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tabata-protocol

Tabata Protocol – An INTENSE 4 Minute Workout

You might be asking yourself, “The ‘tabata protocol?’ A 4 minute workout that will REALLY get me in shape? Hasn’t this whole instant gratification thing gone a little too far?”

Well, there’s no instant gratification here, no gimmick.

The tabata protocol is hard work!

*NOTE* – See your doctor before beginning ANY exercise program!

jump rope high knees
jumping rope – a simple way to burn fat and get fit

Dr. Izumi Tabata at Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports put well conditioned college athletes through this 4 minute workout, 5 times a week for 6 weeks.

The results were amazing. The athletes’ aerobic (energy system that supports long periods of exertion like running a marathon) and anaerobic (supplies energy for intense bursts of activity under 2 minutes in length) capacities increased by 14% and 28%, respectively.

What does this mean in plain english?

This 4 minute workout helped these fit, highly trained athletes get a whole lot fitter, really quick.

Let’s take a look at what Tabata had his athletes do.

The structure is simple.

    • Warm up for 5 minutes
    • Do 20 seconds of intense exercise at maximal effort (high knees jumprope and sprinting are two of my favorites)
    • Rest for 10 seconds
    • Repeat this 8 times, for 4 minutes total
    • Cool down for 2 minutes with slower, much less intense effort (jump rope slowly, for example).

To time yourself with the 20 seconds on / 10 seconds rest intervals, you could buy yourself an interval timer. What I do, though, is set the countdown timer on my watch for 28 seconds.

I start the first 20 second interval when the countdown gets to 20 seconds. Since it takes about 2 seconds for me to reset and restart my timer, there are then 8 seconds left to rest before starting the next 20 second interval. It works pretty well.

I tried to complete this circuit about a year and a half ago, jumping rope sprinting with high knees, and couldn’t get through 5 rounds.

I kept at it, doing the workout a couple times per week or so, and now I am still going strong when I get to the 8th round.

The tabata protocol has been a huge part of my own fitness journey.

I credit it with helping me to burn fat and get into much better shape aerobically and anaerobically.