3 Reasons You Should Try Tabata Workouts
Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that has forever changed the world of fitness. It was originally created for weight loss, but can easily be adapted to focus on gaining muscle.
The goal is to work your muscles to failure to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time.
How Do You Complete a Tabata Workout?
The structure of Tabata is to exercise for twenty seconds and then rest for ten. You repeat this eight times, which equals a total of four minutes.
Every twenty seconds of exercise is called a cycle, and the total of four minutes is called a set.
There are many free Tabata timer apps you can download that keep track of your cycles and sets. Most of them use a voice or a chime that tells you when to rest and when to exercise so you don’t have to constantly watch your phone.
These four minutes are intense and anything but easy; the goal of Tabata is to go as hard as you physically can in those twenty seconds. After these four minutes, your muscles should be on fire.
Ways to Adapt Tabata
The great thing about Tabata is that it’s so versatile.
Tabata is completely adaptable, so you can easily alter it to work out different muscle groups and modify the length of workout to fit into your busy schedule.
Here are three ways you can customize the traditional four-minute workout.
1. EXTEND IT
You don’t have to stop after four minutes!
If you want to work out longer or include other muscle groups, do another set. (Or two, or three!).
When people want a longer workout still using the Tabata format, they typically complete a total of eight sets. Since this is a much longer and more intense workout, a common practice is to take a twenty-second rest in between each set.
This equals roughly a thirty-five-minute workout.
2. INCLUDE OTHER EXERCISES
If doing the exact same exercise at this intensity is too much, or if you’re looking to add some variety to get a full-body workout you have a few options.
A) Do a Different Exercise for Each Set
Let’s say you want a full-body workout and you want to complete eight sets.
The first four minutes, you might focus on squats. The next four minutes you could do pull-ups. The next four minutes you do calf raises. Keep changing it up so you hit all the muscle groups you want to work out that day.
B) Alternate Exercises Withing Each Set
Another way you can add in different exercises is to alternate between two different ones within each set.
For example, instead of doing twenty seconds of push-ups for the full four minutes, you can do twenty seconds of push-ups, ten-second rest, twenty seconds of sit-ups, ten-second rest, until the end of those four minutes.
This is an effective way to give your muscles a longer recovery period but still push yourself to the max in a single set.
3. USE TABATA FOR CARDIO OR STRENGTH TRAINING
We’ve been talking about Tabata this whole time in regards to strength training, but you can totally use the Tabata format for cardio too! After all, that’s why Tabata was invented in the first place!
Let’s say you’re training for an upcoming marathon. You might choose to sprint for twenty seconds and walk for ten seconds.
In fact, if losing weight is your goal, Tabata cardio might be your way to go compared to traditional endurance running. Why? Since Tabata requires you to go full-force in the short twenty seconds, this takes more energy than running at a steady pace.
Also, short sprints deplete your glycogen, or sugar cells, incredibly fast. This means that after all your sugar is used up, your body pulls from your fat storage for the energy needed to complete the sprints.
Now you can see why Tabata is taking the world by storm.
What Are the Benefits of Tabata?
FAT LOSS
Tabata is an excellent way to shed pounds quickly.
As mentioned above, working your muscles to failure means your body burns fat because it’s utilized all the available sugars.
And the great thing is, even if you’re doing Tabata for strength training rather than cardio, the fact that you’re doing reps until failure means that you’re burning fat too!
BOOSTS MATABOLISM
Tabata teaches your body to better utilize your energy, making your workouts more efficient and even burning calories hours after you finish the session.
So, yes, as you’re making breakfast the day after your Tabata workout, your body is still burning calories from that session!
HEART HEALTH
When you combine clean eating with Tabata two to three times per week, you can improve heart health, too.
Regular Tabata sessions increase your blood oxygen level, helping your body circulate blood more efficiently and lessening the stress on your heart.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I’m a writer, cat-lover, and owner of an excessive journal collection, so please talk with your doctor before attempting any workouts.
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