"Tabata: more than just posh bread?"

It's raining again but at least it isn't snowing. Unfortunately, the rain subjects unwitting souls to the confines of elliptical trainers and the narcissistic theatrics of grunting gym goers. This need not be the case ladies and gentlemen...

What You Need:

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to say use a six-pack of Evian water (50cl should do the trick, or 1L for the experienced), but if you do possess any other form of weight, be my guest. You will also need a clock, any sort of clock: from Ikea, Habitat (yes, they still exist) or even M&S.

What You're Doing:

Tabata training. No, that is not a type of bread found in that “adorable delicatessen down the road...with the home-made goats cheese....what?...yes, of course the goat is happy.” Anyway, Tabata training is essentially all about playing around with your lactate threshold whilst increasing your VO2 max (maximum amount of oxygen you can take in). Furthermore, it slips neatly into the currently popular HIIT school of thought – High Intensity Interval Training – which decrees that doing a couple of minutes exercise flat out is better for you than meandering around at a gentle pace for an hour. There are lots of interesting and varying arguments to be read in journals (not the Daily Mail) on this subject so, if you've reached the 45^th profile picture on facebook of your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, stop the Damien Rice CD, put down the Phish Food, burn the questionable onesie and have a read...also, you're better off without someone who has over 45 profile pictures.

So in short, you will be working for 20 seconds at 100%, then rest for 10 seconds. This 20/10 combination will be repeated 8 times for each of the exercises listed below. Rest a minute between each one.

The exercises (subject to change, should you so desire):

• Jumping alternating lunges - keep your shoulders back and chest up.
• Press ups (go to half press ups when you reach failure and please do remember to squeeze your bum and suck you stomach in).
• Russian twists (with the aforementioned French weight) – keep your head still, this will free up any tension in the thoracic spine...the top part.
• Burpees (or, if you truly despise them, 'mountain climbers') – make sure there is full extension at the bottom of the burpee.
• Sob gently, safe in the knowledge that no one else can see you... .

Drink plenty of water and try to complete roughly the same reps in your first 20 second interval as in your last one (you won't but try nonetheless).

Warm up and down thoroughly, you ought to have broken into a sweat by the time you start. If you're at home, the easy way to warm up is to don many layers (cashmere gilets are a must), jog on the spot for a couple of minutes and follow the warm up I posted yesterday. By the time you're done, you'll be as sweaty as an inappropriate simile. A warm up is exactly that – warming your muscles up – so use your AGA (hello Surrey), your warming cupboard or have a shower first, then do it...the warm up.

Just on a finishing note: please, please, please don't be half hearted with these 20 second bursts. If you don't give 100%, the system doesn't work; don't play with the system, man.