No Time to Workout? Then it’s TABATA Time!

The Tabata Protocol

So you are short on time but you still want a decent workout routine. Well a Tabata workout might be for you. This short but extremely intense exercise works so well because it maximizes oxygen consumption with short bursts of focused exercises.

The Tabata Workout was invented by Dr. Izumi Tabata in Tokyo, Japan. The basic principle is this: A Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Eight intervals of one exercise must be completed before moving on to the next. Sound easy? Not! This is "High-intensity” and not for the weak at heart.

This cardio interval training method is an intense and quick workout routine but very effective. The entire exercise lasts only about 4 minutes if you do it correctly. The rest period can be complete rest or a less intense pace. It is a great way to get a very intense workout in a very short period of time. I'm sure you'll feel like twenty seconds has never felt so long, 10 seconds never so short and four minutes never so painful!

One of the hardest aspects of doing a Tabata workout is staying focused for the whole four minutes. It only takes 6 to 8 very hard 20 second intervals with 10 second rest periods to substantially improve both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity

You can use this protocol with many exercises: pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, you name it. If time is an issue, then try this next time you are at home, outside or in the gym.

TABATA PUSHUPS
1) For twenty seconds, do as many repetitions as possible.

2) Rest for ten seconds

3) Repeat seven more times (8 total sets)

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