High-Intensity Tabata Training Deemed An Effective Workout, Study Says

By Sarah Klein, www.huffingtonpost.com

October 10th, 2013

The time-friendly Tabata trend began with the Japanese speed skating team. Head coach Irisawa Koichi had been asking players to follow a training routine that involved alternating short periods of high intensity work with even shorter periods of rest. He asked training coach Izumi Tabata to analyze how effective this setup was. The work resulted in a ground-breaking 1996 study that measured substantive fitness gains after just six weeks of four-minute workouts consisting of 20 seconds of intense cycling followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Similarly high-intensity workouts have skyrocketed in popularity of late, resulting in claims that you only have to exercise for shorter and shorter increments to achieve maximum results.

“There is no such thing as a miracle workout,” ACE Chief Science Officer Dr. Cedric Bryant said in a statement. “While Tabata-inspired workouts are shorter, they are also extremely tough. This study showed that fit participants perceived the workout as hard, therefore these type of workouts could be demotivating or too challenging for those not as accustomed to strenuous bouts of exercise.”

read more www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/10/tabata-training-workouts-cardio

PE students:  click on the link above and  go to the comments section (scroll all the way down) for a range of perspectives and examples of how various individuals might use a Tabata approach for their exercise program. 

 Have you tried a Tabata style workout? why or why not? What was your experience like? How can a Tabata approach be adjusted for various fitness levels?