Discover the secret of the amazing four-minute workout and how it can help you burn more calories in a fraction of the usual time.

A Great Way to Do High-Intensity Interval Training

Tabata and bodybuilding. One forming of training is touted as a fast and effective way to lose body fat. The other form of training helps strength training athletes gain massive amounts of muscle.

At first glance, they appear to be at opposite ends of the fitness spectrum, but if you look more closely they go hand in hand. If you are curious to know about Tabata and are wondering what it can do for bodybuilders, read on to find the answers to your questions.

What is Tabata Training

Tabata training is a form of high-intensity interval training generally used to help people burn fat in a short period of time. It centers around the idea of alternating between 20 seconds of high-intensity activity and 10 seconds of rest. This lasts for a duration of 4 minutes.

Although it’s generally thought of as a cardio activity, Tabata training can also be done as a weight-lifting circuit. This training can help bodybuilders lose fat, increase endurance and provides an alternative to their normal weight lifting routine.

Lose Fat Through Tabata

When done solely as a cardio activity, Tabata training is the perfect tool for bodybuilders who are seeking to reduce body fat. Tabata training is the best way to burn fat while maintaining lean mass due to the EPOC effect.

EPOC is excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and refers to the amount of calories that continue to be burned after a workout session. HIIT mimics weight training in that it raises the metabolism and helps the body continue to burn calories long after your workout session is done.

So, not only do you burn calories during the course of a Tabata session, you will continue to burn calories for hours afterward.

Increasing Endurance with Tabata

After a period of continuous Tabata training, athletes find that their capacity to do aerobic activity is increased. One study done at McMaster University in Ontario proved that HIIT increases athletic endurance.

In this study two groups of athletes were paired with one group performing HIIT and the other performing steady state aerobic exercise.

The HIIT athletes exercised for 3 minutes in 20 to 30 second bouts, while the other group exercised for 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Both groups exercised 3 times a week and the study lasted for 2 weeks.

At the end of the study, the HIIT group showed a greater improvement in endurance capacity over the steady state cardio group.

An Alternative Way to Workout

Tabata training can also be done using weights, so it provides a very effective way for bodybuilders to gain muscle. Listed below are some examples of Tabata training workouts that bodybuilders can use.

One example of a barbell Tabata workout involves 4 different exercises. The exercises included in this workout are reverse lunges, shoulder press, Romanian deadlift, and the hang clean.

As per Tabata protocol, each exercise is done for 20 seconds with a 10-second rest before proceeding on to the next exercise. This circuit would be done 2 times in a Tabata routine.

It’s a challenging workout and everything would need to be set up in order to quickly proceed to the next exercise, but it’s guaranteed to build muscle.

Another challenging Tabata workout involves eight different exercises. This workout routine mixes push-ups with weight lifting. It involves the four barbell exercises listed above (reverse lunge, shoulder press, Romanian deadlift and the hang clean), but adds on four more additional exercises.

Good mornings, bent over barbell row, the front squat and push-ups are also included in this Tabata workout. In this routine, all exercises are done just one time. You work all of the muscles in your body with this routine and after you’re done you will really feel it.

Try Tabata for Yourself

Tabata is a fantastic workout protocol for bodybuilders. It can help you reduce body fat without risking muscle loss, increases endurance and it can replace weight training sessions.

If you need a fast way to burn fat or if you are bored with your current weight lifting routine, give Tabata training a try.