What Are Tabata Sprints?
As you probably already know, we’re big on sprinting around here for a number of reasons. First of all, sprints most closely emulate the type of activity Grok would have performed. You know – slowly stalking and hunting an animal for hours at a time (the constant, steady movement I prescribe) only to erupt with an intense burst of speed for the final kill (the sprint). Then he’d have to lug the thing back to camp (deadlifts, squats, and other high-intensity weight bearing training). Sprints are great because they are exactly the type of movement that man has been making for hundreds of thousands of years. Why mess with a good thing?
Second, modern science has confirmed that Grok’s mode of exercise is actually the most efficient and effective. The chronic cardio crowd still has plenty of sway (as evidenced by the post-New-Year’s-eve legions of overweight joggers shambling down the streets with pained looks on their faces), but it’s getting difficult to ignore facts. We now know that high-intensity interval sprinting (think Grok stalking and then pouncing, stalking then pouncing) is far more effective at burning fat and maintaining – or even building – lean muscle mass than the moderate jog-ten-miles-a-day training espoused by so many “experts.” And for that, we have one Dr. Izumi Tabata to thank. Actually, I’d like to thank Grok, first and foremost, but Dr. Tabata helped legitimize this particular brand of exercise to a population otherwise skeptical and addicted to chronic cardio.
Tabata’s findings from a 1996 study on moderate and high-intensity interval training helped legitimize a movement – away from chronic cardio and toward high-intensity workouts. He showed that high-intensity intermittent training actually improves both anaerobic (intensity and muscle building) and aerobic (slower, oxygen consuming) body systems, while aerobic exercise only improves aerobic systems. Of course, these findings would come as no surprise to anyone who’s ever done burpees to exhaustion, or followed a CrossFit WOD, or run beach sprints (wink). Many fitness buffs undoubtedly suspected that killing yourself in short bursts of speed was doing something right, but until Tabata’s research, there wasn’t much vocal opposition in the fitness community to the idea that low and slow was the way to go (apologies for that rhyme).
Tabata’s study even spawned a specific training method: the Tabata. Quite simple and effective, a Tabata session consists of twenty seconds of maximum output, followed by ten seconds of rest, repeated eight times without pause for a total of four minutes. Any exercise will work (running, cycling, burpees, jump rope, squats, etc.) Doing Tabata sprints is perhaps the most rewarding – and physically taxing – way to spend those four minutes.
Run as far and as fast as you can for those twenty seconds. Some like running in straight lines to see how far down or how many times around the track they can make it in four minutes. I like to run back and forth, because it gives me the opportunity to map my progress as I go. On the return trip, I try to make it back to the previous starting position. Keep this up, and you’ll be eternally motivated to defeat your best sprints. When I find myself making it back to the starting position each time, I know I’m not going as hard as I can, so I push myself. Be sure to keep track of your time and go hard.
You can technically perform Tabata sprints anywhere: up a hill (for extra kick), on a track, wearing a weight vest (for Primal pros), in the snow (but wear shoes, please), on a trail (watch out for roots and rocks), even on a treadmill (and since you’re timing yourself, this might actually work fairly well – keep in mind, though, that you’ll be flailing and sweating like a madman, so don’t do this in a crowded early-evening gym), but I prefer doing it on the beach. That way, you have the option of running in dry sand (with the bonus – or punishment, some would say – of more give and harder work) or the slightly forgiving wet sand. Whichever you choose, your joints will thank you for not pounding them on hard concrete, and, well, you’re on the beach (isn’t that enough? Sorry, inlanders). There’s also the added bonus (again, some might say punishment) of getting an extra workout from traversing the uneven and varied surfaces on the beach (dunes, dips, inclines, sand castles… kidding).
The best thing about Tabata sprints, in my honest opinion? They only take four minutes to complete. Four minutes. There’s simply no excuse (save injury) not to try them, so drop what you’re doing and get out there and sprint!
I’ll close this post with a video so you know what’s in store for you:
Further Reading:
Did Grok Really Eat that Much Meat?
Would Grok Chow the Cheese Plate?
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
You do a disservice to the protocol. The research was done at 170 VO2max. Doing 20/10 is fine but it isn’t Tabata unless you are well over 100% VO2max.
Don’t be so anal, dude.
If I remember the original study, it compared shorter and longer duration sprints – something like 6 seconds and 20 seconds, and the rise in HGH was measured and found to be superior in the longer sprints. However, I have never seen any studies pushing that even further – say one all-out sprint of as long as possible (perhaps 40 seconds to a minute). Has anyone come across any relevant research on that?
I’ve never seen actual documentation of it. However, as I think I’ve stated, the ONLY time I’ve ever been ripped up in my life, and I started bodybuilding at 16, was in my early 20s, and I did 30:30′s. I gained some 16 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks on a 1250 calorie diet at the time. So, my personal anecdotal evidence would seem to confirm what you’re saying. But that’s speculative.
“I gained some 16 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks on a 1250 calorie diet at the time.”
I’m sorry, but I just don’t believe you. I honestly don’t think that’s possible. 1250 calories / day is not enough to maintain an exercising adult, let alone put on any weight. Fat can’t be converted into muscle, muscle’s got to be produced from food, so even if you were burning through your body fat to sustain you energetically I’m pretty sure you’d be so far into keto there’s no way you could continue to put on muscle without serious amounts of anabolic steroids.
All this is, of course, moot, if you’re a 4ft tall woman on roids. In which case I apologise for my insensitivity.
This stuff kills you! In a good way. I do it with a jump rope as it’s too cold outside right now here in Dutchieland, but it still takes a couple of minutes to get your breath back afterwards!
So, I tried Tabata Sprints for the first time yesterday – good lord, the pain!
I feel like I performed very well, as I was doing the back-and-forth approach to gauge my performance on running back to where I started
But afterward I felt like my eardrums wanted to burst, and that my teeth were being pulled out of my gums.
My jaw felt sore, and I could’t take full, deep, breathes until about 10 minutes after I was done.
I’m ok now, but just curious if this sort of sensation is normal.
I’ve been doing Primal for a good 5-6 months now, and love it, but I’ve hit a plateau with my physique.
I’m in good shape, but I want to be more cut up, so I’m thinking of upping my sprints to 2-3 times a week – so this felt like the optimal way to do it.
I’ve also no incorporated the heavy lifting into my lifestyle yet – but I do spent a lot of time training Muay Thai and conditioning for that. Which is whyI find it hard to find more time.
Perhaps my not lifting heavy weights it contributing to this plateau as well?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
It is also noteworthy that Tabata compared 30s 200% VO2 max intervals (IE2) with 2 min rest with ‘Tabata’ 20/10 170% VO2 max intervals(IE1).
http://static.scribd.com/docs/i5jot8izlddl8.pdf
Money quote:
” … neither the anaerobic nor aerobic systems seemed to be fully stressed during IE2. Therefore, for the purpose of improving both the anaerobic and aerobic energy releasing systems, IE1 seems superior to IE2.”
My personal experience, as a 45 yr old currently reforming fatty who switched from 4X jogging/wk to 2X sprints:
-Tabata is really just an ideal at this point. 20 seconds full intensity, sheesh, I do around 100m back and forth and sprint for perhaps 5s on each one.
-more of a fartlek, running walking sprinting, depending on how it feels. I end up more sore and yet more invigorated. Instead of a distance goal, I try to focus on keeping up the oxygen debt and going 100% out on the sprints.
-Starting to hate dogs. Many dog owners don’t seem to realize or care how dangerous and distracting it is to have a mutt nipping at my heels when I’m trying to sprint at top speed. I’ve had plenty of dogs and know they love to chase things but I don’t appreciate a workout damaged by a dog chasing me.
-I ran 200m and 400m in high school and consider myself more of a natural sprinter than distance runner. But I’d decided those days were long gone. Now I look forward to doing sprints as opposed to hitting some distance/week.
Just tried Tabata intervals last week. Wow.
I’m in pretty good shape, having bicycled pretty regularly for the last 10 years or so, and having run the stairs in my workplace (18 floors x 5 times) once or twice a week for the last couple of years. But this is something else.
Tabatas are amazing. So much effort, for such a short time. I do one set of eight, followed by a set of 8 bicycle crunches. I feel great the rest of the day! I don’t know if the routine is going to help my bike riding, but who cares — this is so clearly a great workout.
I wanted to start doing some Tabata sprints, but I thought it’d be hard to count 20 seconds while I was running as hard as I could.
So now there’s an app for that:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tabata-sprinter/id368426933?mt=8
It plays a panther noise to tell you to start running (hopefully telling your instincts that you need some extra adrenaline for a bit); then, it plays a whistle to tell you it’s time to rest.
You can configure how many sets, and how long the sprint & rest durations are.
Try it out and let me know if you like it!
I dont think anybody is going to beat the Kenyan runners doing Tabata workouts. Or Michael Phelps.
Here is some great advice for you guys trying to lean up or get “cut.” You do it with your DIET! These sprints are great for your overall health, but do very little for fat loss. Exercise in general does very little to nothing for fat loss. Think of exercise as a way to a healthier and more athletic look.
Fat loss boils down to one thing. Calories in and calories burned. Don’t believe me? There are plenty of real life examples of bed ridden people who have lost many pounds and cannot even move! Now let’s do the math. 3500 cals = 1 pound of fat. These sprints will burn maybe 300-500 cals. If you hit the max 500 cals, you will have to do them 7 days a week to just burn off 1 pound of fat. It’s much easier to lower your per day calories 250-500 a day. That would be roughly 1 less serving of rice or potatoes a day! Our ulture just simply eats too much. I am “leaning” down and avg 1500 cals a day. My energy is fine and my strength is fine all the while I am still putting on muscle. Educate yourself on how many calories you are shoving down the ole pie hole everyday. Soon you will have a very good idea range of how many calories you are consuming a day without much thought to it. If you want no bull$hit advice on leaning down and looking good take a look at Adonis Lifestyle on Facebook.
So if I eat 2500 calories a day to maintain my weight (no weight ganed over a long period of time) and then continue to eat 2500 calories a day but start doing workouts that burn 500 calories I won’t lose weight?
Such nonsense.
Feeding the troll here, I guess…
Clearly you haven’t read any of the rest of this website, which contends that in fact there is more to weight loss (and far more importantly, being healthy) than calories in vs. calories out. Yes, you can lose weight that way- it’s called starvation (in its most literal definition) and it’s not pleasant. I’m inclined to agree that cal in vs cal out is a vast over-simplification; thermic effects and the incredibly complex homeostatic workings of the body can render that logic completely inaccurate. For example, coal has many, many calories in it, but you couldn’t live off it and would probably starve trying to do so.
Tabatas are, it has been empirically shown, an excellent way of increasing CV fitness and endurance. That’s what this blog post is for- nothing more, nothing less.
I’ve been doing Tabatas for over a year and now I start every workout with 10-12 minutes of Tabatas either on a row machine, Precor AMT, or gym cycle. I reaching the big 4-0 so those give me a good quick low-impact cardio start-up, then I do weights and end with about 20 minutes of low-intensity cardio. I lost 30 lbs last year, and have kept it off. Diet of course is key, but if you also want good cardio, strength, flexibility (yoga once a week), diet alone won’t get you there. As someone said earlier, Tabatas or any type of HIIT gives the best bang for the buck, especially if you hate long-distance running like me and don’t have tons of time to spend working out. Diet wise the best plan I’ve seen is “Eat to Live” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. So that’s what has worked for me, and still works.
I have had great success with Tabatas! I really appreciate the increased explosiveness they have given me when sprinting.
This is just like (Guerilla Cardio), I love it!
I’ve been eating (mostly) primally for the last 6 months. I’ve recently introduced Intermittent Fasting and occasional bodyweight exercises. I would like to introduce sprinting as well, and Tabata sprints look quite efficient (which I need with my schedule). Would you recommend a day of rest between these or could they be done daily?
I am by no means an expert, but I think most advocates of high intensity interval training (HIIT) regimes like Tabatas suggest no more than twice a week. You need to allow your body to recover between training sessions.
I’m looking for a Tabata workout that can be done indoors…something like squats, like Mark says on Primal Blueprint Fitness e-book (p.71 for detail’s sake).
…so I basically do the full-squats as fast as I can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat 8 times? Kind of worried that doing fast-forward-motion squats wouldn’t be so joint-friendly…?
Any idea how to do proper ‘in-door’ Tabata routines?
Thanks Groks:)
P.S. I avoid traditional running because of feet problems (over-pronation, apparently)…honestly I think those insoles prescribed by the foot doctors only made my life worse.
I’d love to do pool-sprints/pool workouts to reduce strain on joints, but no pool near me…or beach for that matter :/
Hi Mark,
Does sprinting make your thighs bulk up?
I have a lot of fat on my outer thighs (I’m 5’6 and 120 lbs) and despite exercising twice a week am unable to get rid of it. Do you recommend sprinting?
You can see my first an article about HIIT and the video of my first attempt at it on this page:
http://guythehealthypaleoguy.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/oops-i-did-it-again-hiit-me/
The rate that Tabatas increases aerobic fitness was one of the highest to be reported. Just 4 minutes per session produces amazing results
Nitpick:
You say Grog would’ve exercised in the Tabata way, and also that Tabatas burn more fat than long cardio.
Wouldn’t Grog have wanted body fat? I know he’s just a rhetorical device, but still, it seemed like a disconnect in the argument.
(Full disclosure: I love me some Tabata sprints, even though I’m not a sufficient sample size to know if they’re better for fat loss).
I wrote a new Android app for timing your Tabata sprints, called Tabata Sprinter.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.vikinghammer.tabata
It costs 99 cents, and lets you specify the length of the sprint/rest intervals, as well as the number of sprints. It plays sounds to tell you when to start and stop.
And it lets you sign up for a web service that stores each sprint when you finish it: it records the sprint/rest duration, the number of sprints, and the time at which you finished.
I hope you like it!
I have never heard of this method prior to reading this but I have incorporated interval training into my workouts, typically doing 1 minute as hard as possible on the treadmill followed by 1 minute at around an 11 minute pace.
Just started doing this. Pushing myself just to the brink of failure. Not pushing past it though. However I’m having troubles with them due to the fact that a little while after doing them I get a headache and feel like vomiting.(much like basic military training where you force run and throwup). Any advice Mark?
I found an app in the iTunes app store called “Tabata Timer”, which has a very clean interface for timing your Tabata intervals. As I write this, they’re giving it away for free. I used it for my sprint workout today and found it really helpful. If anyone wants to check it out it’s located here:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tabata-timer/id391275156?mt=8
p.s. I’m not the developer of this app, I just wanted to share with everyone, haha
Just did some tabata last night. First time, got 5 full out sprints before, what i can only imagine death to feel like, type pain consumed me.
I’d consider myself very fit, and this is a tough workout.
It’s gonna be tabata tuesdays from here on out with 2 HIITs scattered b/t the week and 2 longer steady staters for my cardio progression.
I LOVE these! I usually do a couple of cycles on a stationary bike, uphill & downhill
shortest, most effective workout ever! Got to try this in the park…
I have been doing Tabata Sprints one day a week and the “Big 5 Workout” from Body By Science once a week for about four months now. I’m 43 and am in the best shape I have been in since I was 30.
I did this for the first time today, except not with straight line sprints. I did it in my house with a combo of knees to the chest jumps (after 3 sets, I couldn’t jump anymore), and then just running in place with high knees. The key is to go FULL intensity on whatever exercise you choose. I was dead by the end, and Im pretty sure my heart rate was up for like 10 mins even after I finished. It’s now 30 mins after I finished and I still feel my body hasn’t quite settled down, so it totally makes sense these burn as much as running for 20 mins.
I’m definitely incorporating these in 2 days a week going forward. Will also be nice to cut down on my gym time during the week.
Do these on the eliptical with the level turned to max. I can make just over five minutes before my legs say “enough of this madness!”
Now I know what people mean when they say you can build muscle on an eliptical.