Written by What if I told you that you could get all the fat burning benefits of an hour long cardio session in just 4 minutes? Sounds easy, but there is a slight catch. You have to exercise harder and more intensely than you ever have before. Still with me? Then let’s explore this method, which is called the Tabata protocol.
This process was developed by Izumi Tabata, who investigated the effects of strenuous exercise for the Japanese National Institute of Fitness and Sports. Tabata’s research focused on a high intensity interval training program that had been created and implemented by the coach for the Japanese speed skaters. The program developed for the speed skaters centered on a maximum sprint effort that lasted 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of resting. This is repeated for 6-8 sets for a total of 4 minutes.
You’re probably thinking that this sounds ridiculously easy, but once you try your first set of all out sprinting for 20 seconds with almost no recovery time in between, you’ll find you’re short of breath almost right away. In fact, many people report feeling queasy after finishing the entire cycle. These were world-class Olympic athletes in this case as well, not just some average skaters. Speed skaters are some of the world’s finest athletes, and many on the Japanese speed skating team had to stop after 6 intervals for the first few times. I can perform 4-6 intervals at maximum velocity but see a slowdown for the last 2-4 intervals. Those last 2-4 intervals still represent my maximal effort; it’s just that I’m too tired to give the same maximal effort as the first 2-4 intervals.
You can apply this routine to a workout on the elliptical machine or the treadmill, where many people believe it takes a minimum of 20 minutes to begin burning fat. How could this simple 4 minute routine possibly be so much more effective? The secret to the success of these short intensity workouts is the “after burn effect” which forces your body to continue burning calories for several hours after you’ve ended the workout. Your body is able to do this because all of the carbs get burned out during the workout, so all your body has left to burn afterward is fat. Studies have also discovered that aerobic and anaerobic capacities were increased using the Tabata protocol, while moderate intensity cardio exercises only showed increases aerobically.
The Tabata protocol can also be used with a wide range of exercises, so it can be adapted to location or personal tastes. Personally, I have only done these intense intervals using cardio type exercises, but it can also be effectively done using bodyweight or weight-based exercises. Try to perform as many reps as you can during the 20 second interval. Then rest for just 10 seconds, and begin the next set. If you are using weights be sure to go light on the weight because this can really be intense.
Though the Tabata protocol itself takes a mere 4 minutes, you should also leave time for both a warm up and cool down period. I usually warm up for 4 – 5 minutes. I will also usually cool down for about 1-2 minutes before drinking some water and catching my breath. That’s about 10 minutes total. Like most people, I try to set aside more than 10 minutes for my workout, so I usually fill the rest of the time with a steady cardio workout. The Tabata protocol will lower your glycogen levels and help unlock the fatty acids. You can continue to burn off those fatty acids using the steady state cardio, allowing your body to take advantage of those low glycogen levels and increase your overall fat burning. This is how the Tabata protocol produces the best fat burning cardio program that you’ve ever tried.
