Márcio Lui answers: what is the difference between Tabata and HIIT? – GOOD SHAPE

(@marciolui/Instagram reproduction)

According to personal trainer Márcio Lui, a favorite trainer of celebrities such as Sabrina Sato, Fernanda Motta, Alessandra Ambrósio, Adriane Galisteu, among others, the two workouts are very similar, but have their particularities. “O HIIT and the tabata are very similar. Both are high intensity and intervals”, he explains. And the name itself says it all: high intensity exercises are those that will demand a lot of conditioning and strength from you. And intervals are because they alternate periods of physical exertion with short recovery times.

So what exactly is the difference between the two? “Unlike HIIT training, which is not a closed protocol, Tabata is made up of 8 series with 20 seconds for each exercise and intervals of a maximum of 10 seconds between them”, adds the personal. This means that, while in HIIT who dictates the execution time and rest of movements is usually your personal, Tabata will always follow this pattern, no matter how much the exercises change.

The idea of ​​both methods is to get you close to your maximum heart rate (80% to 90%). “This accelerates metabolism and causes greater caloric expenditure. Another advantage is that you will lose weight, but maintain lean mass”, says the personal. There are countless exercises that you can combine: running, biking, stairs, squats, sit-ups, push-ups… Want an example? Márcio Lui teaches:

“I tend to use Tabata a lot in belt: 8x 20 seconds running at high intensity interspersing 10 seconds of rest next to the machine.”