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Despite the buzz over “Tabata” training, many fitness clients—and some fitness pros—aren’t aware that they’re not doing true Tabata, meaning the protocol that was first analyzed and reported on in a 1996 edition of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (Tabata et al. 1996).
“When professor Izumi Tabata performed his breakthrough research, the Tabata protocol was performed on high-level athletes on specialized cycle ergometers at 170% VO2max versus a control group exercising at steady state, 70% VO2max,” notes Bryce Taylor, DPT, a physical therapist at Downtown Physical Therapy in Indianapolis. In the study, the Tabata protocol was executed for 4 minutes at a time.
Of course, average fitness clients don’t really need to be doing true Tabata. In fact, it’s probably a good thing they aren’t: “If group instructors pushed their clients to this super-elevated heart rate for 4 minutes, class retention would be very low,” says Taylor.
Regardless of what you call it, the goal is to get people active and enjoying it. However, since Tabata has received a lot of media attention as a time-saving workout with astonishing results, it’s a good idea to instruct clients on what they can and can’t expect.
TABATA | HIIT | |
---|---|---|
This table summarizes the differences between Tabata and other HIIT methods. | ||
Why we call it that | named after Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata | stands for high-intensity interval training |
Interval ratio | 2:1 | varies (e.g., 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 1:2, etc.) |
Length of intervals | 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of recovery | varies (e.g., work/recovery intervals—in seconds—are 30/30, 45/15, 60/30, etc.) |
Number of cycles | eight total (4 minutes) | varies (e.g., 2.5 minutes, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, etc.) |
Intensity | anaerobic | anaerobic or aerobic |
To read the full article published in the February 2014 issue of the IDEA Fitness Journal click here.
References
Tabata, I., et al. 1996. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 28 (10), 1327-30.
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