Do you do Tabatas?
08-10-14, 08:40 AM
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Do you do Tabatas?
If so, what is your duration, rest, and cycles format? Raining here today. Think I might try it rather than several hours on the trainer.
08-10-14, 09:06 AM
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I do a variation of tabatas during the early spring to get into race shape when we have limited races. I do either 10 minutes with 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, or i do 20 minute with the same set up. I will often do 2 sets of the 20 minutes and 4 sets of the 10. I just sprint for the 30 seconds, and coast for 30 seconds. I will often average right around my ftp for the interval set, and the np will be significantly higher than what i can actually achieve, but this does not matter considering how normalized power values hold little weight for efforts under 40-60 minutes.
08-10-14, 09:52 AM
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The format studied by Tabata was 7 to 8 sets of 20 seconds @ 1.7xVO2Max power with 10 seconds of rest. Do this 5 days a week for 6 weeks and you should see your VO2Max and anaerobic work capacity increase significantly. These are not pleasant intervals to do on a regular basis. I'd rather go for a ride in the rain...
08-10-14, 09:55 AM
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Anybody remember the "I Love Lucy" episode with Lucy and Ethel locked in old-time steam cabinets that used to be common equipment at "gyms" just like the vibrating belts people used to put around their waist to trim their middles. I'm not so sure we have come very far.
08-10-14, 10:49 AM
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Yeah. I do tabata intervals on the spin bike in the gym in the winter. I'm missing the connection with steam cabinets and vibrating belts tho...
08-11-14, 06:13 PM
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I made it to 7 sets of 20 seconds on ten seconds off this weekend. Tonight, I only made it to 4. These things are tough. I don't reckon it matters what gear is used as long as it is full tilt. I was up around 134 rpms for the first two sets and down to 123 for the second two. I think I'll try them 3 times per week for a while around Tues. and Thurs. night club rides.
08-11-14, 06:46 PM
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5 minutes warm up. 5 minutes 20seconds maximum 10sec absolute rest. 5 minutes warm down if i can. do these right you should be close to vomiting. they're great when you are time deprived but mentally taxing if they're done over an extended training cycle.
08-11-14, 10:39 PM
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They aren't meant to be done as maximum power sprints. If you do you'll never make 7-8 sets without your power dropping off.
08-12-14, 03:31 AM
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08-12-14, 06:01 AM
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For reference, the specified Tabata protocol from the original 1996 paper (doi:10.1097/00005768-199610000-00018):
Subjects exercised for 5 d·wk-1 for 6 wk. For 4 d·wk-1, they exercised using exhaustive intermittent training. They were encouraged by the supervisor to complete seven to eight sets of the exercise. Exercise was terminated when the pedaling frequency dropped below 85 rpm. When they could complete more than nine sets of the exercise, exercise intensity was increased by 11 W. One day per week the subjects exercised for 30 min at an intensity of 70% ·VO2max before carrying out four sets of the intermittent exercise at 170%·VO2max. This latter session was not exhaustive. The anaerobic capacity was determined before, at 2 wk, and 4 wk into the training, and after the training. ·VO2max was determined before, at 3 wk, 5 wk, and after the training.
08-12-14, 08:04 AM
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I do them during a Build phase of my racing training. Typically I do:
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
08-12-14, 09:37 AM
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Depends whether you can sprint. I'm not a sprinter but can do 900W for 20 seconds. There's no way, however, I could do 600W for 4 minutes which is what the average would be if I did 900W for each of the 'on' segments. Maybe if you're a diesel it might work but for me I'd be more in the range of 600W for the 20 seconds which would work out to 400W for 4 min. Still not something I'd want to be doing every day 
08-12-14, 10:23 AM
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I do them during a Build phase of my racing training. Typically I do:
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
08-12-14, 10:28 AM
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The first time I did tabatas - 20s full out sprint, 10s rest x 8, my wife thought I was going to die. I was on my trainer. I don't think I made it through all eight sprints. It was quite hot in the trainer room, and these kicked my ass. My wife came to check on me and found me just lying on the floor gasping for air. If I remember correctly, I also had removed my jersey, shoes and socks. When she saw me like that, she almost called an ambulance for me.
They got easier as I got better at them though.
They got easier as I got better at them though.
08-12-14, 11:59 AM
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From time to time our spin instructors at the gym throw in a Tabata set, and they are just brutal. They are almost as bad as when the spinning instructor that is a former track racer has us do kilo repeats (1'15" full speed from a standing start) going up one gear each time we do it. And by bad, I mean good. They are not fun to do, but they will make you a stronger rider.
08-12-14, 01:08 PM
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For reference, the specified Tabata protocol from the original 1996 paper (doi:10.1097/00005768-199610000-00018):
08-12-14, 01:09 PM
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I do them during a Build phase of my racing training. Typically I do:
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
solid warmup
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
4 min easy spin
8 reps x 20" x 10" RI
cooldown
The 2nd set of 8 reps is harder than the 1st obviously. Usually by reps 4-5 of the 2nd set I am ready to throw up. And I have always done these outdoors on a nice road near my house with no traffic, stops, etc.
08-12-14, 01:24 PM
#18
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In the way it is used at our gym, one "set" or one tabata is 8 on/off cycles. So a tabata "set" would be 4 minutes long, consisting of eight cycles of 20 sec sprint or near max effort followed by 10 seconds of recovery. But you are right, if done properly, you will not be able to finish the last one at the same effort level as the first few.
08-12-14, 04:12 PM
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Tabata intervals are productive, but properly done they make you feel like you're dying. I'll take a slower fitness build up any day
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