If low-intensity workouts aren’t showing the results you want to see, then try Tabata training. Tabata training is another kind of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that only takes up 4 minutes of your time. If this got you interested, then here’s all you need to know.
What is Tabata Training?
Tabata training didn’t start in Australia. To the dismay of a lot of people, Tabata training isn’t new as well. It just so happens that it’s only getting its fame today.
Tabata training was created by Izumi Tabata, a Japanese scientist, in 1996. During his research, he found that those who do low to medium-intensity workouts five times a week lost to those who did Tabata training four times a week.
The study concluded that the latter group had an improved aerobic system as well as an anaerobic system.
Tabata training is a series of 20-second intense workouts that follow a 10-second recovery time right after each. Usually, you have to do 8 reps which equals 4 minutes.
Even if it sounds easy, a lot of people who have tried this training method swear by getting challenged every single time.
Tabata training works by using high intensity movements which engages the arms, core, and the legs. It also consists of compound exercises. This means that for a short amount of time, your whole body is burning calories. In numbers, you can burn as much as 15 calories per minute.
Tips in Starting Tabata Training
If the Tabata workout has appealed to you, then you might already feel the urge to do it right this afternoon. But before you jump into this, make sure that you know a few of these things:
1. It’s for the physically fit
Because of the intensity of the training, this is not recommended for those who have never worked out before.
As much as possible, make sure that you are almost physically fit so that you can do all the exercise properly. To add to that, if you are not a very active person, you should try other exercises first before undergoing Tabata training.
2. You need a warm-up and a cool down session
Before you blast those muscles with energy, make sure that you have already done a few warm-up exercises.
Warm-up exercises prevent injuries and they also condition the muscles and heart for the upcoming movements. Also, a cool down session is required so that your body’s energy will not suddenly drop.
3. Use minimal equipment
To make most out of the 4-minute exercise, only use equipment that you can easily move or put on. These can be resistance bands or medicine balls that are easy to use. You don’t even have to have a treadmill for this kind of exercise.
4. Use power moves
And lastly, make sure that your workout is comprised of power moves. This means that you need to have a lot of squats, jumps, push-ups, etc. In fact, for Tabata training to be effective, all moves should be geared towards pushing your muscles a little further using your weight.