Why Tabata training gets you fitter faster

Why Tabata training gets you fitter faster

If Tabata training is a new concept for you, that’s okay.  But, for anyone who is serious about getting the maximum benefit when exercising with the least amount of time used to get the results you want, a Tabata workout deserves a second look.

The history behind Tabata

Named after the man who invented it, Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese physician and researcher, Tabata is a high-intensity workout similar to both Crossfit and circuit training.  In 1996, Dr. Tabata and his team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo conducted studies on two groups of athletes.  The first group trained at a moderate intensity level while the second group trained at a high-intensity level.  The first group worked out for one hour five days a week for a total of six weeks.  The high-intensity or second group worked out four days a week also for six weeks but their workouts lasted only four minutes and 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between each set.

Results from the study showed that first group had increased their aerobic capacity but had little to no improvement in their anaerobic capacity; thus the study demonstrated that 6 weeks of moderate steady-state endurance training did not affect anaerobic capacity. 

However, 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training which the second group performed, showed increases in both their aerobic and anaerobic capacities with an increase in their anaerobic capacity by 28 percent. This was the first published study to demonstrate an increase in both anaerobic capacity and maximal aerobic power. 

The Tabata workout

The beauty of a Tabata workout is that it will save you precious time during your day to get fit fast.  Each exercise in a given Tabata workout lasts only four minutes but it will be one of the toughest yet most rewarding time spent in getting the body you want.  Here is how the structure of the program works:

·      Workout hard for 20 seconds – push yourself as hard as you can

·      Rest for 10 seconds

·      Complete 8 rounds

In the above scenario, when you work out for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds, that is considered one set.  You will complete eight sets of each exercise.

Another advantage of this form of exercise is you can do whatever exercise you want to.  Here’s an example of what a Tabata workout might look like:

·      Push-ups for 4 minutes

·      Squats for 4 minutes

·      Burpees for 4 minutes

·      Mountain climbers for 4 minutes

To get a better picture of how this works, you would start with push-ups performing them for 20 seconds at a high-intensity, then rest for 10 seconds.  Then go back to doing push-ups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, continuing to do this until you have completed eight sets of push-ups.  Rest for one minute, and then repeat this process by continuing on to squats or whatever other exercise you want to do. 

Advantages of a Tabata workout

There are several health and body benefits a Tabata workout provides which include the following:

·      Tabata incorporates a greater work load or intensity working a wider range of muscle groups than traditional cardio in a shorter amount of time

·      Tabata increases the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the rate at which the body uses energy while at rest to keep vital functions going such as respiration, circulation, and nerve activity. This means you will burn more calories and fat even at rest.

·      Tabata incresase both aerobic and anaerobic endurance.  Your body’s aerobic capacity is the largest amount of oxygen it consumes during exercise.  Anaerobic capacity is the largest amount energy your body can produce by burning carbs in the absence of oxygen. 

·      Tabata maximizes efficiency saving you time in working out.  All of us are pressed for time – the effectiveness and intensity of a Tabata workout of just four minutes per day can increase your commitment to working out regularly. 

To get a better idea of what a Tabata workout looks like, click here to try out one example of a beginners guide to a total body Tabata routine and see if it’s right for you.