WHY run for an hour, when you can work out in just 10 minutes? Bexleyheath personal trainer Mike Fitzgerald, who works freelance and at PureGym in Greenwich, lifts the lid on Tabata.

HAVING done Tabata classes at PureGym and used them in my own training, I can honestly say it is not an easy way to train, but it is effective.

It requires 100 per cent effort throughout, even when you feel your body is turning to jelly after two cycles.

Tabata intervals are based on a study by Professor Izumi Tabata carried out in 1996.

The training regime is a version of high intensity interval training consisting of 20 seconds of 100 per cent effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

This is repeated for eight cycles, a total of four minutes.

In the study it was found to increase cardiovascular fitness more than the typical 30 minutes of cardio we normally do in the gym.

The reason Tabata training took off is because it can be completed within 10 minutes including a warm up and cool down.

It is very efficient and perfect for anybody that has had a long day at work and hasn’t got time to get to the gym - pretty much everyone nowadays!

You can do anything in Tabata intervals: run, cycle, row, squats, lunges, press ups, sit ups or a mix of all.

This format is an advanced training method for those who are reasonably fit and experienced exercisers, but that isn’t to say it cannot be performed by new or less experienced exercisers - it just takes some modifications.

You can easily change either the work or rest period.

How about trying 20 seconds of work followed by 40 seconds of rest - still only 1 minute per cycle.

Then as you get better, you decrease the rest period and see the improvements for yourself.

Mike runs Mike Fitz Personal Training and takes on all clients with goals. He specialises in weight management, body composition, high intensity training and sport-specific fitness. E-mail mikefitzpt@gmail.com or call 07795485426.