I developed a new appreciation for the “super fit” women. Most people that care about their own health, really care about the health of others. The excitement that surrounded my weight loss at Fusion was awesome! Don't avoid the fitness nuts. Share with them your desire to make a change in your life. People love to share advice and encouragement.

2. Eat to live, don't live to eat. Think of food as the fuel your body needs and put in healthy choices. Changing your mental perception of food can be very difficult. Even if you live to eat, try to fake it for a few weeks. You may be surprised at how delightful a grapefruit can taste. If you truly struggle and cannot get control of your diet, there are people that can help. Check out www.wellnessandwellbeingsolutions.com.

3. Calories in, calories out. If there were days I ate more calories than usual, I would have to get in an extra calorie burn. It is a proven fact that a surplus of 3,500 calories equals 1 lb of fat. Bottom line! If I am going to eat 3,500 extra calories, I better plan on spending almost 6 hrs running on the treadmill at 6 mph.

4. Eat what you like, not what you love. By choosing foods that I liked, I was able to stay within my daily calorie limit 95% of the time. When I would give in to something delicious, even a small taste, I could not stop. I love pizza. Unfortunately, having just one piece is not an option for me. I had to avoid real pizza and make my own low-cal versions on sandwich thins or pita. It was very tasty, but not to the point that I was dying for another piece.

5. Recognize trigger foods. I realized that if I ate certain foods, such as South Beach Bars or oatmeal, I would finish one serving and then move on to another, and still want another. By cutting these items out of my diet, I was able to curb these cravings.

6. Recognize triggers in your daily routine. People always talk about stress-related eating, but stress is different for everyone. Halfway through the challenge I realized that whenever the baby was extra cranky, one of the kids were in time-out, or the laundry was piled to the ceiling, I headed to the pantry in search of a snack. Once I realized I was eating in attempt to escape for a few moments, I was able to stop the habit.

7. The day is never ruined. So you ate a few extra calories than usual. Do not give up on the day with the intent to start again tomorrow. Brush your teeth, go on a walk or run and stop eating! Do not start your diet tomorrow!

8. Use the buddy system. This is one of the most important keys to success. Make sure you choose someone that will hold you accountable and will be reliable. Having someone to workout with makes all of the difference. Be a positive influence on each other and cheer each other on or be competitive and try to out-do each other!

9. Get a trainer. Tell them your goal is to lose weight and have them weigh you weekly. Having 1 or 2 hours a week where your health is the priority of someone else is priceless. Just make sure your trainer is tough and will push you to do the things you would not do on your own. The Fusion girls are as hardcore as they come. By the end of the 3 months, I really enjoyed the challenge of these sessions.

10. Utilize the gym day care. My son did not like to go. I used this excuse for years. It took a bit of bribery at first, but he actually enjoys it now. The women at Sylvester Powell Community Center childcare center are so awesome. Find a place you are comfortable with and just do it!

11. Never get comfortable with a workout. Always push yourself to a new level. If the speed you are going is getting easier, go faster. If you are able to chat during a workout, amp it up. Try something new every few weeks. This is the beauty of Fusion. You never get comfortable and your body continues to respond in a positive way.

12. It is a lifestyle, make it work for you. Make an effort to make choices that you can live with, forever. The final week of the challenge I attempted to cut carbs out of my diet. I immediately went into the short-term diet mode of thinking. “I better have these sweets tonight because I will not have any carbs for a week.” Needless to say, I crashed a few times and ended up having my smallest loss of the challenge.

We hope these tips are helpful to any of you who need a little encouragment in weight loss. Shawna now trains groups for Fusion's Weight Loss Bootcamp check out our site for information on the latest session.