Tabata Workout: 4 Benefits of Tabata Training

Tabata is high-intensity interval training (also known as HIIT)—a cardiovascular workout that elevates your heart rate and burns many calories in a short amount of time. Tabata was developed in 1996 by Japanese researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata, who was studying the effectiveness of HIIT tasks compared to traditional workout methods.

In a tabata workout, you exercise for twenty seconds, putting all of your available energy into the task. Then you get 10 seconds of rest. This process repeats eight times—comprising a four-minute cycle and creating a 2:1 ratio of work to rest.

The benefits of tabata revolve around its versatility and low time investment as well as the improvements some people can see in their health.

1. 1. Your overall health may improve. Dr. Izumi Tabata, who developed this form of exercise, found in his research that this type of HIIT workout was capable of improving a person’s aerobic and anaerobic systems (the body’s energy-producing systems).
2. 2. It’s a great cardio workout. Since you’re pushing your body so hard and doing cardio, it makes sense that you’re burning fat. Because you’re not catching your breath completely in that ten-second rest period, your heart rate remains elevated, and causes your body to consume fat cells for energy. As a result, it’s a great cardio workout, and you may also build muscle in the process.
3. 3. The workouts are short. Working out for four minutes at a time, as tabata cycles require, can be a convenient amount of time for most people to schedule into their daily schedules.
4. 4. The workouts are flexible. Do jumping jacks, kettlebells, dumbbell swings, mountain climbers—whatever exercise will challenge you for a twenty-second window.

Tabata workouts are not made for everyone and have downsides, which involve the expected results versus the actual results.

1. 1. Weight loss isn’t guaranteed. Although you’re pushing your body to the max, you’re not guaranteed to lose weight. You may not necessarily be burning a lot of calories in the short amount of time that you work out—your body is using up fat cells as energy rather than burning calories.
2. 2. It’s intense. For tabata or any HIIT workout to be effective, you have to push yourself as hard as possible for 20 seconds at a time. By design, you won’t be able to recover fully in each 10-second rest period, so you will be challenged the entire four-minute cycle.
3. 3. You must know your body well. People who work out all the time understand when they’ve pushed themselves too far and need to take a rest. If you’re new to tabata or exercise in general, you may risk an injury.
4. 4. It requires caution. If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, you shouldn’t do a tabata workout as it can strain your cardiovascular system. If your fitness level is low and you’ve never done strength training, consider working up to this kind of full-body workout.

There are lots of different ways you can do a tabata workout, and you can use various exercises to mix things up, such as:

1. 1. Push-ups: A properly executed push-up focuses on your core, as well as your shoulders, chest, and triceps.
2. 2. Jump squats: Focusing on your form ensures that your glutes, hamstrings, hips, and quads get a solid workout.
3. 3. Lunges: These target your back, abdominal muscles, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.
4. 4. Burpees: This is a full-body move that works your arms, chest, shoulders, legs, hips, quads, glutes, and abs.
5. 5. Skaters: This exercise focuses mostly on the quads and glutes, but your legs and associated muscles will also feel the burn.

One of the key factors of a HIIT workout like tabata is that you’re using 100 percent of your energy during each exercise. So push yourself hard, or you won’t see results. Also, it’s important to warm up and stretch before any workout; otherwise, you risk injuring yourself.

If you’re interested in beginning a tabata routine, you should examine your fitness goals and familiarity with key exercises.

1. 1. Establish where you are with your health routine. If you already work out and know what your body is capable of, you can likely proceed. However, if you have any medical issues, make sure to consult with a doctor.
2. 2. Choose five exercises you know well. These are ones that you almost instinctively understand the form and wouldn’t have any problem doing in an intense situation.
3. 3. Establish a blueprint for your routine. Figure out which exercise you want to do first, second, and so on. Write the routine out on a piece of paper and place it within view of your workout area so you won’t lose your place.
4. 4. Use a watch, timer, or clock. Make sure a clock with a second hand is visible, so you can keep track of your rest and exercise cycles.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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