Think Combat

WARNING! The workouts contained here are genuinely only appropriate if you already regularly train, and want something hardcore to really push you to the next level.

Tabata workouts are the holy grail of workouts – short, brutal, and effective. With just four minutes of exercise you can speed up your metabolism for the rest of the day, which then works away to burn calories and make you fitter.

After incorporating Tabata regularly into my routine, I’ve played around with the concept, applying it to a different ideas and found some great variations, especially whilst practising martial arts.

Where Does Tabata Come From?

Tabata came about as a result of the research of Dr. Izumi Tabata and his Tokyo team who, in 1996, showed that a certain type of interval training could boost anaerobic capacity by 28% and V02 Max (the ability to burn oxygen) by 14% – in only 6 weeks! Those 4 minutes a day are worth the equivalent to more than an hour of normal ‘endurance’ style cardio. Impressive, wouldn’t you say?

When these results were published in the journal ‘Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise’, they immediately made the practical leap to countless training regimes.

What’s the Method?

A Tabata workout sounds simple – 20 seconds of maximum effort of an exercise, followed by 10 seconds rest. Repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes exercise.

Simple, huh? Just wait until you try it…

The exercises are usually cardio based, such as cycling, burpees, jump rope, bodyweight squats, etc. Pretty much any exercise that won’t put you in danger if you lose your form is possible (I wouldn’t recommend the deadlift, for example). My personal favourite happens to be the ‘burpee with push-up’, as it hits all the major muscle groups.

Try to use exercises that use as many muscles as possible, and remember, it’s not about getting a specific number of reps, but doing as many as humanly possible in the time you’ve got. Push yourself to the limit every time.

Why is it So Great?

What, you mean apart from hugely upping your metabolic rate and phenomenally increasing your anaerobic and V02 max levels?

Well, another reason is that it’s strict structure allows no time wasting and no compromise. Unlike working out at the gym, you can’t just wander round and have a chat in between sets, or dawdle at the water-cooler. You’ve just got 10 seconds to rest, and trust me, you’ll only be able to use that time to gasp air into your lungs and sweat.

This brings together a workout that’s faster, more effective and that lets you walk (or crawl) away at the end knowing that you gave that workout your all.

What About Us Martial Artists?

The Tabata workout just seemed so good that I couldn’t help but wonder if I could adapt it to help my martial training. After playing around for a while, I found a few variations:

You’ve Been Tabata’d:

For these, use strict Tabata structure, 20 seconds maximum speed and power, and then 10 seconds total rest. Repeat 8 times.

• Drills. Any combinations you might have, work them Tabata style on the heavy bag or with a partner and focus pads! Psych yourself up as if it’s a real confrontation, and go absolutely nuts on those pads. Every style that uses strikes has combinations, from boxing to tae kwon do. Use prearranged drills or go freestyle and see what kind of blistering attack you can come out with. If you’ve got something to prove, you can give yourself and your partners a killer workout by choosing five drills / combos to work on, and then Tabata them one after another for a total of 20 minutes of hell that you won’t forget in a hurry!

• Techniques. The same structure as with the drills above, pick a technique that you’re working on and Tabata it. It can be a single strike on a bag, ie a roundhouse kick, or a takedown in MMA. Obviously if you have a partner, tell him what you’re up to or things might get a little confused. This has the advantages of really focusing on one specific technique and ingraining it, and learning to use it correctly even when you’re exhausted.

Four More Tabata Tips

1. Keep thinking of ways to apply Tabata to your current workouts and training to make them more efficient – remember, less time, better results.
2. Psych yourself up – when you’re in your 10 seconds of rest, don’t mentally collapse in a soggy heap, tell yourself how tired you feel or how much your legs feel like jelly – give yourself some positive prep talk so you can explode into the next round. Mental atitude is everything when you’re pushing yourself to the limit.
3. Keep score. If you’re training as with a partner or with a group, it helps to motivate you all if you can keep a score for each Tabata exercise. Keep count of the reps you do in each 20 second work period, your lowest number in the 8 periods is your score. Try to beat your own previous best and others’.
4. A big wall clock with a second hand is useful so you don’t keep having to look at your watch.

Good luck Tabata’ing, and let me know if you’ve got any ways of applying the Tabata principle to your training.

Related posts:

1. The 20 minute / 1000+ Rep Bodyweight Workout