4 minute workout? how many calories will it burn at least?

ThickMcRunFast

just a quick question, what is tabata?

It a form of ultra high intensity interval training (HIIT) that was invented by a Japanese dude (Izumi Tabata). Essentially, you go at 170% intensity for 20 seconds, then rest 10, and repeat for 7 or 8 reps. Its a great way to increase your aerobic capacity (and anaerobic, which is important for sprinting), but shouldn't be the ONLY exercise you do. In short, it helps develop your cardiovascular system.

cedarghost

It's not the calories you burn during the exercise, it's the calories you burn for up to 40 hours later....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excess_post-exercise_oxygen_consumption
Repeat your workout 3 times in a row and you'll be cooking!
I Workout like this for 15 to 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week lifting weights and one day doing High Intensity Intervals of exercises like you do, or sprints, etc. I have been doing this for 6 weeks and I have lost 14 pounds and 6 to7% body fat. I have also increased my strength, endurance and muscle tone. I do three rounds of about 5 minutes a piece with NO rest until the circuit is complete. Occasionally I will do 4 rounds now that I am getting in better shape. When I started out I could only do about 10 minutes before I was dying.
Even though it is only 4 minutes, you WILL benefit from it if you minimalize rest. Maybe not so much during the exercise than after, but still....
Like I said, if you can triple that, you will be really lighting the fat burning fire!!!

cedarghost

a well known easy fix that apparently can be more effective than up to 40 minutes of normal cardio

and you're basing this assertion on ????

Here's a good study on this: http://anabolicminds.com/forum/weight-loss/172936-hiit-better-fat.html
Basically HIIT can burn twice as many calories as regular cardio. I just know it works for me.

Cyclink

I've done similar with my HRM on and it's around 30 cals. the point isn't the cals burned though it's because it kick starts your metabolism for the day

The only thing that kick starts your metabolism during the morning is waking up. Beyond that, there's nothing you can do that will make your metabolic processes run faster for the entire day. That's not to say that there isn't a psychological benefit, which is usually what most people need.

Basically HIIT can burn twice as many calories as regular cardio. I just know it works for me.

That's true. High intensity intervals can burn two to five times as many calories as a normal cruising pace **for the same amount of time**.

Doing 1 minute bursts at a very high speed will burn a lot more calories for that minute than just cruising along at a jogging pace for that 1 minute would, but that does not mean that high intensity work for just a few minutes has the same benefits as a longer workout.

You have to consider how high is high intenisty. Once you go anaerobic, your heart rate does not increase as much at is does in aerobic intensities. You can go dramatically harder with just a 2 or 3 beat per minute increase. "Anaerobic" can be anything from a 5 second everything-you've-got-sprint up to a 2 minute long-really-hard-burn effort. You can go a LOT harder for 5 seconds, but it takes a lot more out of you.

EvgeniZyntx

between 35 and 45 calories

This. Intense exercise burns around (roughly) 10 cals per minute...

lynnbeccalivingston

Wrong.

MeanderingMammal

a well known easy fix that apparently can be more effective than up to 40 minutes of normal cardio (running/jogging).

Define effective?

The combination of fast and intense intervals with little rest time in between results in an extremely elevated heart rate.....

And?

and apparently it keeps your heart rate up for hours on end after you finish exercising!!!! sounds great! right?

Ahhh, magic phys... Pink sparkly unicorns for all...

fwiw if my heart rate wasn't back to normal within about two minutes I'd be worried. Heart rate recovery time is a very good indicator of fitness.

If I finish a run at 170 bpm I'd expect it to be back to 85 in five minutes by the time I finish my cool down walk.

MeanderingMammal

should i just work harder to find time to do a full 40 minutes of cardio?

Yes, and mix steady state with interval work as they both do different things to your system