It’s hard on the legs, and it helps with sprinting I suppose, that’s all what you’d expect from a speed session.

However, I’ve found that it makes me feel physically much better after having done it. Started the ride home today feeling very tired and achey after a session yesterday. Forced myself to do a painful tabata session and by the time I got home I was full of energy and feeling great.

Not like a typical endorphin high – last week I did this and felt great for days. Been doing intervals for years and never had this effect.

Yeh, I dont know what tabata sessions are? But all of my road rides involve me riding as quickly as I can, especially up the hills.

I went mtbing earlier and barely broke a sweat and have felt really lethargic since Ive returned home.

Tabata = 8 lots of 20s max with 10s rest. So only 4 mins of exercise which is nothing compared to a bike ride. However it seems to make you feel un-tired, unlike a long hard sesh which makes you feel tired at the end.

I get you, whats it good for? Most of my rides through the week are only about an hour and a half long anyway so not too long, just fairly hard usually.

In the 20s effort, are you doing out of the saddle sprints or what?

It does lots of things for you, some not exactly intuitive. Best non-salesman link I could find:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

MrG – started off out of the saddle, this evening I didn’t though – too tired. Not sure it really matters.

i usually do it on a rowing machine, use a thing called a gymboss as a timer – about a tenner – tried a couple of times on mtb when too nice to be in the gym – improves mental attitude/stupidity as you blast stuff at full effort – obviously more sensible on a road bike!
really it is just a simple interval training system

I try and get too close to blacking out to want to do it on the road.

The short rest is the key. 10s is nothing like enough to start shifting the lactate, so it’s really like one four-minute interval.

Yeti – see, that doesn’t happen to me – I only get leg pain when cycling – never feel faint or anything like that.

never feel faint or anything like that.

Then you’re not giving it 100% 🙂

I do 1 or 2 tabata sessions a week – running. It’s the only way I feel like I can push myself that hard, just can’t manage it on a bike.

And it’s not as far to fall if I do black out 🙂

Can see it working on a rowing machine as well, but the people in the gym would think I was a nutter

I do it on a rowing machine. I feel properly sick and the 4 min warm down is utter hell to make it to the end of.

Then I go on the running machine or bike and do a load more 🙂

How are you getting on with the kettle bells btw?

never feel faint or anything like that.

Then you’re not giving it 100%

With Tabata if you’re able to do all 8 reps in full and then go on to other exercise afterwards then you’re definitely not giving it full gas. Unless you’re an international athlete…

The idea is you should be building up to doing all 8 but may never actually achieve them all – as you get fitter you can push yourself harder in the reps. At least that’s how my coach explained it to me.

Planning on giving it a try later today 🙂

With Tabata if you’re able to do all 8 reps in full and then go on to other exercise afterwards then you’re definitely not giving it full gas. Unless you’re an international athlete…

[cough]bullshi..[cough]

I have a tabata MP3 track if anyone is interested – sets out the death and life 20/10 splits by music interlude so you don’t need to squint through tears and blood at a watch. Includes 4 min warmup and 4 min cool down. Email me if you want it.

Tabata is great although now I’d only use it a few weeks before an event, as a routine exercise (a couple of times a week)it wore me down, it really is bloody hard.

I read so many people saying that they combine a tabata session with their normal training session, rule of Tabata is giving it 100% you can’t give 100% if you exercise before and if you can do any exercise after your Tabata session then you have got it wrong, feeling sick and faint is where you should be.

With Tabata if you’re able to do all 8 reps in full and then go on to other exercise afterwards then you’re definitely not giving it full gas. Unless you’re an international athlete…

Agree. Sort of.

Allegedely you get the best benefit from it if you don’t do any other excercise for the next 24 hours (I seem to remember reading somewhere…)

I can do 6.5 reps before I start to feel shitty – and I’m always broken by 8 🙂 I need a reletively long cool down period – 15 min jog & a bit of a walk to feel normal again; after which I could do other excercise, but I don’t feel the need.

iWould love that iDave – yGM

I tried tabata on my bike for a short while and it was indeed bloody horrible. After a few sessions I loathed even the mere thought of having to do another one 😆

tom_ – Member

I tried tabata on my bike for a short while and it was indeed bloody horrible. After a few sessions I loathed even the mere thought of having to do another one

Yep, that’s exactly what happened to me, although I am now contemplating trying them again as I need to build my speed on the road bike.

never feel faint or anything like that.
Then you’re not giving it 100%

I do 1 or 2 tabata sessions a week – running. It’s the only way I feel like I can push myself that hard, just can’t manage it on a bike

Well you just agreed with me. I said on the bike it’s leg pain that gets me long before anything else. I haven’t done any running ones yet because, quite frankly, I’m scared!

I read so many people saying that they combine a tabata session with their normal training session, rule of Tabata is giving it 100% you can’t give 100% if you exercise before and if you can do any exercise after your Tabata session then you have got it wrong

I would say that if you can’t give it 100%, have a bit of a rest and then come back for more then you’re either unfit or a wuss, or possibly both 🙂

I have done two now on the bike and I’m looking forward to the next one – like I say, something about this particular combination makes me feel on top of the world for days, which I think is an interesting phenomenon. Although it is apparently just me 🙂

I would say that if you can’t give it 100%, have a bit of a rest and then come back for more then you’re either unfit or a wuss, or possibly both

Well yes of course it’s possible to rest and come back for more, but that defeats the whole theory behind the protocol.

I have done two now on the bike and I’m looking forward to the next one – like I say, something about this particular combination makes me feel on top of the world for days, which I think is an interesting phenomenon. Although it is apparently just me

Now that’s exactly how I felt after the first few sessions I did, give it a few weeks and you may feel different, good on you if you don’t.

tabata is a workout. not part of a workout.

you do it, then you’re done training.

anything else changes the adaptation the body will develop from the workout.

Well you just agreed with me.

Not really. If you didn’t feel faint/shitty/puke on your shoes you weren’t doing a tabata session 🙂

Makes me feel good too! Not straight away, but as you say for the next few days it leaves me buzzing.

you do it, then you’re done training.

Serious? That just makes me feel a bit lazy.

Well I got as much pain in my legs as I could handle. Didn’t feel faint tho…

iDave – noted, ta.

Am coming to the conclusion that commuting by bike can actually hinder training.

Serious? That just makes me feel a bit lazy.

Try harder.

Molly – I think the commuting bit is bob on… I use it as a training session… once or twice a week. If I’m doing it on my own I use it for longer intervals.

Kingtut… I genuinely couldn’t… I give it 100%! I try and push it harder but my body can’t take it!

Am coming to the conclusion that commuting by bike can actually hinder training.

Doesn’t sound unreasonable. I ride less frequently than some of my friends as they commute every day & I’m mostly enemployable; I’m generally on much better form than they are on weekend rides.

I give it 100%! I try and push it harder but my body can’t take it!

Good lad!

Kingtut… I genuinely couldn’t… I give it 100%! I try and push it harder but my body can’t take it!

Then you have no reason to feel lazy, I agree it feels a bit odd just doing the tabata session but that’s how it works.

It’s just that it’s only a 12 min session… I want to go for a swim, jog… something. But I’ll listen to the advice and become ‘lazy’.

😀

I’m finding myself getting tired commuting which hinders other training efforts it seems.

Although, now I’ve done a couple of good solid weeks I’ve noticed an improvement in bf but not weight. Then again my weight was its lowest when I hadn’t done as much cycling. Need the bike to get to work tho. Will save Tabata for Saturdays.

Oooh… jsut remembered I’m booked in for a BF % measurement today. Have put on 4lb recently though 🙁

Guys, I have some questions please.

I’m in base phase of training at the moment (yeah I know, funny time of year for that… but only just got into Triathlons, got my sights on a race late sept and thinking about next year as well… really wanna build a nice big base) so guessing the Tabata not me just yet.

Anyway… Tabata run for running and on the bike for biking? Or doesn’t matter you just get fitter? And … on the bike, is that on a turbo?

For Tabata on the bike, definitely a turbo.

really wanna build a nice big base

You need to walk like an Egyptian.

Just get involved… you need to get as fit as fast as possible. Your base is whatever it is at the moment.

Anyway… Tabata run for running and on the bike for biking? Or doesn’t matter you just get fitter? And … on the bike, is that on a turbo?

Shouldn’t matter as, yep, you just get fitter.

+1 for turbo
+2 for spinning bike – they’re much more sturdy

either is far safer than doing it on the road.

When I used to go to the gym for a change or when I was pushed for time I did tabata deadlifts. Now they are hard. Only lifting 60kg but at the end it felt more like 260kg. (not that I’d know what 260kg’s would feel like). At the start I could do 14/15reps. By the end I was struggling to do 8/9 reps. Always got funny looks when I collapsed on all fours panting like a rabied dog when I’d finished.

Oooh… jsut remembered I’m booked in for a BF % measurement today. Have put on 4lb recently though

Careful. You could start hitting Darcy levels of sturdiness.