What if I told you that you could get all the fat burning benefits of an hour long cardio session in just 4 minutes? Sounds easy, but there is a slight catch. You have to exercise harder and more intensely than you ever have before. Still with me? Then Tabata may be the program youve been looking for.

The Tabata protocol is named after Izumi Tabata, a former researcher at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan. Tabata evaluated a high intensity interval training routine developed by the coach of the Japanese speed skating team. The athletic routine consisted of 20 seconds of maximum sprinting, followed by a 10 second rest period. This is repeated for 6-8 sets for a total of 4 minutes.

Now this may sound easy on paper, but once you sprint all out for 20 seconds and have almost no time to rest, you get winded very easily. In fact, many people report feeling queasy after finishing the entire cycle. The original plan was, of course, created for some of the top athletes in the world. Some of the worlds finest and most in-shape athletes are speed skaters, yet some of the Japanese speed skating team found they had to quit after just 6 intervals when they started this routine. I can perform 4-6 intervals at maximum velocity but see a slowdown for the last 2-4 intervals. While I still gave those last 2-4 intervals my maximum effort, the effort given in the first 2-4 intervals was more intense because I hadnt grown tired yet at that point.

If youre like most people, then youve probably heard that you have to work out on a treadmill or elliptical for a minimum of 20 minutes before you start to burn any fat. What makes this 4 minute routine so effective then? The secret to the success of these short intensity workouts is the after burn effect which forces your body to continue burning calories for several hours after youve ended the workout. This happens because you burn off all your glycogen (carbs) during the workout leaving only fat for your body to burn. Additionally, the Tabata protocol has been shown to increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity while moderate intensity cardio only increases aerobic capacity.

One great feature of the Tabata protocol is that it can be used on any number of exercises. I tend to only perform these high intensity intervals using cardio exercises, but you could easily use weights or bodyweight exercises. In 20 seconds you just need to do as many reps as you can safely do. Then just take that 10 second rest period and do it again. If you are using weights be sure to go light on the weight because this can really be intense.

Though the Tabata protocol itself takes a mere 4 minutes, you should also leave time for both a warm up and cool down period. I usually warm up for 4 5 minutes. I will also usually cool down for about 1-2 minutes before drinking some water and catching my breath. All together, it takes about 10 minutes each time. Like most people, I try to set aside more than 10 minutes for my workout, so I usually fill the rest of the time with a steady cardio workout. Your glycogen levels will be reduced and fatty acids will be released when you use the Tabata protocol. Steady state cardio can burn those fatty acids and take advantage of your bodys low glycogen levels to really burn off fat. In this manner, the Tabata protocol can provide the best fat burning cardio workout.

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