Tabata is a form of high intensity
interval training that is becoming more popular. It is mentioned in fitness
magazines and is popular in gyms, sometimes as a part of cross-fit style
workouts. It also can be used as a part of home exercise routines. The benefit
of this type of exercise is that an intense workout can be completed in a short
amount of time.
Due to the popularity of this exercise,
the American Council of Exercise (ACE) funded a research study (2013)1
conducted by Talisa Emberts, John Pocari, Jeffery Steffen, Scott Doberstein,
and Carl Foster (2013) to test the effectiveness of Tabata. Emberts et. al explain
that Tabata was designed for the Japanese Olympic speed skating team and was
developed by head coach Irisawa Koichi. An individual by the name of Izumi
Tabata was responsible for testing the workout resulting in the term “Tabata Protocol”2. Tabata is eight rounds of 20 seconds of intense work (originally on a cycling ergometer) each followed by
10 seconds of rest, for a total of a four-minute workout. This protocol
developed and tested in a study (1996)2 found
that Tabata can be an effective exercise to improve cardiovascular fitness.
Emberts et al. (2013) used the Tabata
protocol to create a 20-minute, full-body calisthenics workout. The study by
Emberts et. al demonstrated that “during a Tabata workout, subjects averaged 86%
of HRmax (range of 84–88%) and 74% of VO2max (range of 67–81%)—both of which
meet or exceed established industry guidelines for improving cardio fitness and
modifying body composition”. Participants in a study done by Michele Olsen burned 13.4 kcals per minute and
their metabolic rate doubled during the workout. These results were presented in 2013 at the 60th annual
conference of the American College of Sports Medicine and the fourth annual
World Conference on Exercise. Ryan Halvorson from IDEA Fitness explains Olson’s
research and includes tips for performing Tabata from Olson in the September
2013 IDEA
fitness journal3. Some of
the tips include using exercises that involve large muscle groups such as
bodyweight squats or a stationary bike.
Tabata is high intensity and usually perceived as being difficult. It can be a great exercise for athletes and fit individuals, especially those who may not have much time for working out. Less fit individuals can still follow the protocol using appropriate modifications.
2Tabata, I., Nishimura, K., Kouzaki, M., Hirai, Y.,
Ogita, F., Miyachi, M., & Yamamoto, K. (1996). Effects of
moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic
capacity and VO2max. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28(10),
1327-1330.
3Halvorson, R. (2013). Tabata
training proves effective. IDEA Fitness
Journal, 10(9),
Retrieved from
http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/tabata-training-proves-effective
I love the idea of a quick, intense workout like the 20-minute one established by Emberts and the group. Particularly, the idea that you could do bursts as brief as 20 seconds and see substantial fitness gains. As a trainer, would you incorporate something like this in a longer workout? Do the fitness benefits of this kind of workout appear to be potentially detrimental to the personal trainer industry, particularly in a one-on-one? I'm just thinking out loud, but something broken down like this (to me) seems to have a WOD feel to it. So my next question would be how do individual personal trainers benefit from incorporating this protocol into client workouts.
ReplyDeleteTrainers could incorporate a tabata round into a longer workout.The workout program is designed to be high-intensity and that is why the rest interval is set how it is (get the most workout in a shorter amount of time). Depending on the fitness level of the client, performing tabata for too long would require a longer rest interval or the inability to properly perform the exercises. Logically to continue the workout, a longer rest would be needed between sets. This would result in another type of high-intensity interval training, not tabata. I would not normally use this type of protocol in a one-to-one session. There are many proven workout programs such as weight training (depending on the goal) where tabata would not be appropriate. Normally, I use tabata in the group exercise setting. It is a great way to get the heart rate up without running!
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