Tabata Songs Features Mat Fraser

Tabata Songs has linked up with another leading athlete, this time filming a training video with CrossFit Games runner-up Mat Fraser, as he prepares for the 2015 CrossFit Open.

In Tabata Songs’ latest video, 24 year old Fraser, who finished 2nd behind Rich Froning at the 2014 Games, demonstrates a Tabata style workout while listening to “Tabata WOD” by Tabata Songs (available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon MP3 and more).

“Tabata is four minutes of interval training,” Fraser says. “Twenty seconds on, ten seconds off. You can do the same movement for all four minutes or you can pick a different movement every 20 seconds.”

The Tabata Protocol was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata in Japan during the 1990s. A typical Tabata workout consists of eight intervals over the course of four minues (20 secs on, 10 secs off). Although Dr. Tabata originally tested this method on cycling, any exercise may be used with the Tabata Protocol.

Over the past few years we have seen countless timers, clocks and smartphone apps released to help facilitate the starts and stops of the Tabata intervals. However, Tabata Songs has often become a more popular choice for athletes and coaches, who can use the music to coach themselves through a Tabata workout and not have to worry about constantly looking at a clock. Trainers have also found the value in Tabata Songs, as they are able to focus on coaching form instead facilitating the timing.

For those who haven’t heard of the company, TabataSongs.com is an online music website dedicated specifically to Tabata training, with a number of music tracks available in all kinds of genres. With several million channel views, and thousands of international downloads per week, Tabata Songs has quickly become a household name in the functional fitness community.

In this particular workout video, Fraser uses music from Tabata Songs to complete a WOD consisting of: thrusters, GHD situps, snatches, bar muscle-ups, kettlebell swings, wall balls, burpee box-jump-overs, and overhead squats.

“It’s nice to not have to always be craning around trying to look at the clock thinking how much more do I have or long till I go, counting down, counting up.” Fraser says. “You can focus on what you’re doing and not have to keep track.”

In 2015, Fraser will be hoping to go one better at the CrossFit Games in Carson, California and claim the title of the ‘Fittest Man on Earth’. However, that wasn’t his plan a few years ago.

Originally, Fraser had his eyes set on the 2016 US Olympic weightlifting team. However, an injury to his lower vertebrae during training, which he says was caused by “lifting too much, too often”, saw him stumble into CrossFit by accident.

“For ten years before CrossFit I was a competitive Olympic style weightlifter and retired from that and just kind of fell into CrossFit by mistake,” Fraser says.

While home in Colchester, Vermont, Fraser decided to seek out a local CrossFit gym simply to use their bumper plates. “I Googled ‘CrossFit in Vermont’ and Champlain Valley CrossFit popped up,” he says.

Lifting alone at CVCF, Fraser was originally turned off by all the “chaos” inside the gym. But he quickly changed his mind after eventually taking part in a few classes.

“I like CrossFit because it’s different ever single day,” he explains during his interview with Tabata Songs. “There is not a single workout that’s gonna be the same. You can take it as seriously as you want, or you can take it as casually as you want.”

“When I came from Olympic style weightlifting you knew Mondays were squat and snatch day, you knew Tuesday was pull and deadlift day. CrossFit is different ever day.”

You can check out the full Tabata Songs video with Mathew Fraser above. The song he is listening to is called “Tabata WOD” by Tabata Songs, which is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon MP3 and their Online Store.