Your four-minute BODY BLAST

Want to get fit fast? Tabata is the workout you need now!

Gone are the days when we had to slog away for 60 minutes a day to get results. Scientifically devised for the Japanese Olympic speed skating team no less, Tabata is now big news around the world – and with four-minute sessions, we can totally see why. Exercise scientist Brooke Turner from Balance Fitness and Nutrition gives us the lowdown…

WHAT IS TABATA TRAINING?

Tabata training was discovered by a Japanese scientist, Dr Izumi Tabata, and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Each exercise in a Tabata workout lasts only four minutes, but at the time it will feel a lot longer! It goes like this:

•Work at maximum effort for 20 seconds.

•Rest for 10 seconds (this is one set).

•Complete eight sets (four minutes total).

All up, you’ll complete eight sets of each exercise and you can do almost any exercise that you wish – using bodyweight or equipment.

The Tabata training method works due to its high-intensity nature – it falls into the HIIT workout category. That means it can help you burn more calories in a shorter period while also providing an ‘after-burn’ effect known as EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption), meaning you continue to burn energy after the workout is over.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS?