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As high intensity interval training (or HIIT) has grown in popularity, Tabata workouts have also become a staple for many.
Tabata workouts are popular because they can be performed with just your body weight in a short amount of time. That makes Tabata ideal for people who are short on time but want to get in a killer workout. Tabata can also help you improve your cardio endurance and your aerobic fitness, according to research.
The concept behind the workout is pretty straightforward, but Tabata can seem intimidating if you don’t know what it is. Here’s everything you need to know about Tabata — and exercises to try at home.
What is Tabata?
Tabata is a type of HIIT workout with timed intervals and short recovery times. “Tabata” is named after a Japanese speed skating coach whose last name is Tabata. He designed the workout to improve cardiovascular fitness and build muscular strength. In other words, Tabata isn’t an acronym, it’s a style of exercise named after the person who created it.
What is a Tabata workout?
In a traditional Tabata workout, you will perform an exercise at max intensity for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. This repeats 8 times for a total of four minutes. If you’re running, for example, you would sprint for 20 seconds and then walk or stop for 10 seconds.
Similar to other types of HIIT workouts, Tabata focuses on moving fast for a short duration in order to perform at an all-time high before recovering. But Tabata can be even more intense and exhausting because you’re going all out and doing as many reps or going as hard as you can for a specified amount of time.
Tabata vs. HIIT
Technically, Tabata is a kind of HIIT workout. But Tabata can be more intense than typical HIIT workouts because doing 20 seconds of high intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest is harder than the longer —…
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