Reviewed By | Dr. Elizabeth Karmen Gregg
Reviewed By | Dr. Elizabeth Karmen Gregg
PhD in Integrative And Functional Medicine | Swolverine Medical Review Board
Dr. Karmen is a clinical nutritionist, researcher, and educator specializing in hormonal health and functional nutrition for women in the prenatal, postpartum, and reproductive stages. With over a decade of experience in clinical and academic settings, she integrates evidence-based science with patient-centered care to help women achieve optimal hormonal balance and lifelong wellness.

No time or place to workout? Perfect! Tabata burpees are the ultimate 4-minute total body workout designed to test your endurance, fatigue, and to shred body fat, especially when you’re pinched on time or equipment. Best of all? We have an entire Tabata burpee workout for you in this article where you can compete directly with Swolverine Athlete, Mitch Wagner, a 3 time CrossFit® Regionals Competitor, to see if you can beat his Tabata burpee time!

What Does Tabata Stand For?

Tabata stands for “tough absurd beast training a…” okay we’re kidding. Tabata actually refers to Dr. Izumi Tabata! Dr. Tabata is a world-renowned professor and Dean of the College of Sport and Health Science at Ritsumeikan University in Japan and a former National Institutes of Health (NIH) researcher, who is responsible for researching and proving the health benefits of Tabata style training (20 second of work, 10 seconds of rest) back in 1996. The Tabata protocol is named after Dr. Tabata and is used worldwide across many sports and training modalities. 

Where Did Tabata Come From?

Tabata style training originated in Japan, thanks to the research of Dr. Tabata, who was also the head coach of the Japanese speed skating team at the time. He focused specifically on testing the Tabata protocol, analyzing the efficacy of the team's training program, which was uniquely characterized by various rotations between short rest periods and short bursts of intense activity (the Tabata protocol that we’re familiar with using today!). [R]

Tabata Burpees - Swolverine

What Are Tabata Workouts Good For?

Unlike many training modalities, health and fitness trends and claims, Tabata training (and Tabata Burpees) are backed by substantiated claims and scientific evidence, as collected by Dr. Tabata and his colleagues. [R] Their studies have found that intermittent exercise works both aerobic and anaerobic systems, greatly benefiting individuals across the spectrum of fitness, from beginners to expert athletes. Better yet? They found that you can receive just as much benefit from a Tabata workout as you can from longer, high-intensity workouts, saving you tons of time.

Tabata Burpees - SwolverineImage Courtesy of Ritsumeikan University

Key Findings Of Tabata Training Research

  • HIIT training focused around the Tabata Protocol (20 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest, for 4 total minutes) will improve both aerobic and anaerobic systems [R]

  • The Tabata Protocol (4 minutes) is the only scientifically proven to train both aerobic capacity and VO2 max at the same time [R]

What Is Tabata Training?

There are two main fuel systems in the human body that fuel athletic performance: Aerobic and Anaerobic. The aerobic system is great for building up an athlete or individual's stamina, while the anaerobic system is the engine for our power. [R] Tabata training is a simple, effective, and proven method of training that maximizes both of these systems through 8 intervals of 20 seconds-all-out intensity exercise followed by a brief 10 seconds of immediate rest.

TABATA Burpees AMRAP With SWOLVERINE Athlete MITCH WAGNER

Now that you know how effective Tabata training is, we challenge you to try and beat Swolverine Athlete Mitch Wagner in this Tabata Burpee AMRAP to Tabata Songs Mix “Rocky”.

How many reps will YOU get!?

Video Courtesy of Connor Limbocker filmed at CrossFit Oregon City, Oregon

Looking to take your training to the next level? Check out The RX STACK from Swolverine - a clinically dosed and verified pre-workout supplement stack designed to help you increase strength, endurance, and improve recovery times. Click the image to learn more!

 

 


SWOLVERINE IS AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE BRAND. MADE FOR THE ELITE ATHLETE, AND THE STRONG-WILLED OUR PRODUCTS WERE DESIGNED TO FUEL YOUR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. WE PERFORM WHEN YOU PERFORM.

We believe that everyone can optimize not only their athletic performance but their human potential. The way we believe we can optimize performance is through transparency, clinically effective doses, and clinically proven ingredients with evidence-based outcomes. We provide the nutrients you need to power your active lifestyle.


References:
Tabata I, Irisawa K, Kouzaki M, Nishimura K, Ogita F, Miyachi M. Metabolic profile of high intensity intermittent exercises. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;29(3):390-5.
Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28(10):1327-30.

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