A four minute workout? and a Running Divas tank winner

The first time I heard about Tabata workouts I was skeptical.  You work out for four minutes and are supposed to get great VO2 gains?  Four minutes.  Are you kidding me?  I tried one and was wiped when I was done.

Supposedly Tabata is the single most effective form of interval training and at four minutes the shortest.  However those four minutes are not easy and when you are done you should feel done. It is very intense.  20 seconds of hard training followed by 10 seconds of rest.  Repeat seven more times.  Done.  Are you skeptical?  I know I was when I first heard about it.  In order to get the most out of it you have to go all out for those 20 seconds.  Try to catch your breath again for the next ten and them WHAM back at it.   Another key component to getting the most out of it is to use your large muscle groups when doing it.

Dr. Tabata discovered that this kind of interval training produces much better results than aerobic training. This included building as much muscular endurance as forty five minutes of normal cardio training. In fact in the study the subjects increased their anaerobic capacity by over a quarter as well a substantial increase in their aerobic fitness. Something to keep in mind was that the the subjects were as fit as race horses before they started the trial, so the improvements were remarkable. source

Tabata is a great example of how quality can be better than quantity. Tabata can be used with running.  20 seconds all out sprint, ten seconds rest.  Do it on the track, up hills, on the beach anywhere.There is a great article on Tabata sprints HERE on Mark's Daily Apple.  I always feel like I have to run for at least 30 minutes to get any benefits from it, but apparently I am wrong.  Not only that but these would be perfect for days I have to work.  I don't usually run on days I work, but I could easily fit in a round on Tabata sprints before I pick up the kids or even after since I could probably do them in my driveway. 

Here is something I found on Pinterest. It is an example of a Tabata workout.  I tried it out except I substituted jump lunges for jumping jacks to make it harder.  Jumping jacks seemed kind of a wussy move to me. I also did dynamic squats instead of squat thrust. 

I did it pushing as hard as I could and was pretty wiped when I was done. I love BodyRock because they are short workouts and easy to squeeze in, but this Tabata sounds even easier to fit in if I can survive the four minutes. The workouts should feel hard and if you don't feel wiped at the end, then you should have pushed harder.  The perfect busy working mom's workout.  I know it is no substitute for getting the mileage in either but adding one in once a week after work just might give me an extra boost I think.

To me they still aren't as satisfying as a nice 6 mile run, but if it is all I can get in then it is better than nothing.  At least I can feel wiped when I am done and know that I did get in a workout that is beneficial to my goals.


Tabata workouts can be conducted with body-weight exercises such as…

• Pushups
• Pull-ups
• Sprints
• Jump lunges
• Burpees
• Sit-ups
• Stationary bike or elliptical trainer

…or with weighted movement:

• Kettlebell swings
• Thrusters
• Squats
• Cleans

Another great benefit of Tabata (a form of high intensity interval training) is that it can boost your metabolic rate.  Which this time of year is a huge benefit!

and the lucky winner of the Running Divas tank is...

who turns out to be! 

Congrats Maggie!  Send me your info and I will get it sent off to you!  

Have you ever done any Tabata  style workouts?  

Do you like them or hate them?

Are you skeptical of a four minute workout too?

Any Tabata tips or workouts to share?