Tabata Workouts Have One Major Advantage Over Your Usual HIIT
Talking about Tabata vs. HIIT might seem like the fitness equivalent of comparing a square to a rectangle. But if you're planning to try either of the high-intensity training styles, it's worth understanding how they're similar...and decidedly different.
“They're both great if you’re short on time or looking to switch things up,” explains Peloton instructor Olivia Amato, CPT. "“HIIT and tabata workouts make you a better athlete and can help improve not only strength and power, but endurance, too."
Both require max-level effort to achieve these gains, but the two protocols can make for radically different workouts and have a unique time an place in your routine.
Here, trainers put and end to the tabata vs. HIIT confusion, so you can level up your fitness lingo knowledge and figure out which workout is best for you—and when.
What To Know About HIIT
Fun fact: "HIIT" is really an umbrella term. Any workout that involves alternating intervals of hard effort and recovery falls into the HIIT category, Amato says.
“The goal is to work really, really hard (like almost max out) during the effort periods and then take the recovery periods as easy as you need to so that you're ready to go hard again on the next effort,” she explains.
“A way I like to look at how hard the efforts in a HIIT workout should be is on a scale of one to 10,” says Amato, referencing the Modified Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale (MRPE). “If you’re doing HIIT efforts properly, you should be working at a minimum of an 8—or at 80 percent of your all-out max.” The purpose is to need that recovery by the time your effort is finished.
The payoff of all that hard work? HIIT's been shown to improve aerobic and anaerobic cardio fitness, i.e. your ability to perform low/moderate intensity and high-intensity exercises, blood pressure, heart and lung health, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol health, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. It can also help you lose body fat ~while~ gaining muscle.
You don't have to be able to sprint at pro speed to reap the benefits, either. People of all fitness levels can get in on the HIIT party; the only requirement is that you give it your all, Amato says.
What a HIIT Workout Might Look Like
HIIT workouts take many forms, from 20 minutes of 30 seconds of tread sprints alternating with 30 seconds of walking, to time-based circuits of various movements. Basically, HIIT can be tailored to fit your timeframe, goals, fitness level, and fave types of exercise—running, weight lifting, cycling, you name it!—which is why it's become so popular.
Amato, for example, likes to create a circuit with moves like skaters, pushups, mountain climbers, and burpees. “You can choose exercises with either dumbbells or your bodyweight and make them more endurance- or strength-focused, depending on your goals,” she says.
What to Know About Tabata
Tabata, on the other hand, is actually a type of HIIT. It's named for coach Izumi Tabata, who first used the protocol to train athletes in 1996.
A true Tabata workout is just four minutes long (oh yeah, you read that right) and consists of 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 10 seconds of recovery, repeated eight times, explains trainer CJ Hammond, CPT.
Tabata found that athletes who performed these specific interval workouts five days per week for six weeks increased their anaerobic capacity (or ability to train at an intensity so high that the body can't use oxygen for fuel) more than those who trained more traditionally.
Looking for a quickie workout that'll light up your core? We've got you covered:
“Tabata is designed to elevate the heart rate to a high anaerobic zone while also giving the body a short window to recover,” explains Hammond. “It basically tries to hit the pinnacle of your anaerobic capacity."
Of course, to really spike your heart rate and get maximum benefits out of those four minutes, you've got to move fast and go as hard as possible. (Tip: You'll want to stick with exercises like burpees over biceps curls to really get your heart pumping.)
If you're feeling bold, you can even do multiple Tabata workouts back-to-back to create an eight- or 12-minute sweat sesh, Amato says.
What A Tabata Workout Looks Like
A simple tabata workout could consist of eight rounds of 20 seconds of burpees followed by 10 seconds of rest, Amato suggests. Or, you could choose one move for your first four rounds and another for your second four. Here are eight great Tabata exercises to get you started.
As with other HIIT workouts, you can select your exercises to suit your goals, she says. Want to build power? Try explosive exercises like a jump squat or tuck jump. Serious about getting stronger? Opt for a muscle-building move like burpees or pushups. If your aim is to increase your muscular endurance? You can't go wrong with mountain climbers. The only non-negotiables are the format and that you give it your all, effort-wise.
The Major Differences Between Tabata and HIIT
The two biggest differences between Tabata and your regular 'ol HIIT workout are the format and effort required.
“HIIT workouts are typically a bit longer (say, 10 to 30 minutes) and can feature all different intervals, such as 30 seconds on and 30 off, or 20 seconds on and 20 off,” explains Amato. With HIIT, you can also adjust the work-to-rest ratio depending on your fitness level, so if you need a minute to recover from that 30-second effort, go for it.
And about that effort level? While both workouts demand that you go hard, "HIIT’s level of max effort is about an eight out of 10, while Tabata’s is a definite nine," Hammond says.
For this reason, Tabata should absolutely feel more difficult than your standard HIIT sesh. In fact, if done correctly, it should feel like the hardest four minutes of your life, says Amato. (Since the rest periods in Tabata are so short, you won't be entirely recovered when you have to start going again.)
So, is one workout better than the other?
While Tabata seems tougher in the moment compared to HIIT, it isn't necessarily better. “They're both great to add into your workout routine to switch things up and improve both strength and endurance” says Amato. “Since both workouts force you to try to push your body out of your comfort zone and you’re working at 80 to 100 percent of your all-out max, you will increase your metabolism, burn calories, and see results."
“Personally, I enjoy HIIT workouts because you can include different effort intervals,” she explains. “For treadmill HIIT workouts, I prefer 30 seconds on, 30 second off—or one minute on, 30 seconds off. The best part is you can play around to find what works best for you."
However, if you're crazy crunched for time, Tabata is your most efficient bet because you’re done in *literally* four minutes.
Whichever workout you choose to include, you'll be doing your body and mind good.
Does that mean both HIIT and Tabata can help you lose weight?
If you're sweating with the goal of shedding fat, know this: “Both [Tabata and HIIT] have really great benefits, and can help you reach your fitness goals fast,” says Amato.
In fact, HIIT (which, remember, includes Tabata) can support healthy body composition changes, meaning muscle-building and fat loss, suggests research published in Obesity Reviews in 2017.
To get all the goods out of your training, Amato recommends building up your total workout time and intensity over the course of a few weeks and continuing to challenge yourself as you get stronger.
The bottom line: Tabata is a specific type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Both exercise protocols involve alternating between periods of hard effort and recovery. However, Tabata involves a specific work-to-rest interval of 20 seconds of effort followed by a 10-second break, repeated eight times for a total of four minutes.
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