What is Tabata Training and Why It Could Work For You?

TABATA - that’s fun to say!  Tabata has recently become a very popular training method and for good reason - it is an incredibly effective and efficient tool to get into great shape fast.  

First, a little history lesson about how Tabata has evolved to become a popular method of a putting workouts together.
The name Tabata is not just a fun, made up name for a challenging style workout.  Dr. Izumi Tabata developed this idea in 1996 as a strategy to improve the aerobic and anaerobic fitness of his speed skating athletes in Tokyo.

Officially, to perform a proper Tabata, one would perform a specific exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds and repeat this for 8 rounds.  The total amount of time it takes for a complete Tabata circuit is 4 minutes.  This is one of the reasons it is so popular, you can get a lot out of just a little bit of time.

Since Tabata has grown more popular in a general fitness sense, variations of this method have evolved to keep it fun, interesting, and more dynamic.  Some common variations might include using more than one exercise, changing the timing of the effort vs rest periods, and doing a different number of rounds.  No matter how you choose to do it, the goal is to challenge yourself enough that you need the rest at the end of the work period.

We have designed a fun Tabata workout you can do just about anywhere.  As always, you should warm up for 5-10 minutes before and cool down 5-10 minutes after any workout.  Check out our previous video about foam rolling for some tips on getting the body prepared for challenging workouts.

Tabata Rocks

Tabata Circuits

In this workout we have chosen 2 exercises for each Tabata circuit.  Do the first exercise for 20 seconds & rest for 10, perform the second exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10 and repeat this 4 times for a full Tabata!!  Way to go!

Circuit #1:  Squats and Push Ups (or Plank)
Circuit # 2:  Jumping Jacks and Stationary Lunge with Rotation
Circuit # 3:  Crunch & Reach and Marching Glute Bridge
Circuit # 4:  Lateral Line Hops and Alternating Jabs

There you have it! A full body workout in just 16 minutes!

Your life is so busy - you don’t have the time to spend your life inside the gym.  That is why at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness we design workouts using techniques like Tabata and compound movements that get great results quick.  We find that just 3 training sessions with us is the sweet spot for achieving your health and fitness goals.

If you are interested in learning more about the fun, fast, and efficient workouts we are doing at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness and how you could get started check out our website and the link to our KickStart Program!

Happy Training!

Mike Wilcox

KickStart Program
http://www.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com/kickstart.html
The KickStart Program is designed to help you form healthy habits that you can sustain for a lifetime.  The program includes 14 group personal training sessions and a complete whole foods based meal plan.  Click the link above to learn more.

Learn More
www.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com
Visit our website to learn more about Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Bangor, ME.

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