DAMAN^AUGUST/SEPTEMBER201969FITNESS
ADD A NEW DIMENSION TO YOUR FITNESS
REGIMEN WITH THE SUPER HIGH-INTENSITY
APPROACH OF TABATA TRAININGSHORT BUT
NOT SWEET
The secret to a good Tabata program, and also
what makes it so hard, is that it requires all-out
intensity—you absolutely need to push yourself
to your limit for those four minutes. In other
words, if you’re not totally drop-dead tired at the
end of the workout, you didn’t go hard enough.
Now, on a more technical note, Tabata
training was originally conceptualized with one
motion per session in mind. So, if you pick squat
thrusts, for example, you would do those at full
intensity for 20 second bursts interspersed with
10 seconds of rest until you’ve done eight batches
of squat thrusts.
Nowadays, a lot of people will vary the
exercises they do during a session. Adding extra
rounds and varying the intensity of movements
is also a popular option, basically using the
Tabata method to create your very own high-
intensity workout. For instance, four minutes
of scissor kicks (following the 20 seconds of
exercise and 10 of rest formula, of course)
followed by four minutes of squats and then
four minutes of dead lifts for the finale. This
also allows you to customize your work routine
to, say, target specific muscle groups, while still
gaining the benefits of the Tabata system.
Of course, if done right, following the original
recipe for the Tabata training program—four
minutes a day, four days a week—is more than
sufficient. As long as, once again, you make a
point to go all out during each four minute
session. Remember, Tabata training is short, but
it definitely should not be sweet.THE BENEFITS
Tabata training can be punishing, but it’s also
popular for a reason. So, to wrap up our look
into this fitness trend, let’s recap the benefits you
stand to gain.
First of all, Tabata training is shown to burn
more calories per minute compared to traditional
aerobic exercise and ramps up the rate at whichtaying in top physical condition
often means looking out for and
trying out new exercise programs.
In fact, this is just common sense
as our daily habits, fitness goals
and overall fitness levels change
over time. And, well, sometimes
we all could use a change of pace and a new
challenge, right? So, if you’re in the market for a
new fitness routine, meet Tabata training.THE ORIGIN STORY
As its name suggests, Tabata training was born
in Japan. It’s the brainchild of Izumi Tabata and
his colleagues at the National Institute of Fitness
and Sports and Tokyo. Tabata and his team
conducted a study on two group of speed-skating
athletes. The first group trained at a moderate
intensity level using ergonomic cycles for one
hour a day, five days a week, for a total of six
weeks. The second group did four-minute high-
intensity workout sessions, four days a week for
six weeks. These high-intensity workout sessions
alternated between 20 seconds of exercise done
at maximum effort and 10 seconds of rest,
repeated eight times.
After the six weeks were up, Tabata
discovered that the first group experienced an
increase in the performance of their aerobic or
cardiovascular system, but saw no development
in their anaerobic system. The second group,
meanwhile, showed a larger increase in their
aerobic performance and saw gains in their
anaerobic system by as much as 28 percent.THE CONCEPT
So, essentially, Tabata training is extremely
straightforward—and quite short as well. The
structure of a Tabata workout is just this:- Workout for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds
- Repeat 8 times
your body burns calories after the workout. In
other words, you’ll shed fat during the workout
and you’ll continue to do so post-exercise.
Second, as mentioned before, Tabata training
increases both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
Third and finally, Tabata training is not only
effective, it is also time-efficient—which is a
rather important consideration considering how
busy a modern urban-dweller can be. Building
your personal commitment to exercise and stay
in shape is also considerably easier when it starts
with just four minutes a day.
All that’s left is to pick your exercise and get
ready to push yourself like never before.S
“YOU ABSOLUTELY
NEED TO PUSH
YOURSELF TO YOUR
LIMIT FOR THOSE
FOUR MINUTES. IN
OTHER WORDS, IF
YOU’RE NOT TOTALLY
DROP-DEAD TIRED
AT THE END OF THE
WORKOUT, YOU
DIDN’T GO HARD
ENOUGH”