CrossFitters everywhere are all too familiar with the Tabata Protocol (although perhaps not as familiar with the proper spelling of the word). 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. A total of 4 minutes of high intensity exercise. Where did this interval come from, though, and what is it supposed to accomplish?

An excerpt from ehow.com explains:

Tabata Protocol training is named after it's Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., who did research at Japan's National Institute of Fitness and Sports. The actual creator of the workout was a coach of a Japanese speed-skating team, but the protocol was refined after research by Tabata affirmed the aerobic and anaerobic benefits of the interval training. It was simple enough for the team, 20 seconds of full effort skating followed by 10 seconds of full rest repeated 6 to 7 times. The entire session is meant to last 14 minutes including 5 minutes of warm up and 5 minutes of active cool down. Tabata helped prove that just 4 minutes of this extremely intense training would promote stronger cardiovascular fitness and anaerobic performance.

So, essentially, you have the Japanese speed skating team to blame for the torture sessions you endure at CrossFit class, or that you inflict upon yourself at home or the gym. It is nice to know, however, that the interval was arrived at through scientific research and has been shown to be of great benefit to fitness and performance.

CrossFit.com explains their take on the Tabata interval very simply in its FAQ sheet:

For twenty seconds do as many reps of the assigned exercise as you can - then rest 10 seconds. Repeat this seven more times for a total of 8 intervals, 4 minutes total exercise.
The score is the least number of reps for any of the eight intervals.

By using the CrossFit method of scoring, you can establish benchmarks to improve upon. Say for example you pick an exercise - the squat - and do a 4 minute Tabata session today. Your score would be your lowest mark, maybe 12. In a month you could do the interval again and aim for a higher score. You could do this with any exercise. Doing multiple exercises in a row, for a longer workout - eight minutes, twelve minutes, sixteen minutes.

Another approach would be to track weekly progress using the 12 Week Tabata Protocol, outlined here on the CrossFit.com discussion forums: http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=20405

The great thing about the Tabata Protocol is that it eliminates the excuse, "I don't have enough time to workout." All you need is sixteen, twelve, eight, or even four minutes. Pick and exercise and GO!