Tabata training: how, why and when to use it!

Most of you have heard of Tabata training, but how many of you know precisely what it is, how it works, and why it's so effective for fitness? And who is Mr Tabata, anyway? Let's find out.

Tabata training is a form of very intense interval training, but the term Tabata is often misused. It's not a blanket term for all kinds of interval training. Tabata is not fartlek or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It's a very specific training protocol which has to be followed precisely if it's to be used correctly.

So, what is a Tabata session?

Now we know what Tabata is not, let's find out what it is! A Tabata session is four minutes of training time, split as 20 seconds effort, 10 seconds recovery, repeated eight times.

(20s on+10s off) x8 rounds = 4 minutes.

You'll need to warm up and cool down before and after your Tabata workout just as you would with any session, but it's still a very effective way of training for anybody who's pushed for time and wants maximum results.

You can choose any form of exercise for the "effort" part of the Tabata interval. The key is to choose something which loads and stresses the entire body, and to perform the exercise at a very high intensity. After all, you're only doing it for 20 seconds at a time. Anything less than maximal effort and it's just not worth it.

Most of you reading this are runners, cyclists or endurance athletes. It makes sense therefore to choose sprints, hill sprints, cycling sprints on the turbo or another sport-specific activity. But you could also do Tabata intervals using barbells, kettlebells or bodyweight. Try Tabata using strength training moves (choose a multi-joint movement like a squat or push press, or a kettlebell swing). For conditioning, you could even choose a plyometric move such as burpees (go on, try it, then tell me that 20 seconds of effort isn't tough enough!) Stick with the same exercise throughout the Tabata session: eight rounds of turbo sprints, kettlebell swings or squats, for example, rather than some of each.

How often should you do a Tabata interval session? The whole point of Tabata is that it's tough, intense and takes a lot out of you at the time and afterwards in the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) period of recovery. So it's neither wise nor productive to do Tabata more than twice a week. If you have the urge to do it more often, I'd kindly suggest you're not doing it at the correct level of intensity!

Oh, and Mr Tabata? Yes, he's a real person. He's actually Professor Izumi Tabata, a Japanese scientist who formulated the protocol after conducting in-depth studies into the effects of interval training on maximal oxygen consumption. He discovered that training the Tabata way increased VO2 max by up to 14% and anaerobic capacity by as much as 28%. And so Tabata training was born!

Have you used Tabata training as part of your fitness training? What did you think? Was it particularly effective for fitness, endurance or fat loss? We want to know your thoughts!!!