Tabata Results Thread

[aharmer]

Post your Tabata results here, should be fun to compare results and experiences. I'll start by saying they suck Not quite as miserable as sprinting on foot, probably because erging is not a weight bearing exercise. Simply being able to sit during the 10 second rest period makes it better than having to support your own weight. That said, it's more painful than any other Tabata exercise.

As mentioned earlier, set the monitor up as Variable Intervals. Set up 8 intervals of 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest. I'll post my results as Distance, Avg Pace, Watts, Rate...

118, 1:24.7, 575, 36
113, 1:28.4, 505, 36
112, 1:29.2, 492, 36
110, 1:30.9, 466, 36
108, 1:32.5, 441, 36
107, 1:33.4, 429, 36
107, 1:33.4, 429, 36
106, 1:34.3, 417, 36
Totals/Avg: 881, 1:30.9, 469, 36 (Edited to correct numbers.)

When I first looked at meters for the 8 reps I thought there wasn't enough fall-off, and that I didn't perform the workout as intended. Then I looked at watts, and saw that there was a tremendous fall-off . Never thought I'd be so happy to see my avg watts fall off a cliff like that.

I have no idea what kind of training response Tabata will elicit. As a reference point for others wondering about their probable pace for Tabata, I recently did a 500m time trial in 1:26.4/r36.

[goblin]

Wow, not bad. My best, average for all 8, is just under 1:35. I am rowing at 75 drag factor, unfortunately, because my gym does not maintain their ergs. But my 2k score is currently in your vicinity. My guess would be that you're good for quicker than a 6:38 right now.

[atklein90]

That is pretty darn good. I did a few of these last year in May (right around this time, now that I look back). In my best workout, I averaged 1:27.8 and 516 watts. However, the watts went like this:

503.5
470.2
512.3
511.4
509.3
519.5
544.5
570.8

In other words, I probably didn't start out hard enough. I liked the workout, but I don't really know how it fit into my routine, or how it would fit in now....do you replace a longer workout with this? Do you substitute an L1 with this? I just don't know....

[aharmer]

No idea how others would incorporate this into their plan. My plan would best be described as sit on the erg when you feel like it and do whatever feels interesting to you that moment. Very scientific stuff I really like the brevity of tabatas though, so it will probably become a regular in my rotation.

[jlawson58]

I've had 2 attempts so far.

1- 93m, 282w, 36r
99m, 340w, 36
102m, 371w, 36
102m, 371w, 36
103m, 382w, 39
102m, 371w, 39
103m, 382w, 39
104m, 394w, 39
This averaged out to 84% of my 500m best wattage versus aharmer's avg of 86.5. The difference I see is my attempt was too steady and not quite hard enough. His attempt started out with a first interval about 6% over his 500m wattage and then faded, while mine started out way under 500m watts and built. My method goes against what I understand is the physiology behind the protocol while his is much closer to optimal. My 2nd attempt however may be close to the what the inventor intended but might be unattainable for most people (it seems to be for me anyway)

2- 112m, 492w, 45r
112m, 492w, 42
109m, 453w, 42
had to quit at this point as I couldn't stand it. This starts out at 15.5% over 500m wattage for the 1st 2 intervals and is still well above best 500w for the 3rd interval. I don't see how anyone can start out that much over peak 500m power and not give up after 3 or 4 intervals. I might experiment with starting a bit over and fading versus going all out for every interval. Maybe if I do that I can build into all out efforts.

[jlawson58]

Much better results tonight but still probably not quite what Dr. Tabata intended

interval, meters, split, watts, rating
1, 110 m, 1:30.3, 466, 42
2, 110 m, 1:30.9, 466, 39
3, 108 m, 1:32.5, 441, 39
4, 108 m, 1:32.5, 441, 42
5, 106 m, 1:34.3, 417, 39
6, 104 m, 1:36.1, 394, 42
7, 103 m, 1:37.0, 382, 39
8, 103 m, 1:37.0, 382, 42
total 851m, 1:34.0 avg, 421 w, 40r

Best 500 m ever benchmark is 1:33.6 at 426 w avg for comparison.

This started at 9% over 500 m wattage and stayed over best 500 power through #4 then fell to 90% by #8. It still isn't the 70% over VO2max that the original study was performed at. I figure to do that I need to start out at 25% over my best 500m avg power which doesn't seem possible.

If I use that metric (and I hope everyone who posts here will convert to this so we can compare to the original study) I get 466/312 (avg2k wattage) = 49.3% over VO2Max power for the first interval and gradually lower from there.

[MarkyG]

Blimey, I am humbled by the above stats but hope that you are all seasoned ergers and are young... I am 47yr old masters cyclist.

As a real noob to both erging and tabata ints, my debut last week was as follows; This is the PM 3 list from the screen, guessing it runs start -finish... Any hints or suggestions welcome.

Interval metres watts 500m pace
1 88 239 1.53.6
2 87 230 1.54.9
3 87 230 1.54.9
4 88 239 1.53.6
5 88 239 1.53.6
6 89 247 1.52.3
7 89 247 1.52.3
total 710 365 1.38.5

Being new to this, I did not set it up as well as I could, I now have it set as a variable int and locked at 8 ints. SO did not work as intended, but it can only get better. Need to smash it more, looks like I was feeling my way into this type of effort...

As a ref, my 250m time (only 2nd attempt) is 52.0, yet to do a 500m, with a recent 2k best of 7.56.4.

Great idea for a thread by the way..

Cheers


Early days on the erg, but will add a weekly tabata to plot improvements...

[atklein90]

No idea how others would incorporate this into their plan. My plan would best be described as sit on the erg when you feel like it and do whatever feels interesting to you that moment. Very scientific stuff I really like the brevity of tabatas though, so it will probably become a regular in my rotation.

I agree as to the 'brevity' of the tabata workout. It's nice to sit down, warmup for 10 minutes or so, then blast through a workout in 4 minutes!

[MarkyG]

Tabata #3

On the back of a short warm up, and a 4 minute test (Sunday am), I snuck in some erg while the kids were playing...

93 1.47.5 282 36
95 1.47.5 300 36
93 1.45.2 282 36
93 1.47.5 282 36
90 1.51.1 255 33
87 1.54.9 230 30
85 1.57.6 215 30
91 1.49.8 264 33

728m 1.49.8 264 33

Still not able to smash myself early (yet), ints not falling off enough at the end with last int peak still in the tank... Some advances from #2 though.

[MarkyG]

Blimey, I am humbled by the above stats but hope that you are all seasoned ergers and are young... I am 47yr old masters cyclist.

As a real noob to both erging and tabata ints, my debut last week was as follows; This is the PM 3 list from the screen, guessing it runs start -finish... Any hints or suggestions welcome.

Interval metres watts 500m pace
1 88 239 1.53.6
2 87 230 1.54.9
3 87 230 1.54.9
4 88 239 1.53.6
5 88 239 1.53.6
6 89 247 1.52.3
7 89 247 1.52.3
total 710 365 1.38.5

Being new to this, I did not set it up as well as I could, I now have it set as a variable int and locked at 8 ints. SO did not work as intended, but it can only get better. Need to smash it more, looks like I was feeling my way into this type of effort...

As a ref, my 250m time (only 2nd attempt) is 52.0, yet to do a 500m, with a recent 2k best of 7.56.4.

Great idea for a thread by the way..

Cheers


Early days on the erg, but will add a weekly tabata to plot improvements...

NB I now know that these ints are listed in the incorrect order - still learning the PM3/logcard readout.... Cheers

[jlawson58]

112 492 1:29.2 43
113 505 1:28.4 45
111 476 1:30.0 45
105 405 1:35.2 42
103 382 1:37.0 45
106 417 1:34.3 42
102 371 1:38.0 42
104 394 1:36.1 42

totals
854m 426w 1:33.6 43

[MarkyG]

Tabata #4

91 264 1.49.8 33
91 264 1.49.8 33
92 273 1.48.6 36
90 255 1.51.1 36
90 255 1.51.1 39
92 273 1.48.6 39
92 273 1.48.6 39
88 239 1.53.6 33

731m 1.49.4 267w ave

Attempted after weights session - need to do the next one after easy 65-75% warm up. Still not yielding the results needed - not able to get the early peak of splits / watts, and the large drop off towards the end...

Here's to #5..

[jlawson58]

118m 1:24.7 575w 48r
114 1:27.7 519 45
110 1:30.9 466 42
101 1:39.0 361 42
101 1:39.0 361 42
102 1:38.0 371 42
104 1:36.1 394 42
102 1:38.0 371 39
totals
853 1:33.7 424 42

This was by far the hardest start and biggest drop in power I have seen, which is of course how the protocol is intended to be implemented, but it made a very, very hard workout sickeningly hard. That is 30% over my 500m power to start, or about 83% over my 2k power for the first interval. I would love to hear from anyone else about your experiences starting that hard versus "only" say 50% over 2k power for the first one and having less of a subsequent drop off.

[goblin]

I keep seeing people say that a huge wattage drop off (aka blowing up) was the intent of the protocol, whereas on cycling forums I read they emphasize that athletes were told in the study to maintain a certain wattage (170% of vo2 max) and if the dropped below it, they were done for the day. Someone said that in the original protocol, the cycling ergometer was set to a resistance that would require this power output to turn the cranks at 90 rpm ... And if their cadence went below 85, they were done.

Of course no link was provided, and my understanding is that Dr. Tabata worked initially with speed skaters. So I question if this is the 'original' protocol. But I am struck as to how they seem so sure that a minimum wattage must be maintained on that forum, whereas here people seem sure that the goal is to blow up to the point where you are hardly maintaining your 2k pace.

Where does the truth lie?

[jlawson58]

I keep seeing people say that a huge wattage drop off (aka blowing up) was the intent of the protocol, whereas on cycling forums I read they emphasize that athletes were told in the study to maintain a certain wattage (170% of vo2 max) and if the dropped below it, they were done for the day. Someone said that in the original protocol, the cycling ergometer was set to a resistance that would require this power output to turn the cranks at 90 rpm ... And if their cadence went below 85, they were done.

Of course no link was provided, and my understanding is that Dr. Tabata worked initially with speed skaters. So I question if this is the 'original' protocol. But I am struck as to how they seem so sure that a minimum wattage must be maintained on that forum, whereas here people seem sure that the goal is to blow up to the point where you are hardly maintaining your 2k pace.

Where does the truth lie?

That's a good question. I was basing my statements on a couple of things. 1- the only way I can prevent a sharp drop in power is to start at a power that is nowhere close to 170% of VO2max. When I start at 170% I can barely complete the set and see a large loss of power.

2- I thought I had read that was the intended design of the original method (but I could be wrong).

I have emailed a friend who is one of the world's preeminent sports psychologists to ask him what the truth is. I will post his answer when I get it.