The Tabata protocol is one of the most effective types of high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. It is an extremely intense cardio workout program that is quite short in duration, in fact it’s also known as the 4 minute workout. Don’t be fooled by the shortness of the routine – it produces remarkable results and has been used by various professional athletes to help with endurance!
Lose Belly Fat, Get Fit In Four Minutes
The Tabata workout was initially discovered by Dr. Izumi Tabata (hence the name) and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.
Dr. Tabata, during his research, discovered that this short 4 minute workout interval training produced much better results than aerobic training. This included building as much muscular endurance as sixty minutes of cardio training at a moderate pace.
In fact, a study done on fit male P.E. majors from various varsity sports showed that those who made use of the Tabata protocol for five days a week for six weeks had a boost in aerobic fitness by 14% as compared to the another group who only increased their aerobic fitness by 10% from doing an aerobic workout on a bike at a moderate pace for 60 minutes. Additionally, there was a 28% improvement in “anaerobic capacity” which is a measure of how long one can exercise at top effort for the Tabata group as opposed to the other group who saw no improvement to anaerobic capactiy.
Use of this for a cardio workout can make for a very versatile program and assist with weight loss and losing belly fat, which is great for multiple reasons, including how to get abs (as discussed in an earlier article). The high intensity nature of the Tabata protocol allows one to burn more calories even after you have finished with the exercise. Using this type of exercise allows you to keep your metabolism at its peak and studies have also shown that oxygen consumption and fat oxidation increases quite a bit from doing HIIT, so there’s little doubt that you will experience the same benefits from use of the Tabata workout. Studies have also shown that there is a greater decrease in subcutaneous fat, which is also fantastic for getting abs!
The Tabata Workout
The full Tabata program is a four minutes workout, but beware as it will most likely feel like the longest for minutes of your life!
If you are going to try it I would recommend going easy initially. Don’t underestimate this program, otherwise you may be looking for someone to help you off the floor when you fall off the treadmill!
Tabata intervals follow this structure:
- Push hard for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this eight times.
The secret to making this cardio workout so effective is in the sprinting interval. You must go all out in those 20 seconds. There should be absolutely nothing left in the tank when you get to rest. After resting for 10 seconds, you’ll need to go all out yet again for 20 seconds. You’ll want to do this 8 times to get the full four minute workout.
This workout music is built with interval training in mind. It has prompts built in automatically so that you don’t need anything to keep time. It may assist you in your workout structure. The other thing you could do is get an application for your iPhone or Android device that acts as a timer specifically for this workout routine. I would recommend doing one of these things so that you don’t have to waste any concentration on time intervals and can focus all your energy on the routine.
Choosing Exercises
The great thing about the Tabata protocol is that you don’t have to just use it as a cardio workout. It’s a great routine to use to put a large load on any large muscle group to really help with muscular growth. You can use it for exercises like the squat or deadlift. The reason that these exercises are so great for Tabata is that you will be targeting large muscle groups, including the large ones, which will allow for maximum impact and results.
