Tabata is a very high intensity workout routine that is completed over four minutes broken up into eight rounds of 20 seconds of super high intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds rest. It is a great way to lose weight and improve your fitness levels because it is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training). The name Tabata comes from the name of the man who invented it – Dr. Izumi Tabata, a physician and researcher of Japanese descent. He performed a study on interval based training model where he wanted to see if a person would benefit by performing the same set of exercises in a more intense time frame limited by the amount of time spent in each interval.
Tabata has many benefits, high intensity interval training has been proven to yield incredible aerobic fitness gains and be an extremely effective exercise strategy for loosing weight. Another obvious benefit is how little time Tabata takes up, you complete the entire workout in just 4 minutes. In a day and age where we find less and less time to focus on our health and fitness this is a massive advantage of Tabata.
The one drawback of Tabata is it's barrier to entry. Due to the intensity of the exercise, beginners and individuals with a low level of fitness can find Tabata extremely difficult. Also, like any intense exercise regime the risk of aggravating injury is ever present and correct stretching and pre exercise preparation should be undertaken to reduce these risks as much as possible.
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