Tabata training is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, featuring exercises that last four minutes.

It was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.

(I’ll link the abstract from the original study at the bottom of this message.)

The original study consisted of two training groups of athletes.

The both trained five days per week, for six weeks.

One group trained at a “moderate intensity” – 70% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) – for 60 minutes, each training day. This group’s anaerobic capacity did not increase significantly after the six weeks, and their VO2max increased by 5 ml.kg-1 min-1.

The second group did seven to eight sets of 20 seconds of exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max, with a 10 second rest between each bout. This group’s VO2max increased by 7 ml.kg-1.min-1, AND their anaerobic capacity increased by 28%!

In other words – the group that was training just four minutes per day got BETTER results than the group that was training 60 minutes per day.

So now that we know this training style gets results, and is backed by science … how do you do a Tabata workout?

The most important thing, if you want to get results like the subjects got in the original study, is to follow the protocal as closely as you can – 20 seconds HARD work, 10 seconds of rest, repeat seven to eight rounds.

They did it on a exercise bike.

In our upcoming 28 day Challenge, we do it with kettlebells.

You can do it with other modalities as well.

But to sum up, high intensity interval training is a valuable tool you can use to get better results in your training.

And the Tabata protocol is one great way to do it!

To your continued success –

– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Kettlebell Instructor
ForestVance.com

PS – More info and join our upcoming 28 Day Kettlebell HIIT Challenge here => http://bit.ly/28daykbhiit

PPS – Link to the original Tabata training study here => https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392