TRY THE TABATA WORKOUT TO GIVE YOU THE AWESOME PUMP YOU CRAVE

tabata headerGet the ultimate pump with this training program.

Tabata. Many of you may or may not have heard of it. For some who aren’t in the know and believe that Tabata is simply some new exercise craze that will eventually lose steam then I’d have to tell those people they are sorely mistaken. For the most part Tabata is used to burn fat and maintain muscle mass usually through a program that consists of some kind of sprinting by either running or cycling. But a Tabata program can do far more than just burn fat and build your conditioning. It can perhaps give you the best muscle pump out there.

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As a martial artist I’ve always been focused on becoming stronger without packing on too much muscle. Being lean and strong is the name of the game when you’re looking to be a dangerous striker. Tabata has gotten me into tremendous condition, giving me the gas tank to fight for a great many rounds if needed. But that doesn’t mean Tabata can only be used as a cardiovascular exercise. On the contrary. If you’re looking to get a pump and build some serious muscle then a Tabata program could be beneficial to your gains.

So what the hell is Tabata anyway? It’s comprised of 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest. Those 20 seconds are made up of either all out sprinting or explosive reps depending on the exercise being utilized. Tabata can be used as a great finisher or simply a warm up depending on the program you’re using.

If you’re game to see what kind of results you can get while performing Tabata then try either of these two methods on your next chest or arms day. You can perform push ups for each 20 second round aiming to crank out one push up in under a second, a great finisher for some tough chest training. For arms you can try pumping out bicep curls for the 20 second rounds. Be sure to choose a dumbbell weight that is manageable in order to get through the exercise with controlled reps. Rather than getting in one rep per second for the curls, aim for 10 explosive reps within the 20 second period. It’s imperative that you have strong form when performing any of these exercises so be sure to practice technique before diving right in.

Is Tabata apart of your training program?

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Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Jonathan Salmon
Managing editor of Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. He has been writing about bodybuilding, combat sports, and strength sports for over 8 years. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.