What Is a Tabata Workout?

Tabata is a high-intensity workout protocol that has both fitness and weight-loss benefits.

Tabata is a high-intensity workout protocol that has both fitness and weight-loss benefits. It is also a very short workout. It is a combination of CrossFit and circuit training. The training is named after the Japanese physician and researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata who invented it.

It offers the maximum benefit with the least amount of time used to get those results. Tabata training increases your metabolism and heart. Because you are performing these exercises at a very high intensity, your body jump-starts your metabolism and makes you burn fat for hours after.

You can use many exercises and equipment in the Tabata protocol. Pushups, resistance bands, stability ball exercises, planks, weights, or a bench can all be used.

According to research from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Tabata can burn up to 15 calories per minute.

• All exercises in a Tabata workout need to be performed for only 4 minutes. However, you must push yourself very hard for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. This completes one set.
• You need to complete eight such sets for each exercise. Any type of exercise can be opted for the Tabata workout.
• The Tabata workout consists of strength and aerobic exercises that work the entire body as opposed to just one particular set of muscles.
• The exercises include warm-ups, side shuffles, and shoulder rotations and gradually move on to cardio exercises such as skater plyos and then to strength exercises such as push-ups.
• Combination exercises where you have to complete sets of various workouts such as burpees, lunges, and kettlebell squats can also be included.
• This can be extremely tiring, but you have to push yourself to reap the maximum benefits.

Here’s the 20-minute workout protocol:

Round 1:

• High knees
• Plank punches
• Jumping jacks
• Side skaters

Round 2:

• Jump rope
• High/low boat
• Line jumps
• Push-ups

Round 3:

• Burpees
• Russian twists
• Squats
• Lunges

Round 4:

• Mountain climbers
• Push-ups
• Split squats
• Box jumps
• Deadlifts

Benefits: By training the body to handle high intensity demands, you can start to make your body work faster and better.

• By only requiring 4 minutes of exertion (at the very minimum) for a complete workout, you will be much more motivated to stay regular with the regimen and not slack off. If you are particularly eager, doing a 20-minute session consisting of five Tabata workouts on different parts of the body is a highly efficient way of quickly getting in shape. Saving time in today’s hectic modern world is important for most people.
• Instant gratification and fast results are two things that define our culture in recent years, so the efficiency with which Tabata gives measurable and visible results is incredible. It is a highly focused workout that rapidly burns fat and develops muscle at the same time. This results in numerous changes in appearance, ability, and endurance, which are encouraging and inspiring to others.
• With the Tabata method, tissue growth and repair occur at a much faster pace because of the significant amount of effort and strain on those muscle groups. This shift will also lead to a better lean mass to fat ratio in the body because you are burning fat and building muscle simultaneously.
• The Tabata method directly improves aerobic capacity (nearly 14% in Tabata’s study), which means that individuals performing Tabata will have increased endurance and oxygenation levels.
• The Tabata method boosts anaerobic capacity, which is the amount of energy that the body can produce without having a steady oxygen supply. Anaerobic capacity dictates how many carbohydrates you will burn for fuel to exert your body. The Tabata method improves the anaerobic capacity by nearly 28% as per study.

Problems:

• Although a Tabata workout seems plausible, it is sometimes physically impossible for certain people and age groups. Hence, you can go for a more practical option. This can include working out for a certain period but resting for half that amount of time. This creates high-intensity intervals where the intensity is still “high” but relative to your fitness ability.
• Many people think that they can jump into a Tabata workout schedule without any problems, but the truth is this sort of high-intensity training should be worked up to. You can find a range of beginner Tabata workout plans and schedules from a fitness trainer who performs Tabata.
• It is strongly recommended that you take it slow; your body will have to grow accustomed to the more intense demands you’re putting on it, but you also want to ensure that you don’t get injured!

Conclusion:

• Tabata, in essence, is a short, build-your-own-adventure fitness regimen that will produce a heady burn and afterglow in a period that almost anyone can afford. It’s cost-effective, fun, and super challenging, and by adhering to the 20:10 principle, it produces remarkable results. Intense workouts carry a higher risk of dehydration, so keep your water handy and be sure to refuel with a post-workout snack if needed.