Tabata Training: Spend less time in the gym

Whenever Tabata training comes up in a running discussion, people generally ask if it’s like CrossFit or circuit workouts. The truth is, it’s a bit of both. Tabata takes its name from the man who invented it, Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese physician and researcher, who conducted a study using an interval-based training model. He wanted to see if athletes would benefit from a 20/10 session repeated eight times – in other words, 20 seconds of all-out exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest (it adds up to four minutes).

Two groups went on exercise programs for six weeks: the control group did one hour of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week, while another group did Tabata training. That’s 1,800 minutes of training for the control group vs. 120 minutes of training for the Tabata group over the six-week period. The Tabata group improved both its aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels – the latter by an incredible 28 per cent. The control group’s aerobic fitness improved but not their anaerobic fitness – and they had to exercise much more to make those improvements. The study, published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in October 1996, has led to studies that have further proven the theory.

Interval training is not a new phenomenon, but it has gained popularity in recent years, says Marsha Hughes, a Canadian-Barbadian fitness instructor based in Doylestown, Pa. The rise of boot camp and CrossFit classes are perfect examples and Tabata is another form that is hitting the mainstream. “The bang for the buck is short,” Hughes says, part of its appeal. “A four-minute exercise session with those kinds of benefits sounds good,” she says, “but Tabata and other high-intensity interval training programs are best when combined with other programs.” Hughes points out that the best way for runners to use Tabata would be with a running protocol, such as sprinting for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight sets. “Interval training was originally developed for running after all, so the Tabata model would be of great benefit for runners.” But even a non-running program would have positive effects, she says, for developing strength, especially in the core.

“Many exercises can be incorporated into Tabata,” Hughes says, “exercises we know well.” These can be push-ups and plank-based or squat-based exercises; they can use a stability ball, resistance band, weights or a bench. Hughes encourages her clients to mix it up and work with four exercises per Tabata, each done twice. She even suggests having two or three completely different Tabata routines (so up to 12 different exercises) and running through two routines per session. For example, Tabata 1 may include push-ups, squats, medicine ball slams and two-footed hops (or rope skipping). Each of those exercises is done twice, giving you a total of four minutes. Then, you might do second Tabata routine after a short break, with four different exercises. Add, a third Tabata routine to the workout session for even more variety and a tougher challenge. (See tabatatraining.org for sample Tabata routines.)

With a five- to eight-minute warm-up and a cool-down, you’ve got an effective 25-minute workout. Warm up properly with dynamic exercises (as opposed to static stretching). Be prepared to sweat. “In true anaerobic training, you can’t go for much longer than 20 seconds.” Hughes says you need about five seconds to get to your max, and then holding that intensity for 15 seconds is probably as much as the body can take. It’s effective, as Dr. Tabata’s study showed, and ultimately improves endurance. “It teaches your body to tolerate lactic acid,” Hughes explains. “When you train in a high-intensity zone, your threshold becomes higher.”

It also keeps more metabolism running on high gear. “One of the great benefits of anaerobic training is that your body keeps burning fat for 24 hours after your workout. So the fat burn gets a lot of attention in Tabata.” So as a weight loss tactic, Tabata is a great fit. “But, of course, the true key to an effective weight loss program is consuming fewer calories than you burn,” she says.

Carolyne Van Der Meer, a regular contributor to Canadian Running, mixes Tabata with her running program.