TABATA TIME

If you’re looking to ease your body into high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or you’re simply craving a HIIT fix on the go, you’ll find these short Tabata workouts provide the perfect challenge.

These simple yet effective Tabata-style HIIT workouts involve 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of recovery. It’s a formula that’s often dubbed the “miracle workout”, as the short bursts of maximum effort followed by brief breaks for recovery promote fat burn and improve endurance and speed.

TABATA #1

Combining backward stepping lunges, running on the spot and lateral skaters, this 4-minute Tabata challenge is a great low-impact introduction to HIIT.

TABATA #2

During this 4-minute challenge, you’ll raise your heart rate with a combo of squats, mountain climbers and jumping jacks.

TABATA #3

This 7-minute challenge mixes backward stepping lunges, running on the spot and lateral skaters with squats, mountain climbers and jumping jacks.

TABATA #4

This 7-minute challenge features step back burpees, ladder runs and squat jumps as well as mountain climbers, air jacks and lateral shuffles.

How to get maximum results in minimum time:

• Go hard – you should be breathless and your muscles burning. Science indicates that pushing your maximum heart rate to above 90 percent is what drives results
• Stop if you need to – if you absolutely can’t go on it’s okay to stop to catch your breath (it highlights that you’ve been pushing your body to your max!)
• Make the most of the recoveries – so you’re ready to go hard during the next interval.

“There is no free lunch. If you’re wanting the benefits of short burst exercise you need to go hard.” Dr Martin Gibala, global HIIT expert

DID YOU KNOW? The name “Tabata” comes from exercise scientist Izumi Tabata, and his 1996 research which highlighted how this training structure proved to more effectively improve athletes’ metabolism and anaerobic capacity than longer less intense training.

Tabata is just one style of HIIT. Here is where you can learn more about how adding HIIT to your training will transform your fitness. You can experience more Tabata challenges and a variety of other HIIT methods when you do a LES MILLS GRIT workout. Discover the science behind how LES MILLS GRIT helps the fit get fitter.

Bryce Hastings, Les Mills Head of Research, says you’ll get the best results from LES MILLS GRIT if you start with a good base level of fitness. “In order to get your body used to exercise and your fitness level up, we recommend 6-12 weeks of consistent moderate intensity exercise. Remember, when you’re just starting out, frequency is more important than intensity, so take it slow and try to form some habits that will stick.”

“On those days when you’re time-pressed and you might otherwise blow off a workout because you only have ten minutes, interval training can be a really good choice that can help maintain, and ideally boost your fitness.” Dr Martin Gibala, global HIIT expert.

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