Tim (and anyone else who has good info),

I have realized that I am in need of more condtioning, so I have decided to do calisthenics using the tabata protocol for GPP before I start more specific work like working tabata rounds on the bag. I have two questions:

1) I took it relativly easy my first time, but I was surprised that I wasn't more gassed--I was huffng and puffing, but not totally gassed. I realise that if I had done bust-ass running sprints I would have been gassed. Am I doing something wrong or is this ok (I'm not in bad shape btw, just decided I needed more)

1) How long do you rest between tabata sets--in other words, if I do one tabata set of 20 sec of pushups then 10 sec rest 8 times, how long do I rest before I start my tabata set of ab work--I've been resting one min., but that's just cause it felt right.

I would REALLY like some useful feedback--thanks all!

One more question!

3) If the tabata sets are the "intense" part of my workout (the rest is just skills training), how many days a week should I do it?

And, er, that second 1 should have been a 2...

Hi Stanely,

Well, the standard Tabata Protocol as I understand it is 20 seconds of all out effort (and by "all out" it means maximum effort, you should feel like lying down after the session is over) followed by 10 seconds of rest, alternated for four minutes.

I'm not sure you can apply the TP to ab work, it is usually applied to whole body effort like sprinting, with the goal of improving aerobic output. Maybe someone with a better understanding can comment.

I believe most people only train this way about twice a week.

Man I thought Tabata was some hot new chick training at shen wu.

I used to do a nice set when I did boxing.
jumprope 2 or 3 minutes (I guess the lenght of time apply to how long rounds you have in your sport)full on, not like cozy ropeskipping but rounds where you get exhausted. then 30 or 45 seconds "break" where you do as many pushups, squats, ab-exercises, or whatever different exercise you know or feel like working on. Then another round of fast ropeskipping and so on....
keep going full on for as long possible.

That hot new chick is Heather, the Mousey Brown Terror.

Ok, so maybe the tabata calisthenics thing wasn't a good idea--maybe something like plyometrics! I just love cals and like to make them my foundation.

What about rest intervals between the 4 min tabata sets? I'm using a min, but not for any particular reason...

Thanks for responding, everybody.

Four minutes is the entire workout. If you feel like doing more after alternating 20 seconds on and 10 off for four minutes (eight rounds of effort/rest), you didn't work hard enough.

dear stanley,
i train at team quest and we do similar stuff.
my advise is don't use calisthenics for stamina
because if you alternate beetween push-up,squat
and abs then you don't get specific muscle endurance.i would do it with weight training
like in the form of a giant set(bench,flys,push-ups,tricep,shoulder press etc...)for a group of muscle.
we do sprint like exercise after technical work.
we do bag work 1 min straight punches,1min knees,
1min kicks,1 min hooks,1 min elbow,1 min knees
on the ground,1 min punches and elbows on the ground,1 min shodow boxing with our hands up
(harder than it looks)
there is million of variations!
i think you're endurance should be sport(fighting)
specific,because in a fight doing push-up won't
help much!
and sometime after that workout we finish with
calisthenics!!!!!!!
hope i can help.

Cool, all VERY helpful--thank you all. The whole tabata concept was new to me and now I have a better handle on it.

One last question--IS tabata particularly effective? Many seem to think so...

look for the research conducted by Tabata on his skating team, and see what you think.

and Tim's really got the gist of it as I understand it. 20/10 repeat until = 4:00 mins. If you can do much of anything in the 10 mins or so immedieately following the workout, you did not do it right.

frankly this is a better method of developing anaero endurance, plus burning the butter as they say.

If you were willing to mix 2-3 sessions of this with one or two dumbbell circuits workouts and maybe one power workout, you could drop a lot of fat fast, without your strength/speed/power suffering. I cannot say the same for the treadmill, and other 'steady-state' aerobics.

http://www.cbass.com/SEARCHOF.HTM

http://www.honewatson.com/11/10/tabata-protocol/

www.cbass.com......

kick his ass, c-bass!

Stanley, check out www.crossfit.com for uses of tabata. Ask questions on their discussion board, but not until you've read the FAQs and "Getting Started".