Tabata interval training could be credited with kicking off the recent craze towards HIIT – high intensity interval training. This protocol was initiated by the Japanese performance researcher Izumi Tabata in 1996 and 1997 (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, October 1996, Vol 26 and also March 1997, Vol 27).
The basic findings of his research was that in 4 minutes of work, you could get more cardiovascular benefits, and more fat loss, than in 60 minutes of steady state cardio (e.g. jogging). That’s right: 4 minutes vs 60 minutes.
How is this possible?
By doing super high intensity interval training. HIIT.
There are many summary articles available on the web if you don’t want to go back to the original research. Here’s a summary (but this article is about a variation…):
His exact protocol was to stationary bike at your all-out fastest, 100% pace, for 20 seconds. Then rest for 10 seconds. Then go all out for 20 seconds. Repeat, etc. until you’ve done 4 minutes total. That’s it. It’s so simple. But…
Most people can’t do this.
When I say 100%, I mean 100%. Not “hard running/biking”. I mean all out, like a bear is chasing you. Many people puke during this kind of training.
Because of this intensity, most people fall into two categories after they decide to try it:
a) they end up not really doing 100% in the intervals; they do like 80%, which destroys the whole purpose
b) they give up
I’m no different. I don’t do Tabata because it’s too hard. I’m not afraid to admit it.
But I have an alternate that I think you will like even better…
The Inverted Tabata
Before I describe this (and it’s pretty easy to describe), I want to say that it’s quite possible that I’m not the only one to come up with this. I’ve been doing it since last year and decided to give it a name.
Maybe someone else has prescribed this before, but I did some web searches for “inverse Tabata” and “inverted Tabata” and even some “Tabata variations” and couldn’t find anything. [If you find something, please share it here so I can give credit.] Anyway, it is my belief that this is the first time “inverted Tabata” is being documented and you get to read it as part of the worldfitnessnetwork.com community! Ok, enough grandstanding.
It’s so simple, I was surprised nobody else talks about it.
Here’s all Inverted Tabata is:
- run full-on, 100% for 10 seconds
- shuffle (fast walk) for 20 seconds
- repeat at least 20 times, for a total of at least 10 minutes (but not more than 30 minutes)
That’s it! All I’m doing is switching the times from “20/10″ to “10/20″. Get it – inverse Tabata?
Of course warm ups are critical. I do this by first doing dynamic stretches and then doing a 5 to 10 minute slow, steady jog.
If you have knee problems, do it on a bike.
The principle works for 15/30 or 20/40 too. Personally, after experimenting, I find 15/30, at a total of 20 minutes, works best for me. I also finish up with a 1 mile steady state jog so my total cardio on this days is around 45 minutes.
The key factors are
a) warm up
b) do your “rest” period for no more than twice the “intense” period
c) make sure you define intense as “all out”
d) don’t have your intense period last longer than 30 seconds or else you won’t really be able to go all out
But this is still really, really hard. For me, around cycle 15 or so, I have trouble. I feel like my lungs are going to explode and that I might puke. And even though I am going 100%, I’m not going very fast at that time. I’m simply exhausted. A hungry bear would certainly catch me.
If You Run Outside
Now, as a practical matter if you run outside, you probably don’t have a timer handy. Of course, you can run with a stopwatch (I do).
If you don’t want to carry one around, some advance planning helps here. But the exact seconds in each stage may end up shifting a bit.
- Pick a starting point on your road. Have someone time you the first time to see how far you can go in 10 seconds. Mark that.
- Shuffle (or fast walk) back to the starting point and do it again.
- And again.
- And again. Each time marking off your finishing point.
- After 10 times, you now have what is likely to be your average distance for all 20 cycles. Consider that your end point.
So, for future Inverse Tabata runs, just sprint each time from your start to your end point and shuffle back.
Your initial sprints will likely be a little less than 10 seconds and your final sprints will likely be a little longer, but close enough.
Inverse Tabata With Weights
Now, for those of you who tried my fat-burning weight training workout, you’ll notice something. It essentially is a HIIT with weights. Go here to refresh your memory if you didn’t try it. Essentially, it involves triple sets so that you are doing about 30 seconds intense, then 5 to 10 seconds of inadvertent rest as you switch exercises, then 30 seconds intense lifting, then 5 to 10 seconds of “switching cost” rest, then 30 seconds intense, followed by 60 seconds of real rest.
While that workout isn’t “inverted Tabata”, you could esily see how you can develop a routine that is. I think I’ll try that mid-summer, after I complete the 5×5 workout I’m testing and will soon share with you…
So What’s the Science Behind This?
a) Izumi Tabata also tried intervals at 30 seconds intense, 120 seconds rest; that didn’t have good response (response is defined more fully in the scientific articles but let’s simplify here and think of it as oxygen capacity and total fat burn over 48 hrs)
b) I have no scientific studies to quote on how effective my inverse Tabata variation is compared to Tabata. But I do have years of experience and common sense.
c) Since I haven’t heard of inverted Tabata before, I can’t find any science on it; and since I don’t have million dollar labs at my disposal, I can’t really test it.
So, you’ll have to try it yourself and see how it works. Please note: like any information on this site, what I write is purely for educational purposes and you should see your doctor before trying anything. You need to take full responsibility for all your actions.
Do you do Tabata? What do you think of this alternative? Share this, Digg it, and make a comment!
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Tags: inverted tabata, running, tabata
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May 28th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Tabata was invented as a bike protocol (as you said) for a reason. Especially overweight and under-trained people (especially old ones like anyone over 35 :-) should not go sprinting. (also 20 minutes is pretty long) Last time I sprinted 8 * 10 second sprints I was sore for half a week.
Having said that, I just downloaded a beep-test MP3 which I will use for some intervals in the near future :)
May 28th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hi, I’ve been reading your articles for a while. Very good stuff. I am pretty sure I’ve read about this “inverted” tabata method somewhere. Unfortunately it was some time ago and don’t remember where I saw it, or what it was (article/video). If you hadn’t said it, I would have thought I read it here. Nonetheless, nice article!!
May 29th, 2009 at 6:10 am
@wazzup – watch who you’re calling old!!! ha! Any chance you could post a link for others for that beep test you mention?
@Gus – if you do figure out who/where else might have had this same idea, please share. Not that this idea is going to make me famous and rich or anything, but I would like to give credit if someone else coined the phrase first.
May 29th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
no one over 35 should go sprint?? why is that?? if they have good health thats ok, if a child have heart problems, obviously she or he should not go for a sprint. so if u have good health, go for sprint!
May 29th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Bill Phillips talks about a similar intensity cardio workout for 20 minutes. Am gonna try this one…
Great Post
May 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Probably worth noting that Tabata compared his intervals to a fairly low intensity endurance regimen. There has been no comparison to say 10 minutes of steady state “hard” or 20 minutes of steady state “moderate” or many of the interval possibilities like you mention. I suspect very few of the Tabata advocates have read the entire paper instead of just the abstract.
May 31st, 2009 at 9:13 am
@Darrin Meh, I’m 43 myself so I think can get away with it :)
for links: http://www.defence.gov.au/army/ARTC/Media/beep.mp3
or this one http://www.runtheplanet.com/tr.....eptest.asp (different name, same file)
@Rodolfo: I never said no-one over 35 should sprint, I just said sprinting isn’t necessarily ideal for all… ease into it at least, don’t go all out all at once if you’re overweight, old, and out of shape.
June 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pm
thanks wazzup!
June 13th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Great post! I’ll subscribe right now wth my feedreader software!
June 16th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Hey,
Good article, but your title will mislead more beginners than it will help seasoned. Normally you do HIIT every 2nd week, with a continuous work out routine (4-6 days a week). to do HIIT basically you will need to push your heart to its almost 100% and do the workout/training with 100% RM. Putting a beginner in these shoe will get his leg broken.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:01 am
Wazzup you p**** — lol — I am a 52 year old woman and do Interval training with weights — 8 sets of 20 second reps with 10 second intervals. I do about 4 exercises 8 sets each per workout: squats, dead lifts, and overhead lunges/squats, and usually some weight bearing exercises for the abs. And I work out with weights 3 to 4 times a week. I look 25. Age is an illusion — there is no matter only energy and that universal energy is available. Of course 25 years of Yoga helps but think you are getting old and you will get old. Its all in the mind and it is what you believe.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Oh I forgot to mention that I run for about half an hour to the gym as a warm up to the interval training and do a cool down of Yoga for about 20 minutes afterwards. Cheers.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
@Muse – Muse, you sound intense! That’s very impressive! p.s. I edited one of your words because even though this site is designed for adults, I know some kids read it and I just like keeping it as clean as possible; don’t take it personally and keep the comments coming: You obviously have a lot to share!
September 17th, 2009 at 7:23 am
I have experimented with many HIIT ideas over the past year, including Tabata intervals, complexes and metabolic conditioning.
If I agree with any single point you make in your article, it has to be the fact that ‘true’ HIIT is mentally crushing and maintaining any kind of consistency is a major challenge for even the craziest warrior.
In 20 seconds of maximum effort, muscle fatigue WILL occur even if you split intervals into different muscle groups. This makes continuing to exert yourself all the more difficult. The focus should be on getting your heart rate as fast as possible, not overloading your muscles with lactic acid.
So I commend you for your proposal of inverted Tabatas. It is a logical and intelligent solution on many fronts. Get used to HIIT (get fit and mentally stronger) and find your favourite routines by starting with 10/20 intervals, before graduating to 20/20, then to 20/10. Genius.
My personal favourite is 8 minutes of 20/20 Punch-outs alternating with Squats, which I mix up with traditional Tabatas when I have the will power. Punch-outs are much more brutal than squats due to the lower ROM and consequent potential speed, so the squats almost serve as a rest!
Only just found your site and have enjoyed reading many of your articles. Good stuff!
September 18th, 2009 at 9:11 am
@Dylan – cool. Could you give a quick description of 20/20 punch-outs for us?
September 19th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Hey Darrin,
Punch-outs involve alternating left and right punches at your fastest paceon on a large, heavy punching bag. The bag should be forced into a lean-away and maintained as such until the end of the set. 20/20 is my preferred interval timing for these; meaning 20 seconds maximum intensity followed by 20 seconds rest.
Your upper body (your arms feel it the most) is targeted in isolation from punch-outs, so supersetting these with squats or another lower body exercise that can be done with decent speed seems to work wonders.
Punch outs are quite fun, but do require some equipment and space. The most convenient, yet most mentally crushing form of Tabatas I have done has to be 20/10 Sprints until absolute failure, or Burpees done the same way, but not many people will put themselves through that a second time haha