Tabata Protocol Workout - Perfect Storm Interval Workout

Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese researcher, had interest on the effect of exercise intensity on fitness. How did intensity boost the anaerobic and aerobic engines of the endurance athlete. From his work he came to believe that exercise intensity was at least as important as duration. He basically was trying to find the "perfect storm" of an interval workout...what is the optimum interval duration with recovery duration that gives the biggest boost to aerobic and anaerobic engines...i.e. the two engines we as endurance athletes try to push the limits on in our training to be as fit as we can.

During his research, Dr. Tabata came across a workout that was being used by the Japanese Speed Skating Team. Specifically, the workout consisted of 8 - 20 second all out drop the hammer sprints with a tinny tiny 10 second passive recovery (stop) between each set. He learned when these world-class athletes first tried this workout, they were totally wasted after about 6 or 7 sets and only a few could do the eight. Having done this workout on my bike on a trainor, it is painful and challenging, the first time I could only do 7, the second time I did eight and threw-up, third time was the charm and I have affectionately named this workout "4 minutes of hell".

Back to Dr. Tabata, this is what he learned from this workout.

The experiments:

Experiment #1 - Maximum Intensity Interval Exercise Trial

He recruited athletes to perform the workout five times a week for six weeks on a stationary bike. The total workout was done in a 20 minute session allowing 8 minutes to warm-up and cool down off the 4 minutes of hell. At the beginning and end of the experiment Tabata and his team determined the athletes VO2 Max. and anaerobic capacity.

Experiment #2 - Moderate Intensity Exercise Trial

He recruited athletes to perform a 1-hour moderate intensity session on a stationary bike five times a week for six weeks. Again, at the beginning and end of the experiment Tabata and his team determined the athletes VO2 Max. and anaerobic capacity.

The Results:

The results are mind blowing to say the least. The moderate intensity trial showed a modest 9.5 percent increase in aerobic capacity and no increase in anaerobic capacity with a total training time of 5 hours per week. The maximum intensity trial showed an improvement of 14 percent in aerobic capacity and 28% in anaerobic capacity with a total training time per week of 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Ladies and gentlemen we have found the perfect storm interval workout and it comes in a really small package i.e. basically a 20 minute workout, I have used in 12 minutes forgoing the cool-down, as I needed to lay down ;-).

Note: This workout is not for the weak at heart, it is excruciatingly painful but effective. It is a secret weapon of sorts, good one to pull off if you are pressed for time.

I have used this workout in the pool, on the bike trainor, and doing strength exercises. Basically, the set-up is this. Do a nice 8 minute warm-up, then get to it...8x20seconds all out, the rest between the maximum intensity 20 seconds is 10 seconds completely stopped...this ten seconds goes by really fast, especially on sets 5 to the end. After the maximum intensity session, cool down for 8 minutes. Advice, never put this workout in the middle of another...make it a stand alone workout...trust me on this one....after four minutes of hell you will hate the cool down....it will take about half the cool down time to get your head back on straight.

Enjoy...

Mikey