The Fastest, Most Effective Fat Burning Cardio Workout

What if I told you that you could get all the fat burning benefits of an hour long cardio session in just 4 minutes? What's the downside? You have to exercise harder and more intensely than you ever have before. Still with me? Then I'd like to introduce you to the Tabata protocol.

The Tabata protocol is named after Izumi Tabata, a former researcher at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan. Tabata evaluated a high intensity interval training routine developed by the coach of the Japanese speed skating team. The routine involves maximal effort sprinting for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest. This is repeated for 6-8 sets for a total of 4 minutes.

4 Minutes of Pain
Now this may sound easy on paper, but once you sprint all out for 20 seconds and have almost no time to rest, you get winded very easily. It's not uncommon to feel nauseous after completing this routine. Needless to say, this routine was used with world class athletes. Speed skaters are some of the world's finest athletes, and many on the Japanese speed skating team had to stop after 6 intervals for the first few times. I can perform 4-6 intervals at maximum velocity but see a slowdown for the last 2-4 intervals. Those last 2-4 intervals still represent my maximal effort; it's just that I'm too tired to give the same maximal effort as the first 2-4 intervals.

Fat Burning Effects
Most people think they need to stay on the treadmill or elliptical for at least 20 minutes before any fat burning begins. What makes this 4 minute routine so effective then? The short high intensity intervals result in a significant "after burn effect" in which your body continues burning calories for hours after you complete the workout. This happens because you burn off all your glycogen (carbs) during the workout leaving only fat for your body to burn. Additionally, the Tabata protocol has been shown to increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity while moderate intensity cardio only increases aerobic capacity.

Workout Flexibility
One great feature of the Tabata protocol is that it can be used on any number of exercises. I tend to only perform these high intensity intervals using cardio exercises, but you could easily use weights or body weight exercises. Do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds. Take a brief 10 second rest and begin again. Go light if you're using weights because this requires a grueling effort.

Getting the Most Fat Burning Out of Tabata Protocol
While the actual Tabata protocol only takes 4 minutes, you should incorporate a warm up and cool down period. I start off by warming up for 4-5 minutes. I do a 1-2 minute cool down and immediately catch my breath and drink some water. That's about 10 minutes total. Since I usually allocate a little longer than 10 minutes for a workout, I like to add some steady state cardio afterward. Tabata reduces glycogen levels and releases fatty acids. Steady state cardio can burn those fatty acids and take advantage of your body's low glycogen levels to really burn off fat.