Get in Shape the Tabata Way

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Tabata, Short Bursts to Big Results

Tabata is the name of a Japanese researcher who discovered a way to increase both anaerobic and aerobic pathways at the same time. It's an excellent training program that seems to fit across all training disciplines for athletes looking to increase their VO₂max and lose fat quickly.

What is it? It's simple: after warming up, take one exercise and perform it in the following manner:

1. For twenty seconds, do as many reps as possible, or run, bike as hard as you can
2. Rest for ten seconds
3. Repeat seven more times!

Eight sets of "as many reps as you can get done," followed with a brief ten second rest— simple and effective. This isn't "eight sets of eight," although the goal of doing eight reps in each of the twenty second clusters is about right. Instead it's "as many reps as I can get in" during the twenty seconds, followed by ten seconds rest. If running, biking, or rowing, go as hard as you can.

The best exercise options for the Tabata method are exercises that use a large number of muscles such as, squats, front squats, dead lifts, thrusters, sprints, stationary bike, rowing machine,

Use the "lowest rep number" of any of the eight sets as your measurement to compare workout to workout. If you go too heavy, that last set may be two. If you go too light, you might get around 15 reps or more.

And by the way, ten seconds is not getting a drink, looking in the mirror, talking to the cute girl on the bike, looking at the clock, walking back to the bar, chalking up, adjusting the belt, talking to a friend, then doing the next set. Ten second is ten seconds! No cheating!

Why should you do this workout? The Tabata program might be the single best "fat burning workout" that I know, not to mention the increase in VO₂max. It might only be four minutes, but you seem to keep sweating and breathing hard for a long time afterwards. Tabata truly teaches a person the mental focus needed to push and to help reach their athletic goals.

Using a GYMBOSS makes timing Tabata intervals easy, simply set timer to a work interval of 20 seconds followed by rest interval of 10 seconds alarming with your choice of beep, vibrate or both! Timer continues these intervals until you stop! Or drop!

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