In today’s world where constant connectivity has taken over our entire schedules, taking out time to workout can be quite difficult. A perfect and healthy body with slim waist and those huge muscles is what everyone desires for. Where regularly exercising for months and following a calorie deficit diet is what people usually recommend in order to lose weight, who knew a four minute workout can do the task too. Well if you are someone who has a jam-packed work schedule and your 9-5 job does not end at 5 then tabata workout is something that you can opt for. A four minute workout routine is something that can bring you closer to your fitness goals despite your busy schedule. It might sound a bit shocking and surprising that only working out for 4 minutes a day can help you become fitter and healthier, but it is quite true. To know more about what a tabata workout actually is, it’s benefits and ways in which this four minute workout can be performed, let's not waste any more time and dive right into the article to know everything about the tabata workout.
What is Tabata Workout?
A high intensity training workout that is a unique form of cardiovascular exercise is known as the tabata workout. This high intensity workout includes eight rounds and is known to deliver more health benefits than the other traditional forms of physical exercises. Tabata is one of the most versatile training routines in which any form of exercise from weightlifting to freestyle training can be included, no matter if it is an outdoor or gym activity, tabata can have it all.
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Also Read: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Benefits And Side Effects
The tabata training is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese scientist who with his team of researchers from the National institute of fitness and Sports in Tokyo discovered this workout technique. In order to come up with this technique Dr. Izumi Tabata analyzed the effects of a few HIIT programs that the coach developed for his athletes. Following his observations Dr. Tabata carried out an experiment with the athletes for which he divided them into two teams. Out of these two teams, one used ergonomic cycles for 5 days a week on a moderate intensity for about an hour. On the other hand the second team was made to perform a four minutes high-intensity training for 6 days a week or the tabata workout.
After 6 weeks of training when the increase in anaerobic capacities of both the groups was compared, it was concluded that the group which practised an hour of moderate exercises of 6 days a week experienced an increase of 14% whereas the group that performed tabata workout for 6 days a week reflected an increase of 28% in their anaerobic capacities.
Benefits of Tabata Workout
Where each and every workout comes along with a different set of benefits along with the weight loss it provides, the case is similar with tabata training as well. A high intensity workout performed in a set of eight rounds for 4 minutes comes with myriad benefits. Let us take a step ahead and learn about different benefits of tabata training and ways in which it is better than other traditional physical training methods.
#1. Protects Muscle Tissues
Where several exercises initially give you sore or tender muscles while causing muscle fatigue, tabata training is a workout technique that actually works in order to protect these muscle tissues. While it is not the fat but a high risk of losing muscle mass while working out in order to lose weight. One needs to keep this thing in mind that to protect the muscle mass and keep the muscles in good condition, they need to be worked out as well. Tabata training is a great method of losing weight as it works those muscles as well and protects the tissues from getting damaged. Being a High Intensity Interval Training method, tabata stresses upon the muscle tissues which tells the body that more muscle tissue is needed and hence you would not be eating away any muscle tissues during these workout sessions.
#2. Increases Aerobic & Anaerobic Capacities
As Dr. Izumi Tabata’s experiment suggests, the increase in the anaerobic capacities of the athletes practicing tabata workout was way more than that of the athletes practicing traditional forms of workout. Where the anaerobic capacities represent the maximum amount of energy produced by our body in the absence of oxygen, the aerobic capacity is measured by the capacity of the heart and lungs to get the oxygen around the body.
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Along with the anaerobic activity in the body, studies have also suggested that tabata workout is an efficient way of increasing the aerobic capacity in the system.
#3. Effective Weight loss
Where losing weight and burning weight is said to be one of the most difficult tasks up there for which people spend hours in gym and follow strict diets, the four minute tabata workout is said to be an effective way of doing so. As this workout increases your heart rate and metabolic activity in no time, your body needs to work much harder in order to perform this high intensity workout. As a result your metabolism does not just stay high during the time of exercise but also when you are done, therefore it continues to burn your body fat throughout the day and helps in effective weight loss.
#4. Is Convenient
In today’s world where taking out time for exercising can be quite difficult due to constant connectivity. Tabata workout comes out to be as a quick one stop solution to bring you closer to your fitness goals despite of those busy schedules. Tabata is a four minutes high intensity workout that can be performed anywhere and comes with myriad benefits. This workout technique is said to be quite inexpensive as it can be performed at the ease of your home with minimal equipment such as the bands and dumbbells.
How to perform Tabata Workout
As by now we all are aware about what tabata workout is and the various benefits that it provides within no time, let us take a step ahead and learn about the ways in which tis workout technique can be performed.
#1. Dumbbell Tabata
The first one out of these tabata training exercises is the dumbbell training that can be easily performed at home with a few dumbbells.Four exercises, each performed for about 20 seconds and repeated 8 times with 10 seconds of rest in between the exercises can quickly bring you closer to your fitness goals. Dumbbell tabata exercises includes-
- Chest press
- Bicep curls
- Overhead triceps
- Walking lunges with dumbbells
#2. Ropes Tabata
The second form of tabata exercise that requires ropes and a little sprinting to workout those muscles and get rid of that body fat. In order to lose weight follow rope tabata by practicing these two rope tabata exercises for 20 seconds each with 8 repetitions and 10 seconds of break between the exercises.
- Battle Rope
- Sprinting
#3. Body Weight Tabata
Enhance the aerobic and anaerobic activity of the body and increase the metabolic rate for continued fat burn. Here are some of the body weight tabata exercises that you can practice by following the same rule of practicing 8 sets for 20 seconds and taking a 10 seconds break.
- Body Squats
- Pull ups
- Push ups
- Planks
