Well -- over at Peninsula Crossfit last night I did a workout called "tabata this" which involves 8 each of 20 second intervals followed by 10 second rests. 8 sets in a series of as many squats, rowing, pull ups, sit ups, or push ups that one can do in 20 seconds. Score is the lowest number of all the sets in a given exercise. After each exercise comes a one minute break.
I think "tabata" is an Andromedan word meaning "to cause pain to." Eight sets of sit ups with a score of seven might come from a series of 8, 9, 7, 8, 8, 8, 7, 8 or 63 total sit ups. A score of 4 like mine in the push ups, for example, absolutely indicates a total of at least 32 over 8 sets (4*8=32), but doesn't reflect the actual total, which could be much higher. 10, 8, 7, 7, 7, 5, 4, and 4, for example, totalling 52. If you had asked me before last night if I could do 50 push ups ... I would have said "No way."
