Bored of your daily workout schedule? Looking for something more challenging and intense? It's time to say hello to Tabata. So what really is Tabata? It basically refers to high intensity interval training (HIIT), wherein the exercises are designed to hit a greater range of muscle groups than traditional cardio in a shorter amount of time. Here, each exercise lasts for only four minutes. But hold on, it's not as easy as it sounds. Those four minutes are actually really tough because it's designed to make your body work harder. It typically follows this pattern - four minutes of workout with full force then one minute rest, and eight rounds of it. This completes one exercise and then you move on to the next.
Who invented Tabata?
Tabata workout is named after Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata, who along with his team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo were the ones to discover that high intensity interval training was more beneficial in building muscle cells and burning fat. They researchers conducted study 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 moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks, with each workout lasting for one hour. Whereas the high-intensity group worked out four days a week for six weeks, with each workout lasting four minutes.
The results showed that while Group 1 had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle); Group 2 showed much more increase in their aerobic system than Group 1, and increased their anaerobic system by 28 percent. Thus a set of HIIT exercises were structured and this got to be known as Tabata.
How it works
In the fitness world, Tabata has become a popular trend, with many people looking at it as a great way to burn fats. The Tabata workout programme can include a range of exercises such as squats, push ups, burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and other weight training and aerobic exercises. It typically includes five to six exercises, and you can create a plan for 20-30 minutes. The idea is to try and push your body as much as you can in those 20 seconds and then rest for the next 10 seconds.
Here's a beginner's plan:
1. Burpee (4 minutes)
2. Walking Lunges (4 minutes)
3. Push Ups (4 minutes)
4. Mountain climbers (4 minutes)
The best part is that you can constantly switch the exercises to improve your endurance and speed, and burn fat in the process. So go on and work it out!
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