Tabata Training for a New Workout

Tabata...ta"what"ah??  What is Tabata and how can you incorporate it into your exercise program?  Tabata, also known as "High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)", is a training protocol named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, head coach of the Japanese speed skating team.  Dr. Tabata and his team at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Japan studied the speed skating coach's workout to determine the optimum protocol. In their research Tabata et al., showed that a 4-minute cardiovascular training routine improved fitness. The whole session lasts 14 minutes and is comprised of a 5-minute warm up, 4 minutes of intense exercise and a 5-minute cool down. The 4 minutes of intense exercise comprises of 8 repeating bouts of 20 seconds of maximum effort work of your selected exercise followed by a recovery of 10 seconds.

So what's the benefit in doing Tabata training?  In Dr. Tabata's study, the researchers found that athletes who used the routine five days a week for six weeks improved their maximum aerobic capacity by 14% and improved their anaerobic capacity by 28%. A study of traditional aerobic training of running at 70% of aerobic capacity for 60 minutes for six weeks showed an improvement in aerobic capacity of 9.5% and no effect on anaerobic capacity.  What does that mean to me and you?  Essentially you become a more efficient oxygen consumption machine.  As your aerobic capacity improves, you increase the ability to "go longer" in cardio-type activities (i.e., running, walking, biking).  Dr. Tabata's team found that as well as improving your aerobic and anaerobic capacity it is very effective in lowering the lean body mass to fat ratio without compromising muscle size.

Sound too good to be true?  Well it's not.  However, I must caution you.  Performed correctly, the Tabata protocol is VERY intense and is not to be taken lightly.  You can ease yourself into this type of training by picking only one exercise to perform in the Tabata protocol.  Work your way up to completing a complete workout of this protocol.  The trick is to pick compound exercises that will help you get the most bang for your buck.  Exercises such as burpees and Kettle Bell swings will target more than one muscle group thus increasing your calorie burn.  Also, the theory behind this type of training is to "go all out", meaning put all of your effort into each 20-second interval.

Try adding the Tabata protocol into your weekly routine.  Pick a day, pick an exercise, hit it hard!  No need to perform this every day...just try it one day a week in the beginning.  Remember to choose exercise that incorporate large muscle groups.  Check out these videos on how to do a burpee with a jump, burpee with no jump, and a Kettle Bell swing.  Then stop by PROMATx Health Club and try your hand at Tabata training!!