the tabata method.

[koltz]

There was an interesting article over T-nation about what looked like a 4 minute 8 set cycle which was supposed to be an interesting way to train for strength-endurance and do a lot of volume in a short time thus trigger some anabolic reaction with lesser load and burn calories, sounds interesting ,
the method, named after what seems to be soem sort of japaneese trainer was pretty simple(I swear if would do something like that on my own i'd just call it an 8 set cycle) extreamly flexible and very tiring

Anyway enough mindfucking, the idea is something like this:

Pick up a compound excersise (in the article squat with two dumbell swings and front squats were suggested I think stuff like muscle ups burpees or a combination of a pullup and squat thrust one after another could work)

1.in 20 secunds do it for as many reps as you can
2.rest 10 secunds
3.repeat 7 times. (total of 4 min)

Now this could be VERY effective for body weight workout , sicne most of them are low resistance stuff like pushups and the like , instead of doing your max for 4 sets and burning out get your muscles do a lot of work in short time and switch to the next excersise ,

for example starting on your weakest link say shoulders kicking into a wall (infact this could improove your getting into a handstand technique, making it more comfident) and getting 5 quick pushups , resting , doing the cycle the moving on to chest back legs core etc..
in my opinion it's way more effective then maxing out for a few mere sets with a low load...

anyone into trying this? I am sure I will

Thanks for posting this.
Do the 8 sets have to be of the same thing or different thing?
Can it be 8 totally different exercises?

[koltz]

Nope , should be 8 sets of the same excersies which is about 4 minutes.

here is the original article:
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-046-training

http://www.ppsw.rug.nl/~gladwin/rhythman/rhythman.html
hmm , a nifty timing applet... I know at least 5 people and 10 more online who could really use it while grinding thier life away at thoose MMORPG games

[Baofuhaibo]

How are you getting away with cursing on a forum requiring you to be 13 to join?

[koltz]

How are you getting away with cursing on a forum requiring you to be 13 to join?
What did you mean please explain yourself?

[Baofuhaibo]

mindfucking

You must be at least 13 to be a member of this site. I only assumed this meant "no foul language". I have no problem with it, sorry if I'm wrong.

[koltz]

I'm 17 for the first time today actually.

and I don't think slipping a swear without aiming it at nobody should get me off this site, anyway let's not go off topic ,

[seraphyne1]

tabata is a great protocol but don't do it eg every day. On crossfit they have several times great tabata workouts. eg tabata pushups, followed by tabata situps, tabata pull ups and tabata squats and you are finished (literally and figurely) in 16 minutes. (who says I have no time to workout and cover everything?).

I have eg also done it with cable thrusters (squat followed by an overhead press using rubber cables for resistance) and that was killer also. I first did some pushups, than the tabata thrusters ending with tabata squats using the portable power jumper. It is not the time you workout but the effort you put inside.

Another shorty you can do (I get a lot of ideas from crossfit, which I turn a bit around using the equipment I have (mainly strands and cables).
7 rounds of:
- 1 minute thrusters
- 1 minute pushups

Do these sets straight after each other, trying to keep rest as short as possible. (I have to be honest, after a few sets I needed to rest) and the last few sets do not expect to do lots of reps.

Now I am writing these down it comes to my mind I should start using these kinds of circuits again. Hmmm have to set my mind to work to get some more ideas and look at some old files from me on the pc as I have somewhere written those routines down.

(Sorry if I wandered a bit off the original topic but TABATA's are great but use them wisely, eg 2 times a week).

[koltz]

You actually put it back to place ( props for that)

I wodner if doing isometric holds would be a good idea during circuits, your heart doesn't work so hard during an isometric hold you build more strength endurance and get more ass busting for the buck...

In terms of isometric holds, I don't think you even need a break in between. Just go from one to another. Plank to hoarse stance to iso push ups, to superman etc. They are slightly annoying though. Plus you must choose hard one's cause 20 secons of push up hold or hoarse stance in not a big deal.

[seraphyne1]

Another option might be to use isometric holds during the rest periods if doing circuits. This saves time and the rest is active rest. eg if you rest period is 1 minute and you do a 1 minute plank hold the core gets a good workout. If you do 10 rounds you do 10 minutes of planks. (think of that, instead of 10 minutes of rest you have 10 minutes of good core training).

[koltz]

Another option might be to use isometric holds during the rest periods if doing circuits. This saves time and the rest is active rest. eg if you rest period is 1 minute and you do a 1 minute plank hold the core gets a good workout. If you do 10 rounds you do 10 minutes of planks. (think of that, instead of 10 minutes of rest you have 10 minutes of good core training).
that was what I suggested , I was misunderstood by officer...


Talking about active rest theres another method to training , more aerobic oriented which seems to bring the heart rate to crazy levels and not get you so sore if you overdo it a bit.It's called HOC (High octane cardio)
and you basically do semi sprints for a minute(The best use of it is with a jump rope although a running track, a more effective aplication when training groups of people and a boxing bag , might be somewhat effective to prapare people for the fatiuge of a fight and the fact they need to break through it)

It doesn't build strength/endurance as much as tabata , it's more endurance based but much more effective at it and at getting hert rate up(you literally feel the heart struggling , not such a good idea for the elderly i couldn't stand straight after a 10 minute all out hoc session for like 5 minutes and was dead fatiuged a lot more afterwards BUT I wasn't sore like after a tabata session)

Ill give an example with a jump rope:
1. 1-2 min of dubble unders / 100-150 dubble unders
2.10-20 burpees
3.1-2 min of yet mroe dubble unders
4.crunches to pushups 10 - 15 reps
5.1-2 mroe min of work
6.10 muscle ups (or whatever balistic compound movement at it it's good to preform tabata thrusters or snatches if you got dumbells)
7.2 minute cool down (slow rope work)

Just do it get lil dizzy , lie on the ground for a few minutes try to get up soak the sweat with soem towel take a bath and you aren't sore for the next day and done a good job,

At some point you can't keep that level of low rep endurance for long.
Also is it possible that you need to may be have longer intervals of rest and than shorten them as you get more conditioned.

[koltz]

10-20 is mid rep , and it just works you don't hit faliure but it's hard to keep going , both hoc and tabata , also notice that during hoc you don't do 10 reps in 20 secunds u got all the time u need

[the_abyss]

So I applied the Tabata method to my workout the other day. Now there is adding spice to your workout, then there is adding NAPALM to it!

Needless to say it was an awesome workout, but I just could not manage to do 8 sets.....I thought my arms were gonna drop off by the end of it ;)

I'll probably use the Tabata method once a week (I do my bodyweight workout 3 times a week).

Thanks for posting this, it certainly makes things a bit more interesting.

CraiG