Both are intense and demanding workouts that require excellent physical shape to perform. Both are considered cardiovascular exercises, although with nuances, and although they have things in common, they are not the same. Discover the differences between HIIT and Tabata to be able to choose the discipline that best suits your needs.
For starters, HIIT is an acronym that responds to the initials of the English words High Intensity Interval Training. It is used to identify a training method that is based on including high intensity intervals. For its part, the Tabata system is just as dynamic and intense, but it doesn’t really work at intervals. We could say that the entire Tabata session is a harsh “interval” in itself. It is about performing 8 very short exercise cycles, of 20 seconds each, leaving a minimum time of 10 seconds for rest between them. Total: 4 minutes of training. Practicing it 2 or 3 times a week is a guarantee of being in top shape and at the right weight.
As you can see, the main difference between HIIT and Tabata lies in the times, both of exercise and of rest. But is there any more
Tabata and HIIt: similarities and differences
Both types of training are excellent formulas to burn a significant amount of calories and fat in each session. Both require working at maximum intensity in short periods of time and are favorites of many athletes due to the good results if what it is about is to obtain strength and resistance and, incidentally, to maintain the ideal weight. But in between HIIT and Tabata there are basic differences that you should know.
1. Type of exercises
Squats, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, deadlifts … These are some of the exercises that are part of a Tabata workout, which is always varied and very dynamic. They are also often present in HIIT that is done on the circuit, but interval training can be applied to many other sports. For example, you can train running, cycling or swimming at intervals, that is, keeping a constant pace and entering seconds at maximum speed. We could say that HIIT is a more versatile workout. The “real” Tabata formula follows a repeating exercise routine that is generally practiced in the gym.
2. The training time
It is the big difference between HIIT and Tabata . A HIIT workout can last as long as you deem appropriate according to your physical condition, taking an average of 30 – 40 minutes, while the Tabata is timed: 4 minutes at maximum effort.
3. The intervals
The break times in a session Tabata are really short. In 10 seconds, the recovery of the organism after the effort is just enough to continue but, of course, in that time neither your muscles nor your cardiovascular system get to recover completely. It is, therefore, basically anaerobic training (with very little oxygen arrival). This is what is known as negative rest, that is, you work hard twice as long as you rest, 20 seconds of exercise and only 10 seconds of rest.
HIIT is also hard but more flexible and with positive rest. You can, for example, exercise in the gym, the same 20 seconds and rest 30, or enter a 20 second interval at full speed in the race and continue training running at low intensity for several minutes. Breaks make the difference between different types of training
4. Heart rate
The ability to accelerate the heart rate and push it to near maximum is not the same in HIIT and Tabata. Both are clear examples of cardio training , but with the first, your heart could reach 70 – 80% of its pumping capacity, while the aspiration of the second is to reach 90 – 95%, hence a Tabata session , strictly following the method, it is only recommended for experienced athletes.
