TABATA vs HIIT

Tabata vs HIIT: What's the difference between these workouts?

What is Tabata?

Tabata is a type of HIIT-one subsection under the broad umbrella of high-intensity interval training that’s more specific in its interval timing and has shorter recovery periods. In a 4-minute tabata workout, you alternate between 20-second intervals of all-out (as in your 100-percent max) effort and 10-second intervals of rest for eight total rounds.

This 2-to-1 work-to-rest ratio is what makes tabata famous. It's designed to elevate your heart rate to a high anaerobic zone and give the body just a short window to recover. Basically, by pushing your body into the anaerobic zone (meaning it has to work too hard to use oxygen for fuel), you burn more calories both during and after your workout.

Tabata has been around for a bit. The protocol was developed by a researcher named Dr Izumi Tabata in Tokyo in 1996. He found that athletes who performed these extra-intense, four-minute interval workouts five days per week for six weeks increased their anaerobic capacity and VO2 Max (i.e. how much oxygen they could consume during exercise) more than athletes following other protocols. (They also experienced greater metabolism boosts.) And, voila, the tabata workout was born.

Tabata and HIIT are similar in a couple ways.

• Both focus on using maximum effort over short periods of time with only brief rest breaks.

• Both have been shown to burn fat, improve endurance and speed, and aid weight loss.

HIIT - High Intensive Interval Training

HIIT covers all types of interval training that involve a period of work followed by a period of rest. The work period can be a set time or number of repetitions. During the active phase, you exert yourself as hard as you can, even to the point of fatigue.

The times can vary, but usually, each interval lasts 2 to 3 minutes and the entire workout lasts 20 to 40 minutes. HIIT workouts can use bodyweight exercises, a stationary bike, or a treadmill. You can use equipment such as a kettlebell, a jump rope, or dumbbells.

Benefits of Each

Both traditional HIIT and Tabata workouts will yield amazing results. The goal of HIIT workouts is to spend minimal time gaining maximum muscular and cardiovascular benefits. Efficiency is key, making these workouts ideal if you don’t want to spend a lot of time exercising.

HIIT

During HIIT workouts, you engage muscle fibers that enhance definition. This type of activity helps your muscles rebuild after exercise by boosting testosterone production in men and the growth hormone in women. HIIT workouts also promoted new muscle growth, which offsets age-related muscle loss.

Other benefits of HIIT include:

• improved cardiovascular fitness

• decreased blood pressure

• lowered LDL (bad) and boosted HDL (good) cholesterol

• increased weight loss

• reduced abdominal and body fat

• increased strength

• improved insulin sensitivity

• improved endurance and stamina

Tabata

Tabata training offers many benefits. It:

• boosts metabolism

• is time-efficient

• boosts aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels

• increases lean muscle mass

• raises heart rate

According to a small 2013 studyTrusted Source, people who did a 20-minute Tabata session consisting of bodyweight and plyometric exercises improved their cardiorespiratory endurance. They burned more calories than the usual rate during normal exercise.

While Tabata brings many benefits, some people don’t find it pleasant. A 2015 studyTrusted Source found that Tabata training was significantly less enjoyable than other less intense types of exercise, especially as time progressed over the 8 weeks of the study.

While some people may enjoy high-intensity workouts more than others, keep in mind that you may prefer to find a form of exercise that’s more pleasurable to stick with it.

Which is Better?

HIIT and Tabata training will both yield great results. Both options are great for fat burning and muscle-building. Your results will depend on the specific exercises you do, how hard you work, and the duration of your workouts. You’ll also need to take into consideration your goals and fitness level.

With HIIT workouts, you can amp up the intensity by doing more rounds and more difficult exercises. These workouts are more flexible in terms of interval timing and repetitions.

Tabata workouts may be a better option if you’re a beginner or prefer shorter exercise routines. You can decide if you want to do one or several exercises.

The workouts can be adapted to suit most fitness levels. They’re designed to yield results in the fastest amount of time. The shorter recovery periods will make the workout more intense. Plus, you’re working yourself to the point of exhaustion, which makes the workout more demanding.

Bottom line: There's a time, a place, and a reason for both in your fitness life. Tabata is a great stepping stone. If you're short on time or maybe just getting into an exercise routine, four minutes is all you need to get a great workout. Then as you get stronger, you can graduate to lengthier HIITs and do more rounds with more complex moves to really challenge yourself.