You must have come across a ton of different workout in the past, all designed to help you attain your fitness targets. It doesn’t matter if you want to increase your endurance and strength, burn fat, improve your build, put on muscle or increase your flexibility.
Irrespective of your targets, if you
adhere to your exercise plan, you will reach and achieve your goals. You may
want to give Tabata a try if you are seeking to add a new program
to your routine.
Tabata training entails high-intensity training (HIIT) workout, in addition to workouts that last for four minutes.
The History of Tabata
Discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata alongside a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.
Tabata and his team assembled two
groups of athletes and conducted a research. The first group trained at average
intensity level exercise while the second group trained at a high-intensity
level. The average intensity group trained for a total of six weeks; working
out for one hour, five days each week. On the other hand, the high-intensity
group trained for
six weeks; four days a week within that period, with each workout lasting for
four minutes and 20 seconds with a 10-second break between each set.
The Result: Group one showed marginal to no increase in their anaerobic system (muscle), but had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular). While the second group showed a very significant improvement in their aerobic system and a 28% increase in their anaerobic system.
Thus, high-intensity interval training has a significant effect on both the anaerobic and aerobic systems.
HIIT Training may not be right for everybody
As HIIT training aims to accelerate your heart rate and keep it at this high rate for the duration of the workout, people who are prone to heart issues should consult a healthcare professional before trying this training.
Also, as each exercise relies upon your own body weight and is dependent on how you move (your biomechanics), if you experience lower back pain or poor posture you should consult with a Doctor of Chiropractic (such as The Back Clinic) or physiotherapist first.
The Tabata Program
Every exercise in the Tabata workout lasts for a duration of only four minutes, this is likely going to be a long and enduring four minutes for you.
The program is structured as thus:
- High-intensity workout for 20 seconds
- A 10-second break
- Finish 8 rounds
You dare your limits as you train hard for 20 seconds and you take a break for 10 seconds – this is one set. You would have to finish eights sets of every exercise.
You are free to participate in any
exercise of your choosing. You may opt for burpees, push-ups, squats or any
other exercise that engages the bulk of your muscle groups. Kettlebell
exercises are also nice.
Below is an example of a typical Tabata Workout:
- Push-ups or bench dips (4 minutes)
- Bodyweight squats or lunges (4 minutes)
- Burpees (4 minutes)
- Mountain Climbers or sit-ups (4 minutes)
Begin with push-ups. Carry on with them at high-intensity for 20 seconds. Take a break for 10 seconds, and then resume with push-ups for 20 seconds. After eight sets of push-ups, take a one-minute break.
Then, go to squats/lunges and do the same thing for 20 seconds and a 10-second rest. After doing eight sets of squats, take a minute break and then continue with burpees. On completion of burpees, round off with mountain climbers.
If you have very limited time or need to juggle your routine, Tabata is perfect for you, in addition to boosting your speed and endurance. You will be amazed by the awesome results that come with adding this workout to your fitness routine.