Fitness routines have transformed over the ages giving us maximum benefits in the shortest time. We no longer need to sweat for hours, only to wait for negligible results. Tabata workout, the new miracle workout on the block, burns fat in 4 minutes.

Find out all you need to know about this interesting method here. Keep reading.

Brilliant Minds At Play:

The Tabata Protocol, as it was called, was first designed in the 1990s to train the Japanese Olympic speed skating team. The team’s head coach Irisawa Koichi developed the unusual technique to increase both short-term strength and long-term stamina.

It was Izumu Tabata who observed this effective training method and published it. As a researcher and professor for sports and health science in Japan, he established many helpful findings on the method.

Intense, But Worth It:

Tabata workout is a type of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). If interval training is effective, Tabata is no less than explosive.

1. The method involves 20 seconds of very high-intensity training followed by 10 seconds of low-intensity training or rest.
2. Each exercise is performed at your hardest pace, for 8 times in 4 minutes.
3. About 20 seconds of effort + 10 seconds of rest multiplied by 8 = 4 minutes; So, set a timer for the routine.
4. The exercises are taken up in 4 sets comprised of 2 each.
5. You can combine bodyweight exercises, dumbbells and punches; anything you like (1).
6. The first 3 sets are easy to perform, but by the last set if you’re still standing, you haven’t done it right.
7. If low intensity is using 50% of your capacity, HIIT demands that you put in everything you can give.
8. A Tabata workout gives your heart very little time to build the pace but gives you an endorphin hit in the end.

Tremendous Results:

Intense, short workouts such as the Tabata method are very effective in boosting the body’s metabolism. Interestingly, the fat continues to burn long after the workout.

• Tabata workout is better than a 60-minute cardio workout (2).
• Since various exercises are combined, it engages a majority of the body’s muscle groups.
• Consequently, it builds lean muscle, which burns fat.
• Tabata HIIT enhances maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 Max) by 14% and anaerobic capacity by 28% (3).
• Results are observed as early as 6 weeks when Tabata method was implemented for 4 minutes for 4 days a week.

Originally, the Olympic players were able to perform the Tabata training at VO2 Max of approximately 170%.

As VO2 Max is a standard for cardiovascular fitness; the higher your VO2 Max, the stronger your heart.

Interval Training Exercises:

For the maximum benefit, intense interval training exercises must raise your heart rate as high as possible in a short time period (4).

Always warm-up before a workout. Here are four exercises that you can include in your Tabata routine.

1. Stationary Running:

This is one of the basic exercises in a Tabata protocol.

1. Begin running as fast as you can on the spot.
2. In 20 seconds, slow down and walk around for 10 seconds.
3. Alternately, you can find an open space and start sprinting.
4. Continue for the second repetition or combine the set with another interval training exercise.

2. Plank Walk:

A walking plank is tougher than your average exercise, and is better for it.

1. Get down on your knees and elbows.
2. Rest your forehands firmly on the ground, and ensure your feet are supporting your legs.
3. Your body is off the floor, aligned straight.
4. Raise one leg behind you.
5. Return the leg to the floor, and raise the opposite leg.
6. Repeat the movement.
7. Rest in plank phase.

3. High Knees:

1. You can use a skipping rope for this exercise.
2. You can also jump on alternate legs without a rope.
3. Jump up as fast as you can to set your heart racing.
4. Make sure your knees are raised as high as your hip.
5. Stand to rest.

4. Dumbbell Squats:

1. Hold two lightweight dumbbells in both your hands.
2. Stand straight with feet slightly apart.
3. Start with your hands near your shoulders, dumbbells facing outwards.
4. Bend at the knees in a squat, then raise and jump up with legs spread and hands above the head.
5. Return to the squat position and repeat the movement.

There you are. These are some of the intense exercises that can get your pulse racing and the fat burning. Think you can do it? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

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by Sruthi Chowdhry via STYLECRAZE