Tabata intervals are an uncomplicated and economical training system that provides a high-intensity training stimulus for a workout that takes no more than 30 minutes.  Personal trainers, strength coaches and people who train on their own can all benefit from this method of high-intensity training.

I’ve written about Tabatas several times over the past two years – and I posted the squat thrust part of this workout last week – but I’ll provide a quick summary for those of you who are unfamiliar with this method of interval training. 

• Each Tabata interval is a four-minute period
• During each interval you exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds
• Repeat this cycle eight times
• The 20 seconds of work is at 100% effort
• Working as hard as you can for the entire time is the key to reaping the benefits

This is the second part of a 4-part Tabata interval workout that I did with one of my clients a few months ago.  The workout that day consisted of squat thrusts, body weight squats, push-ups and a bout on the stationary cycle.  We rested for approximately 2 minutes in between each exercise and the entire workout took less than 25 minutes.

When doing Tabatas with body weight squats I shoot for at least 20 repetitions per set and can pretty much keep that pace for all 4 minutes. As usual, Joan did a great job keeping the pace for all eight sets. The workout was completed on January 21, 2009.

Tabata interval training is high-intensity training at its best.  Tabatas are simple, efficient and devastatingly effective, and provide you with a workout that takes no more than 30 minutes.  Personal trainers, strength coaches and people who train on their own can all benefit from this method of high-intensity training.

I’ve written about Tabatas several times over the past two years, but I’ll provide a quick summary for those of you who are unfamiliar with this method of interval training. 

• Each Tabata interval is a four-minute period
• During each interval you exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds
• Repeat this cycle eight times
• The 20 seconds of work is at 100% effort
• Working as hard as you can for the entire time is the key to reaping the benefits

In this edition of the Health and Fitness Advice Training Journal I’ve posted a Tabata interval workout that I did with one of my clients a few months ago.  The workout consisted of squat thrusts, body weight squats, push-ups and a bout on the stationary cycle.  We rested for approximately 2 minutes in between each exercise and the entire workout took less than 25 minutes.

This week’s video features Joan and I doing squat thrusts.  I try to do 10-12 squat thrusts per 20 seconds, as at this pace I’m working as hard as I can.  Joan did a great job keeping up with me pretty much the whole way. The workout was completed on January 21, 2009.

We took a 2-minute rest before we started with the body weight squats and next week I’ll post the video of that portion of our Tabata interval workout.

Tabata Interval training is the pinnacle of high-intensity training.  Give this 20-minute Tabata workout a whirl.

Tabata Interval training is a great tool that personal trainers, strength coaches and weekend warriors should employ.  This simple but effective method packs a ton of work into a very short period of time.  I’ve already posted a piece about Tabatas that gives more detail, but the high-intensity nature of this style of training can improve your aerobic and anaerobic conditioning at the same time.

Tabata Intervals are 4-minutes in length and during this interval you work for as hard and fast as you can for 20-seconds, then rest for 10-seconds.  During this 4-minute interval you will do 8 work sets.  I’ll say this time and time again; Tabata training means working as hard has you can.  Whether you are a personal trainer thinking about using Tabata training for your clients or someone who trains on their own, you must be aware of the fact that this style of training is not for beginners or for those who cannot work as hard as possible.  Tabata Interval training tests as person’s mental and physical toughness.

If you’ve been pushing yourself and are looking for something new to try, here’s a good first timer Tabata Interval workout.

Before you get into the meat of the workout – the Tabatas themselves – you must take some time to warm-up properly.  I utilize a variety of warm-up strategies and include dynamic flexibility moves, calisthenics, agility and footwork drills for about 10-12 minutes before getting to the Tabatas.  Even with an appropriate warm-up period this Tabata-based workout will only take about 30 minutes to complete.

Okay enough already, here’s the workout.  Oh, and make sure that you use a stopwatch/chronograph as sticking to the 20-seconds on/10-seconds off schedule is imperative.

Start with squat thrusts.  You should shoot for 8-10 squat thrusts per set.  There’s no need for any of my editorial comments here, as this is tough enough without you having to listen to my 2 cents echoing in your ears as you workout.

ALERT!  HERE’S THE ALL IMPORTANT, OBLIGATORY WARNING. IF YOU FEEL DIZZY OR LIGHT-HEADED, STOP IMMEDIATELY AND MONITOR YOUR PULSE.  THIS WORKOUT IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS.

After torturing yourself with for these 4-minutes, take a 4-minute rest before moving on to body weight squats.  Ideally, you should shoot for 20 reps per interval, which is one per second. Duh.  This is pretty tough and not only will your legs start burning, but you will huff and puff like you are going to blow the house down.

Once again, here’s were I implore you to heed my above, all-caps warning.  Don’t make me type it again, I hate the all-caps thing.

Once you’ve taken your 4-minute rest after this squat interval, move on over to a stationary bike.  I have a bike with an RPM mode that allows me to set the bike so that the faster I pedal, the more resistance I encounter.  If you don’t have this kind of option on your stationary bike, use your judgment and set a pace that you feel is appropriate.  For instance, with the work interval pedal at 80 RPMs and rest at 60 RPMs.  Either way will do the trick.

If you don’t have a stationary bike, you can follow the Tabata protocol using a jump rope.  And if you don’t have a jump rope, go out and buy one you cheap skate.  The stationary bike option is way harder, but you jump ropers will still get a lot out of the workout.

This is 20-minutes that will do more for you than just about any other 20-minutes imaginable.  Personal trainers looking to do something different with their clients will find that Tabata Interval training is an exciting change of pace that hard-core clients will appreciate.  If you aren’t a trainer, but work with one, suggest to your personal trainer that you’d like to give Tabata Intervals a try.

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can also reap the benefits offered by Tabata training as long as you follow this workout to the letter, actually the second.

Tabata Interval training is a great example of how you can get a lot accomplished in a short period of time.  It isn’t an easy way to train, but it is quick and extremely effective.

Tabata intervals are a method of training that typically is used in extremely high-intensity interval training routines and should be employed by personal trainers, strength coaches and anybody who exercises.  This method, named after pioneering researcher Nishimura Tabata, consists of eight intense training intervals of 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. This is a fitness tip that makes for a hellacious 4-minute workout, but you don’t have to be hard-core in order to reap benefits from Tabatas.

Tabata and his team studied subjects who worked at 170% of their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max – amount of oxygen used during exercise) by exercising on stationary bicycles, and found that VO2 max increased and the subjects’ anaerobic capacity increased by 28%.  So in non-fancy talk, this means Tabatas can improve both aerobic and anaerobic systems.

Now before you go out and try to work Tabatas into your training program you need to realize that working at this level of intensity is quite a feat. Frankly, this method of training is way out of the realm of possibility for most people, from both mental and physical standpoints.  Most people aren’t capable of physically working at this level of intensity and also can’t comprehend what kind of effort is involved with performing at this level, even if they are “in shape.”  Relatively speaking, very few people can actually sprint at 100% effort for 20 seconds even for one set.

Using Tabata intervals properly is a gut check as much as it is a test of physical conditioning. But despite this high-intensity pedigree, Tabatas can be used with almost every kind of exercise and are suitable for just about everybody to use.  However, especially for beginners, an element of relative intensity must be included or else nothing will be gained from using this interval program.

The best way to get comfortable working with Tabata intervals is to follow the program doing jumping jacks.  Twenty seconds on, ten seconds of rest, for four minutes.  Since you can’t watch your watch while you’re jumping, just perform 20-22 jacks and then check your watch to see if you hit the 20-second mark.  You have to complete at least 20 jacks in order to even scratch the surface of benefits Tabatas can offer.  Adjust accordingly and then rest for 10 seconds on the clock.  Repeat for 4-minutes.

Back to the concept of “relative intensity.”  If you already are in decent shape performing 15 jumping jacks just won’t cut it, whereas for a beginner this may be the perfect amount.  And for beginners, you just can’t walk for 20 seconds and take 10 seconds off, so you may have to jog or trot for 20 seconds before you rest even if you’ve never jogged or trotted.

Even if you’re in pretty good shape doing jumping jacks the Tabata way will give you an idea for how this program could kick your butt with tougher moves.  After jacks try jumping rope, assuming you can jump rope (35-40 times in 20-seconds).  Then move on to squat thrusts (7-10 reps in 20-seconds).

When you’ve made in through these basic moves you’re ready to double up and do 4-minutes of Tabatas with jumping jacks and after a 2-minute rest 4-minutes of squat thrusts.  After you’re good with this, eliminate the 2-minute rest and go for 8-minutes straight.  Now you’re on your way to moving up the ladder of difficulty and intensity.

With this kind of training, even if a person is in phenomenal shape, I recommend taking it slow and using Tabatas no more than twice per week.  Start with these basic movements before moving up to Tabatas with a sledgehammer, kettlebell on a stationary bike or sprinting, and as long as you are at the proper relative intensity, you will reap the benefits unique to Tabatas.

Whether you are a personal trainer looking for something new for clients or a person who trains alone, sledgehammer training is a viable alternative to traditional strength training methods, and a great fitness tip to include into your training program.

Sledgehammer training is a fantastic alternative to the sometime humdrum routine of traditional strength training.  All you need to take advantage of this unique style of training is an 8 or 10-pound sledgehammer and either a tree stump, log or old tire.  Of course, all three together are also great.  And safety glasses, you’ll want to get a pair as you don’t want any chips of wood shooting up into your eye.  Personal trainers and people who workout on their own should take advantage of the strength benefits offered by sledgehammer training.

Training with a sledgehammer is strength training with a twist, allows you to take advantage of the great outdoors and will push your fitness level to a new and higher level.  There is also very little cost associated with this kind of strengthtraining.  A good 8 or 10-pound sledgehammer will only set you back about 20-25 bucks and you should be able to score a log or tire for free if you ask around.

So what are Tabata Intervals?  Tabata Intervals, or a Tabata Workout, consist of 20 seconds of high-intensity work followed by 10 seconds of rest, and this cycle is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.  Without getting too deep into the science of this program, Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team of researchers provided proof that following this program for 6 weeks can dramatically increase a person’s anaerobic capacity and maximum oxygen consumption.

What was particularly startling about Dr. Tabata’s findings is that this training effect was observed in highly conditioned athletes rather than untrained members of the general population.  Untrained people usually exhibit a positive, sometimes drastic, response to training over a short period of time because they have absolutely no training history and conditioning level. Tabata Intervals will push even the fittest of the fit even further into the Fit Zone.  Wow, that’s bad; the Fit Zone…geez.

The great thing about Tabata Intervals is that you can use them with just about any exercise imaginable.  Sprinting, the stationary bike, squat thrusts, jumping rope, squats, hang cleans, kettlebell swings, you name it and you can Tabata it.

Which brings us back to the sledge and Tabata Intervals.

The key thing to keep in mind is that you have to work all out during the 20-second intervals.  And by “all-out” I mean as hard as you can, dare I say “balls-to-the-wall, pedal-to-the-metal.”  Sorry girls…

To perform a Tabata workout you cannot just putter along at a relaxed pace for 20 ticks of the clock, you must work as hard as you can.  To give you an idea as to the level of intensity that we’re talking about here, if you’ve been pounding away with the sledgehammer and are used to using it, you should be getting 15-18 swings in with the 8 or 10-pounder in a 20-second period.

To paraphrase Billy Shakespeare, let discretion be the better part of valor and caution be preferable to rash bravery.  Just do one Tabata circuit the first time that you try this kind of work out and see how you feel during and after.  Don’t get all gung-ho and overdo it the first time out.  Slow and steady will win the race, especially if you’re working all out.

You can also mix and match in a Tabata-based workout. For instance you can do one, 4-minute Tabata Interval circuit with your trusty sledgehammer and then follow that up with a squat thrust circuit and finish it off with a kettlebell swing circuit.  To do all of this you just need 20-minutes.  And in this 20-minutes you will kick your own butt.

But for now, try the Tabata Interval program and go through just one circuit while making sure that you are working as hard as possible.  Be patient and I guarantee that you will see results.