Since summer has officially arrived, I ditched the gym to focus on outdoor workouts, and also exercising in the comfort of my home. Working out a home can be horrible at times, because it’s so easy to slack off when you don’t have the energy and intensity of a trainer or instructor, yelling at you to push for one more rep. Add to that all of the potential distractions and you could end up cleaning or answering morning emails instead of moving your body like you swore you would. The workout that has kept me motivated an on-track is Tabata. There are many reasons why I love it, but I think the top reason is how simple it is to execute and get results. If you have small children Tabata can also be a fun exercise for them to join in on as well. Below are more reasons I love Tabata, hope they encourage you to give it a try.
- It’s a Workout Backed by Research.
Tabata training, named after Dr. Izumi Tabata the Japanese scientist that discovered findings to prove its efficacy, is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, featuring exercises that last four minutes. Dr. Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo conducted research on two groups of athletes. The control group trained for one hour at a moderate intensity level five days a week for six weeks, while the second group trained for four minutes and twenty second at a high-intensity level four days a week for six weeks. Dr. Tabata and his team discovered at the end of the trial that the high intensity group had an increased positive effect on their aerobic system than the control group, and also experienced significant benefits in their anaerobic system, while the moderate intensity trainers showed an increase in their aerobic system but no results on anaerobic health.
- Easy-Peasy to do Almost Anywhere.
Learning to train Tabata style is fairly easy and can be done from the comfort of your home or even in a hotel room or hotel gym when traveling.
- Extra effort, but Shorter Workouts.
When training Tabata style, you are to work out hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and continue performing the same exercise for eight rounds. On Tabata tailored tracks or playlists, a trainer voice guides you when to begin, pause, and begin again usually to popular music. The goal is to push yourself to your limit during the 20 second burst, then rest.
- Simple to Mix-it Up and Keep it Engaging.
The great part about Tabata is no workout has to be the same and you can choose exercises that target different areas of the body. One day you may want to do squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, and burpees, and another lunges, bicep curls, mountain climbers, and sit-ups. Mix it up as you wish and do a few rounds if you have the energy. Below’s an example of a sequence that would last twenty minutes and target different areas of the body.
- Push-ups (4 minutes)
- Squats (4 minutes)
- Sit-Ups (4 minutes)
- Burpees (4 minutes)
Or you can try targeting various areas and alternating days. For example: one day you focus on leg workouts, another you focus on arms, or your core. Below’s a sequence to target the glutes and legs.
- Lunges (4 minutes)
- Jump Squats (4 minutes)
- Mule Kicks (4 minutes)
- Mountain Climbers (4 minutes)
- Calf Raises (4 minutes)
- The Playlists Are Fun!
There are a wide range of tabata-tailored playlists that can be found on YouTube and iTunes to help guide you through. To begin, find a playlist and start with the first exercise. The best part about the tracks is that the instructions are yelled out by a trainer, so even if no one is with you, that trainer voice may give you a little extra motivation to push. Below’s one of my favorite Tabata tracks, set to the Rocky theme song which will motivate almost anyone to get up and get moving! -Xo Raw Girl
References:
Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K.
Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training
on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30.
PubMed PMID: 8897392.