Personal Training Techniques: Tabata Training

A few articles ago I wrote about the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short. As I stated then, HIIT has been proven the most effective way to burn fat. Long slow cardio is a thing of the past and during my personal training sessions with weight loss clients, HIIT is the tool I use the most.

This article addresses a certain style of interval training, that being the “Tabata Training” protocol.

So what is Tabata training?

Tabata training gets its name from Dr Izumi Tabata. He and his team of researchers discovered this style of training at the National Institute of Fitness and Sport in Tokyo. In short Tabata training is the single most effective form of HIIT, the most intense form of HIIT and is also the shortest form of HIIT, with sessions completed in only 4 minutes. The intensity of these sessions is the reason it is used in Personal Training sessions, and also the reason it is so effective.

In the study performed by Dr Tabata, he found that Tabata training produced much better results than traditional aerobic training, with findings such as participants performing Tabata building as much muscular endurance as those performing 45 minutes of aerobic training, while also improving their anaerobic capacity by over a quarter. And this study was performed by elite athletes who were already at near optimal fitness. Imagine what it could do for you!!

What is involved in Tabata training?

Tabata training involves 20 second bursts of all out, maximum effort intervals, followed by 10 seconds of complete rest. This is done for 8 sets.  It can be performed on cardio equipment or using compound resistance movements, such as the squat and push press etc. The main thing to remember is that it is an all-out sprint, or maximum number of repetitions in the time frame, or the results will not be as great.

Why use Tabata Training?

Burn Fat – Tabata training will send your metabolism through the roof very quickly, due to the intensity of the effort you are putting into each 20 seconds, it also keeps your metabolism raised for up to 36hours post workout. Many people say jogging and walking are the only ways to lose weight and burn fat, but the truth is that they are only 2 of the ways you can lose fat, and also 2 of the slowest. Sure they have their place in any exercise regime, especially as your body cannot withstand the intensity of training protocols such as Tabata on a daily basis, but the fat burning effect is minimal compared with Tabata.

Time – Long slow cardio may take anywhere between 30minutes to an hour for you to get a metabolic boost and a caloric burn that will benefit you in any way. I said this before, but Tabata takes just the time to warm up and then 4 minutes of maximum effort, and your results will be greater than if you walk on that treadmill for an hour.

More bang for your buck – Tabata training improves both the aerobic and anaerobic systems in your body, something that long distance, slow cardio can never do for you. This makes it highly valuable as a training technique for athletes attempting to improve sports conditioning, as well as those looking to become leaner and lose unwanted kg’s. It is also one of the most interchangeable forms of HIIT, as it can be used with a variety of different exercises, which will help keep it fun and the motivation high.

Who should do Tabata Training?

If you are doing Personal Training with the any of these goals; losing weight, toning up, getting fitter, then you should already be familiar with this type of training. For all of those not doing Personal Training, but wanting to get great results in a short amount of time, then this training is for you too.

Basically, anyone who has the aptitude to train at high intensities, and who know how to push themselves to and beyond their perceived limits, should give this a try. You will not be disappointed!!

Here are 2 sample Tabata training sessions I’ve come up with for you to try. One you can do with just your bodyweight at home, or when you are traveling for work, and the other you will require some equipment to complete.

Home Tabata                                                            

Jump squats

Clap push ups/normal push ups

Tuck jumps

Crunches

Mountain climbers

Plyometric lunges

Sprinting on the spot

Burpees

Gym Tabata

Pull ups

Bench Press

Skipping

Straight leg raises from top position of an undergrip pull up

2 arm Kettlebell swing

Goblet Squat into jump

Push Press

Burpees

Enjoy!!

Drew