Tabata Training - Short and Effective Workouts
Posted on 1 October 2008
Tabata Training was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata in Tokyo, He figured out a way to get maximal anerobic and aerobic benefits from a short and simple workout which can be done with a variety of exercises. I like to use these as a short workout when I have limited time; Often doing 5-10 minutes of Tabata Protocol followed by some stretching.
20/10
Tabata training is simply doing an exercise for 20 seconds constantly then taking 10 seconds off before repeating the cycle for 8 cycles this means you can get a hugely effective workout in about 5 minutes per exercise. Which will test you not only aerobically but will build muscular endurance and size.
Proven Benefits
- A Hugely effective fat burner, due to effect on the metabolism.
- Release of Anabolic Hormones thanks to Lactic acid release in muscles.
- Short and Effective workouts are ideal for those who have limited time to workout.
- Can be done anywhere with anything from Crunches to Heavy Squats.
How to Get Started
Getting started with Tabata is easy you just need to pick and exercise and keep your eye on the clock the 20/10 intervals are a rough guideline so don’t sweat it if you rest for a second too long or do the exercise for 23 seconds instead of 20. So long as you are roughly getting things right then you will be fine - Although do try to stick as closely as you can to 20 on 10 off as any other time limits are NOT Tabata Protocol and won’t be as effective…..
Pick an Exercise which can either be a body weight movement like:
-Pushups
-Pull-ups
-Body weight Squats
-Dips
-Sprints
Or a Weighted Movement:
-Kettle Bell Swings
-Thrusters
-Squats
-Cleans
Whatever you choose simply go all out for 20 seconds. Take a 10 Second rest. Repeat 7 times. This will not only initiate a crazy burn in your muscles it will get your heart rate up making you feel like you have really worked your body. Beware though the first few times you do Tabata Training you will experience some severe soreness the next day.
Why I Love Tabata
It was when I saw Tabata on Crossfit.com a while back that I first experimented with the protocol. I wasn’t expecting too much upon trying it out but was shocked at how hard it actually is once you try it. As well as this I found the shorter workouts make things far more exciting as your always pushing and it makes those 10 second rest periods feel amazing all be it like very little rest. Tabata also seemed to give me a good sense of well-being as it promoted circulation and I felt much warmer and could really feel my metabolism had been jacked out a level for the rest of the day.
An Ideal Tabata Workout would be 8-12 Minutes of Tabata and some stretching with relaxation (Breathing) this keeps the workout short and allows you to stretch out and relax the mind after the workout. Its perfect to do first thing in the morning with something like Pushups or Lunges.
Plus I enjoy knowing that the method has been well researched and is used by a variety of Olympic athletes to great effect. If your not familiar with it give Tabata Protocol a go!
This is a Pretty cool blog going into the Effects and Experiences of Tabata: Tabata Protocol so if you want to read into it deeper check it out!
TABATA PROTOCOL Timer Click to Download……
18 comments so far
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Comment by Methuselah - Pay Now Live Later
1 October 2008
Tabata is the king! I have been doing them for several months and I am as fit as I was when I was instead doing 5+ mile runs 3 times a week.
One excellent way to ensure you get the benefits to fitness of tabata without your muscles giving up before the end is to cycle around different exercises for the 8 intervals. For example - do press-ups then squats then pull-ups then thrusters - then back to press-ups. Then your muscle groups get a rest in between but your lungs should still be working hard.
For single-exercise tabata, I have personally found the toughest of the lot to be:
Rowing machine
Burpees
Sprinting
If you truly go all-out, a sprinting tabata has got to be the toughest routine I have ever done, but ultimately the most rewarding…
Comment by Chris
1 October 2008
@ Methuselah: Superb addition to the post; I never thought of the mixing up of 3 exercises into one Tabata workout, I will give it a try tomorrow morning as I was planning a Tabata Workout consisting of:
-Kettlebell Swings
-Pushups
Alternating for 8 sets, should get me going. Cool to see that you have had great results with Tabata, its a very cool training method!
Comment by Lance
1 October 2008
I tried a Tabata workout for the first time, about two years ago. It looked so simple on paper. 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Boy was I wrong! It was a killer workout. I now incorporate them every once in a while. There a great workout, and, if you’re short on time - they are a quick workout too! Now, I want to do one again - sometime in the next week I’ll crank one out - I need to be punished!
Comment by Kat
1 October 2008
I’ve been interested in metabolic intervals recently and have been researching different workouts other than sprinting (which I love) to incorporate into my daily workout that has the same basic method. This sounds great! Thanks for some new ideas for my workout tomorrow!
Comment by Keith Norris
1 October 2008
This is my go-to protocol when I’m traveling, as it works great with all manner of bodweight exercises. And, like everyone else who’s tried Tabatas, I can vouch for their effectiveness. It’s one of those things that look easy on paper, but that are another thing entirely in practice. Download a Tabata timer to your iPod, and you’re good to go.
Comment by Piech
1 October 2008
I love Tabata’s! Friday is Tabata Day where I do a series of protocols with different muscle groups.
They really kick you up to the next level fast.
Comment by Chris
2 October 2008
@ Piech: Thanks for the comment, Tabata Fridays seem like a good idea; I think I should assign myself a Tabata day per week!!
@ Keith: Thanks for the tip with the tabata interval timer, I found one on the CrossFit Forums and have loaded it on my ipod, will make things interesting!!
@ Kat: Definitely give it a go, you can download a Tabata Timer Interval for your iPod over here: http://tinyurl.com/3u3gw5 will make it far easier!
Comment by Marshall
5 October 2008
Hi Guys!! I am new into the world of fitness freaks.. Recently after joining gym for a few days, I have started enjoying my workouts. This is the first time I have heard about Tabata Training…it seems quite interesting and going through the positive responses it seems to have worked for you all… I am gonna start it from today. It will a great form of exercise when I am traveling which I do quite frequently..I hope it works for me as well it does for all of you. I am looking forward to a hard session of Tabata and hope it is not too sore. Thanks for the great post and wish me luck.
Comment by Steven
11 October 2008
Thanks for the post. I will try it tomorrow.
Comment by Jeff
13 October 2008
I like tabatas and do them when I am short of time or as an exercise to start. I don’t like them every day and think it might be better to mix up the length of time and rest length, but I am not sure. It seems to me that the body might get used to the 20/10. I like to do them from time to time while doing longer intervals at various lengths from time to time.
Keep it variable and it seems to be better, but I am no expert.
Comment by Will
22 October 2008
Tabata Training!! Earlier I thought it was some kind of martial arts!! Like judo or karate.. Your blog cleared my concept and I am surely gonna try it!! Might just be the right thing for my workout routine!! Thanks pal!
Comment by Jason
23 October 2008
Got here late.
Try the running tabatas from the Crossfit Endurance site.
Put the incline up to 12 or so, set a speed you can maintain, hop on/off the siderails to/from track at the 20:10 intervals. Brutality.
Here’s a vid of it:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFitNB_RunTabata1.mov
Comment by Chris
23 October 2008
@ Jason: Thanks for the comment very good idea. Thanks for the link I have never tried anything but weighted exercises for tabata so this looks like a very good idea, all be it extremely challenging. Thanks for dropping in.
Comment by Tim Rosanelli
27 October 2008
Wow!
I never heard of this workout before. I will definitely check it out.
Thanks.
Tim Rosanelli
View my Blog Articles at
timrosanelli.blogspot.com
Join our Sit-up Challenge at
60situpschallenge.blogspot.com
Comment by axel g
1 November 2008
I’ve been into swimming for years. It’s fun and gentle on the body.
Tabata training sounds like a great alternative…
Comment by Zebb Hayaba
6 November 2008
I do tabata from time to time at the end of my training… Usually i do exercises for stomach and pushups. After that i can’t do anything else
I use simple beeper to indicate intervals. It is simple program for my cell phone, so i can do tabatas in the gym. Here is a link for it:
http://www.workout-timer.com