Tabata - Practical Pointers

Tabata - what precisely is it?

Tabata is a 20-second period of intense effort repeated 8 times with a 10-second rest interval in between. This 4-minute workout method was devised in 1996 by a Japanese, Dr. Izumi Tabata. To comprehend the proposed exertion pattern, we must carefully acquaint ourselves with its specifications.

The effort break

Tabata comprises 20-second training sections, followed by a 10-second recuperative pause. Similar to every exercise form, it encompasses intense exercises and insufficient recovery time. Another repetition of the training section results in the amassing of fatigue from the preceding periods.

Smoking range – What it looks like?

There are numerous methods for exerting intense effort. It's not just about selecting the exercises, but also the technique of loading the body. The aim is the greatest effort, the highest degree of intensity. This can be achieved through carefully selected exercises using one's own body weight. The number of repetitions can be up to 15 or more within 20 seconds, depending on the type of exercise. Individuals who choose this type of loading in the interval strive to perform the exercises at a very high speed. If these are simple exercises, such as squats, they should have no difficulty maintaining the correct execution technique. Another approach involves increasing the body's load so that no more than 8 repetitions can be performed. It is necessary to start with a weight that represents a load, i.e., at least 20% of the Maximum Weight (MW) that we can lift, for example, in the gym. If we succeed in performing more than 8 repetitions of an exercise with load in the last series, we should increase the weight in the next training.

The objective of the exertion interval in the Tabata method

The objective of the exertion interval in the Tabata method is to achieve maximal or near-maximal effort. Tabata is an extremely intense and very short training. Effort below the previously mentioned levels of intensity is inefficient. Why? Efforts of moderate intensity will not sufficiently activate the anaerobic metabolism and will be too short to induce a significant training-oxygen effect.

Selection of exercises

The capability to attain a level of intensity is substantially dependent on the proper selection of exercise. To effectively fulfill its purpose, the exercise should engage large and plentiful muscle groups. 20-second intervals of exertion must not be a squandering of time. From the inaugural repetitions, circumstances must be established for the intensification of the processes transpiring within the body. Ideally, these should be global processes. In this manner, the desired intensity can be achieved. Exercises with restricted range of motion that only stimulate small muscle groups will not fulfill this objective. Consequently, bending the elbow joints in a standing or seated position, which only activates the biceps, is not a beneficial exercise for Tabata. Other exercises such as box jumps, pull-ups, and chin-ups, which activate the muscles of the lower limbs, hip extensor muscles, latissimus dorsi, and biceps, present a distinct scenario.

The count of executed exercises

The training concept entails selecting between 1 to 8 diverse exercises. Should one decide on a single exercise form, one must be mindful to choose one that fully complies with the global impact requirement. In the case of selecting more than one exercise form, for instance, 4 distinct exercises each performed twice, one can take into account the proportionality of impact on all major muscle groups.

Addition of extra load

Incorporating an additional load in Tabata training impacts the quantity of possible repetitions of the exercise. The extra weight must be selected individually, based on the maximum weight that a specific individual can cope with in a given exercise. The same 10 kg plate will be lifted a larger number of times by an individual with higher maximum strength. However, it may turn out that during the Tabata exercise in the last 20 seconds, the last repetitions are still performed with substantial reserve. For someone with lower maximum strength, 10 kg may be too heavy a weight to surmount due to accumulating fatigue, resulting in a maximum of 2-3 repetitions during Tabata. The exertion then resembles maximum weight lifting, is highly anaerobic, and prematurely interrupts the Tabata training. Therefore, it is advantageous to estimate weight percentage relative to maximum strength. Maintaining a minimum threshold of 20-30% MW (maximum weight) is crucial. Weights below this threshold do not make a difference between stronger and weaker individuals. This means that a weaker individual in absolute parameters, but enduring, can perform the same number of repetitions of a given exercise as an individual with greater maximum strength.

Selection of exercises with additional weight

Tabata is performed according to the pattern of short physical activity and short rest. Both periods should be used correctly, with 20 seconds allocated for each physical activity and 10 seconds for each rest. Therefore, it is very important to choose the correct approach, start, and end of the exercise, especially in the case of exercises with additional weight. For example, if someone plans to perform forward-leaning squats with a barbell on the shoulders as part of Tabata, they will first have to lift the barbell, place it correctly on their shoulders, and assume a stable position. This will take a few seconds, during which time they will either be resting or training. The effort will then be limited to a few repetitions that do not have a metabolic effect. A better option would be to choose the appropriate weight kettlebell and perform "swings" - forward throws of the kettlebell - while simultaneously straightening the entire body posture from a half-squat. The weight placed on the floor at an appropriate distance from the feet allows for an immediate backward swing and the start of the training.

Tabata and safe exercise sessions

Similarly, taking the starting position for lifting weights as well as putting the mass off after exercise should take about a second and be safe. Throwing any kind of barbell off your shoulders, over your head, etc. is not a wise option. The same applies to the placement of the training zone. When the stations are close together, we eliminate the element of haste, which, especially in situations of increasing fatigue, can lead to discomfort and accidental injuries. Exercises performed within tabata should be simple, and more complex ones should be well-controlled. If the exercise is technically demanding, it is easy to make a mistake which when the additional loads are applied can cause injuries.

Contrasting HIT and HIIT in Tabata

Tabata should be focused on ensuring safety and an appropriate degree of exertion.. Tabata is not a type of high-intensity training (HIT) that meticulously concentrates on the quality and duration of the concentrated, isometric, and eccentric phases of muscle work. Tabata is decidedly more focused on the context of quick exercise pace.. Tabata is one of the methods of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that allows for achieving maximal or near-maximal (90-100%) values of continuous oxygen consumption during the workout.. This information is highly significant in controlling intensity, and consequently, the quality of Tabata training.

A method for controlling the degree of exertion intensity

By having a pulse oximeter and defined exertion ranges, one can use trials and errors to adjust the intensity of tabata in such a way that the range of work takes place in the exertion range above the oxygen threshold. In the tabata range, the effort should be focused on achieving the maximum degree of oxygen uptake, which means that it should be the effort above the oxygen exchange threshold. At the oxygen exchange threshold, around 50-60% of the maximum oxygen uptake is typically consumed. The best athletes in endurance sports can consume up to 95% on this threshold. The goal in the tabata range is a suprathreshold effort that will be significantly closer to the values of sub-maximal and maximal oxygen uptake. If, after completing the tabata, one experiences deep and strong breaths while still being able to speak relatively freely, they are likely working at most on the threshold of medium-intensity oxygen exchange. Some athletes can maintain the intensity of such exertion for an hour. To achieve the parameters of HIIT exertion, one should have dyspnea that prevents them from speaking.

Impact on the body's energy systems

Tabata training exerts a significant influence on the two energy systems that the body utilizes for energy acquisition - the oxygen and non-oxygen systems. As a result, a substantial oxygen debt arises that needs to be settled after the training. This leads to an intensification of oxygen processes and the utilization of fat as an energy source. Therefore, tabata is beneficial for the process of burning fat tissue.

Warm-up phase

The claim that the training lasts only 4 minutes becomes a myth when one considers that it must be preceded by a warm-up phase. Tabata is the maximum effort, which means that the body's systems and organs are reaching their highest functional levels of work. The time to reach these levels is different for the systems and organs. Pain in the area of the liver and spleen during exertion without adequate warming up indicates a lack of synchronization of the organs for work. The systems and organs improve their readiness for work best at less intense but continuous effort. This should be the general part of warming up. Then the planned exercises should be practiced, performed in lesser quantity or with longer rest time. In this way, we facilitate the correct execution of the exercises. It is good if this part of warming up already puts the anaerobic metabolism into operation. The intensity of warming up should reach the range of work on the anaerobic threshold (deep and strong breath) or even exceed it. In this way, the stress response of the body to the anaerobic exertion is mitigated.

Tabata without warm-up session

What would such a Tabata look like? It can be interrupted due to malfunction of certain organs and the pain that arises. It always induces fear. It could be performed until the end, but it turns out that the heart rate has only reached the threshold of anaerobic conversion, and that's only during the last exercises. After a weak and short warm-up session, such Tabata can at best be a supplement to the warm-up phase. In the next series, performed after 2-3 minutes of rest, the intended maximum of 90-100% of oxygen uptake can be achieved.

This is the first workout

At the outset, it is worth noting that the human body always uses all the energy systems, but to varying degrees, depending on the intensity and duration of the effort. During the first workout session of tabata, the process of anaerobic energy production, associated with the breakdown of phosphocreatine stored in cells, dominates. This energy lasts for a maximum of ten seconds of exertion. Can phosphocreatine be restored during tabata? The energy source associated with this process is restored to approximately 50 percent within 30 seconds of recovery. However, the 10-second breaks in tabata do not guarantee this, so the source of phosphocreatine energy can be considered depleted.

Anoxic glucose breakdown

During the first workout session, another oxygen-free process is activated, known as anoxic glucose breakdown. As a result, muscles undergo degradation into glucose. Energy-providing molecules of lactic acid and ATP are formed. This process develops more slowly than the phosphokinase reaction. During the second and third workout sessions, anoxic glucose breakdown covers up to 60% of the consumed energy. After two minutes, its share decreases to around 35%. The required energy demand for the working body must already be met by the developed next energy supply system.

Oxidative glycogen breakdown

Up to the midpoint of the tobacco season, oxygen processes have a limited contribution to energy production, but their share increases. Breathing becomes deeper and deeper until breathlessness occurs, marking the crossing of the oxygen transformation threshold. If physical activities are well-chosen and the intensity is maintained, the last minute of tobacco can be conducted near the maximum oxygen uptake value. If the exercises are too easy, the body reaches at most the threshold for oxygen transformations with increased, but not maximal or submaximal, oxygen uptake. The clear increase in oxygen processes in the third or fourth minute of effort is associated with aerobic glycolysis, which provides energy through the breakdown of glycogen to glucose and the generation of energy from glucose using oxygen.

Is that when energy comes from fat?

Fats are used to produce energy only on the oxygen path, but not on the intense and short path that tobacco requires. Fat burning is best done in a moderate-intensity training zone and during long, continuous exertion. Lipolysis, the production of energy (ATP) from fat with the participation of oxygen, is initiated in a significant way after about 15-20 minutes of such an effort. Tabata does not initiate it because the effort is short and intense. The main source of energy from the fat burning zone is muscle glycogen.

Tabata - subsequent cycles

Upon completion of the first round of Tabata and a 2-3 minute recovery period, the body renews approximately 95% of its ATP and phosphocreatine resources. The prerequisite for the renewal of energy resources is an adequate glycogen level in the muscles, which can be achieved through appropriate training and nutrition. This enables the execution of another cycle of Tabata with suitable intensity. On the other hand, a glycogen deficit might result in a decrease in training intensity, negatively impacting the training's effectiveness. Repeating Tabata leads to an increasing sense of exhaustion, accumulation of lactic acid, and a rise in hydrogen protons, which increases blood acidity and results in a feeling of exhaustion. The ultimate result of repeated training will largely depend on the training level, the body's tolerance for acid, and the speed of recovery processes following exercise. Typically, another cycle of Tabata is performed after 30 seconds or 1 minute of recovery.

In what circumstances should one employ Tabata?

The body should be gradually prepared for work at the highest intensities. A suitable training programme is required, which in turn prepares the efficiency of energy systems, organs and systems for intensive work. Tabata will appear in the calendar of the developed training plan after the period of work on enhancing the oxygen metabolism efficiency and continuous work. Gradually introduced training measures in the form of intervals and increase in the intensity of effort above the threshold of oxygen-free conversion in a safe manner prepare the body for Tabata. In this way, the executed training will have the planned intensity and effect. The appropriate level of body regeneration after effort will also be achieved.