Basic Pursuits

Just over three weeks ago I decided to devote my exercise program exclusively to Tabata Intervals. This technique is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program developed by Japanese exercise physiologist, Izumi Tabata. I like it because, if Tabata's research is correct, you can get a lot done quickly.

A typical routine excluding warm-up and cool-down is eight 20 second rounds of hard exercise interspersed with 10 second rests. That's just four minutes. My goal has been to keep my exercise routine under 20 minutes a day including warm-up and cool-down.

Hopefully, I'll see some gains in health, but I'm not going to draw any conclusions until the end of the six week period. Why six weeks? Because that's how long Tabata's trials lasted. I thought the period was as good as any.

Here are some mid-point observations.

• I've had a couple of opportunities of doing a sort of fun run with friends. I found my breathing more labored than when I was running several times a week. I don't know if that reflects a reduced aerobic capacity or simple my not being accustomed to running continuously.
• Even though I use five different exercises for each of the five days that I work out, some are starting to get a little boring. I'm not going to switch until the end of the six weeks, but then I'll be checking around for more full-body, body-weight exercises. My first stop will be at my friend Parth Shah's site Shahtraining. He's always got a bunch of good ideas. Another goal besides having a quick workout is having one that's not boring.
• The intervals seemed to be getting harder, not easier. I'm hoping that it's because I'm doing more work as my conditioning improves. Time will tell.
• I still have that indescribable buzz of energy that I sense throughout most of the day.
• My pull-ups (palms out) and my chin-ups (palms in), both of which I use to warm up, slowly improve.
• My favorite exercise is actual wind sprints, probably because I do them outside and it's a beautiful time of the year here in Florida.
• Drinking too much wine makes my heart rate jump like a scalded dog the next morning.

In less than three weeks, I'll be done with this project and will make a full report. So far I'd say that a person who wants to exercise, but has little time should check out Tabata Intervals.