“What the heck is Tabata?” many of you are asking. Well the real question should be WHO the heck is Tabata?
Well Izumi Tabata is a doctor who did research at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, and he founded this concept known as The Tabata Protocol. Well it was really him & the coach of the Japanese Speed Skating Team.
Tabata training consists of performing 20 seconds of maximum effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, this cycle to be repeated 8 times, for a total of 4 minutes of work. When the original Protocol was developed the team was working with sprints. But this high intensity interval training can be used for anything from sprints to boxing to any kind of calisthenics.
You can mix it up too. Rather than performing, let’s say squats as an example, for 8 sets, you could mix it up & do squats, then push ups, then reverse lunges, then step ups. So rather than doing 8 sets of each before moving on to the next exercise, you could do 2 sets of squats then move on to the push ups for 2 sets, etc.
Really, the best way to decide how many sets you can endure will be based on your personal fitness level. Assuming you are going all out during your 20 second interval, this workout will be grueling. Try doing 2 or 3 intervals before moving on to the next calisthenic. When doing 2 – 3 sets of four exercises becomes manageable, then up it to 4 intervals & so on.
So do you wanna know how effective it can be? Ask one of my clients! haha, but if you can’t access them to have them tell you how hard they are, I’ll just tell you about the benefits…
1. Increase in anaerobic capacity & VO2 max – This kind high intensity training elevates your metabolic rate causing you to burn more calories after your training session. Up to 2 days to be exact. A study at Laval University in Quebec showed that people who do such high intensity workout routines have 9 times more fat loss benefit for every calorie burned while exercising.
2. You can build your strength endurance while getting in a cardiovascular workout routine. Doing eight sets of 20 second max effort push ups on planks, for example, will increase your strength endurance.
3. You can do this with no equipment at all except a stop watch or clock or timer app. So if you travel for work or need something to do when you cannot get out of the house, try a Tabata workout routine.
Here are a few sample workouts to try…
8 sets of :20 on/ :10 off body weight squats
4 sets of :20 on/ :10 off skate hops, immediately into 4 sets of :20 on/ :10 off plyo lunges
8 sets of :20 on/ :10 off push ups alternating with 8 sets of :20 on/ :10 off sit ups (this is a double Tabata, so it’s 8 minutes of work)
Give yourself 48 hours before doing another high intensity interval training workout routine again. But during those 20 seconds, go all out! If you do you can expect to lose the unwanted fat you’ve been dying to get rid of!
If you need help with daily workouts to do at home, get my Six Week Home Workout Program.
All you’ll need are resistance bands and the will to work.
Get the program here – https://kyrawilliamsfitness.com/sixweekhomeworkout/
Your Coach,
Kyra