{"id":19832,"date":"2022-09-13T07:41:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-13T06:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/functionalhometraining.com\/?p=19832"},"modified":"2025-07-04T10:08:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T09:08:02","slug":"what-is-a-tabata-workout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/functionalhometraining.com\/en\/what-is-a-tabata-workout\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Tabata workout?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What is a Tabata workout?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Tabata is a form of training named after Professor Izumi Tabata, who researched the effects of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on aerobic and anaerobic fitness.<\/p>

Tabata workouts are high-intensity workouts of 20 seconds followed by ten seconds of rest. Such a cycle is repeated eight times in succession, so that the total training time is four minutes.<\/p>

This is an effective way to burn body fat, maintain muscle and make your body fit and flexible in a very short time. You only need four minutes, making this the best form of training for people with limited time.<\/p>

The study of Professor Tabata<\/b><\/h2>

Professor Tabata divided a group of athletes in two smaller groups. One group trained five times a week for a long period of time at a moderate intensity. The other group did one long moderate-intensity workout per week, supplemented by four HIIT workouts.<\/p>

The second group’s protocol included 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by a 10-second short rest, eight consecutive times. One of the conditions for the study was that the athletes had to train very intensively during the 20 seconds. Their heart rate was not allowed to go below 85 beats per minute.<\/p>

The results of the study were astounding. After the study, the group of athletes who trained very intensively and for a very short time had an increased VO2 Max and, consequently, improved anaerobic fitness levels. And this in contrast to the athletes who completed prolonged aerobic training.<\/p>

The Tabata training format<\/b><\/h2>
  • 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest.<\/li>
  • Repeat this 8 times in a row.<\/li>
  • A full Tabata takes 4 minutes.<\/li>
  • So you have completed 8 exercises.<\/li>
  • That can be 8 different exercises or the same exercise that you repeat several times.<\/li>
  • The intention is to go quite intensively during the 20 seconds, according to your possibilities of course.<\/li>
  • You can use fitness equipment or not, it doesn’t matter.<\/li><\/ul>

    Advantages of Tabata:<\/b><\/h2>
    1. Tabata helps burn fat. This is due to the high intensity of the workouts. Even though you’ve only trained for four minutes, your body will continue to burn calories at a faster rate during the day at rest. Some studies indicate that your metabolism is boosted for up to 24 hours after a short intense training session. This is called the after-burn effect.<\/li>
    2. It is efficient and time-saving. Tabata can save time and still be heavy.\u00a0<\/li>
    3. Muscle retention. This intense workout helps maintain muscle and has been shown to increase metabolism. It’s the fat you want to melt, not the muscle.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Tabata example<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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