There really are no excuses for missing a workout anymore. We have the good Dr. Tabata to thank for this.
Um...who, you say?
Back in 1996 Dr. Izumi Tabata, a Japanese researcher from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, published a groundbreaking study that demonstrated the dramatic benefits of high-intensity interval training. In a nutshell, he provided documented evidence that a 4 minute interval session could boost your aerobic and anaerobic endurance better than an hour at a steady 70% of capacity. And contrary to previous studies that only used unconditioned persons as subjects, Dr. Tabata proved his intervals would work with the in-shape as well!
So-called "tabata" intervals are really quite simple. You pick an exercise (the choices are nearly limitless) and following a warmup and stretching period you perform that exercise at full intensity for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest, repeated for a total of 8 cycles. Regardless of whether you run, cycle, skip rope, do squat thrusters, etc, the key is FULL intensity. That's it!
Having been an athlete my whole life, I am well familiar with interval training. When I first read about tabata intervals, I was skeptical. How can you gain fitness in just a 4 minute work period? Then I tried it for a few weeks, first on the Airdyne, then running, then with other exercises, performing 3 tabata interval sessions per week. At the end of six weeks, though already being fit, my recovery heart rate had improved dramatically in the three minute step test--and I had required less training time to get there. Color me sold.
As you continue to improve your fitness, you can increase the number of tabata intervals you do in a workout. Some protocols can call for up to 4 interval sets, for a total of 16 minutes--best performed with different exercises. For example you could perform the following:
Jump rope 1 x 4 min tabata
Burpees 1 x 4 min tabata.
Chinups 1 x 4 min tabata
Sprints 1 x 4 min tabata
Of course, not everyone can do even one complete tabata set. It is important to scale the workout down to what you can do, and add intervals and sets as you improve your fitness, much like with traditional weight training. If you have to start with one or two interval cycles, then so be it. You will get better. The great thing about tabatas is that you don't necessarily need much or even any equipment, and they can be done just about anywhere, provided you have a watch or clock to keep time.
Be healthy, my friends.
Pubmed.gov abstract from Dr. Tabata's study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392?dopt=Abstract
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