Tabata was founded by a Japanese scientist named Izumi Tabata and fellow colleagues at a department of physiology in Japan. Izumi and his fellow scientists decided to conduct a study to compare moderate intensity training with high intensity training. He conducted the tests on 2 groups of athletes; one of the groups used the moderate intensity interval training and the other using high intensity interval training.
In group one; the athletes were training in moderate intensity workouts (70% intensity) for five days a week for a total of six weeks with each training session lasting an hour.
Group two trained in the high intensity workouts for 4 days a week for a total of 6 weeks with each session lasting 4 minutes, at 20 seconds of intense training (170% intensity) and 10 seconds of rest.
Group 1 had a significant increase in the aerobic system (cardiovascular system). However, the anaerobic system (muscles) gained little or no results at all.
Group 2 showed much improvement in all their athletes. Their aerobic systems increased much more than group one, and their anaerobic systems increased by 28%.
Conclusion: Not only did high intensity interval training have more of an impact on the aerobic systems; it had an impact on the anaerobic systems as well.
Any exercise can be incorporated into the Tabata training. However the basic outline of the Tabata training method are as follows:
- 4 minutes long (whole Tabata Session)
- 20 seconds of intense training
- 10 seconds of rest
- Total of 8 sessions or rounds
