Who’s ready for Tabata? If you’ve never tried a Tabata workout, get ready to be hooked! The Tabata protocol has benefits that go beyond a regular treadmill or circuit workout, regardless of your ability or fitness level.
The history of Tabata
The Tabata workout (also called Tabata protocol) is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, dean of the Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of Sport and Health Science in Japan. Izumi Tabata credits Olympic speed skating coach Irisawa Koichi for creating the technique.
But you don’t have to be an ice skater to reap the benefits of this high-intensity interval training, or HIIT workout. Tabata pairs bursts of high intensity followed by low intensity, and it’s an incredible way to improve your endurance and get a great workout quickly.
What is the difference between a HIIT and Tabata workout?
Tabata is a type of HIIT workout. All Tabata workouts are HIIT, but not all HIIT is Tabata. Both involve periods of high-intensity effort followed by a quick recovery. However, Tabata requires specific work-to-rest intervals, while HIIT is more flexible — you can change the timing and repetitions.
HIIT and Tabata workouts can both lead to great results! That said, Tabata workouts may be a better option if you’re a beginner or prefer shorter exercise routines.
The benefits: Why are Tabata workouts so popular?
Tabata has serious fat-burning and metabolism-boosting powers. As an anaerobic activity, Tabata forces your body to rely on the glucose stored within your muscles for energy. That glucose has to be replenished, which is why one of Tabata’s main benefits is calorie burn. In additional to burning calories, researchers have found that Tabata can also improve endurance and aerobic capacity.
Another big advantage of Tabata training is that it requires absolutely no equipment. While you can add equipment to the workout if you want, the entire routine can be built around basic bodyweight movements or Tabata cardio exercises.
How long should a Tabata workout be?
The traditional Tabata workout calls for 20-second intervals of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, done 8 times. Therefore, one round of Tabata is 4 minutes long. The goal is to work yourself to the point of exhaustion in a short amount of time.
(20 seconds work + 10 seconds rest) x 8 = 4 minutes
We recommend doing a Tabata workout for 20 minutes (aka 4 rounds, plus a minute of rest between each round), but you can adjust based on what works best for you and your current fitness level. In the end, the results you get will depend on the exercises you do, how hard you work, and the duration of your workouts.
The exercises you can do during a Tabata workout
Tabata can be done with any type of movement: core, cardio, strength, etc. Some people like to stick to cardio, while others add floor exercises, arm or leg strength movements, and so on. The choice is 100% yours!
For a full circuit, you can simply pick four exercises and complete a 4-minute round of each. Exercises that fit well with Tabata include:
- Rowing
- Stationary bicycling
- Push-ups
- Planks
- High knees
- Running in place
- Lunges
- Mountain climbers
- Burpees
- Squats
- Jumping jacks
- Crunches
20-Minute Total Body Tabata Workout
Below is our recommendation for a full-body Tabata workout that mixes cardio with simple bodyweight exercises. For the cardio portion, you’ll want to find a place at your gym next to a cardio machine (stationary bike, rowing machine, etc.) so that you can quickly jump off and do the floor movements. Or instead of using a machine, you can do jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, or other aerobic movement.
In total, this workout should take you around 20 minutes to complete. Here’s the breakdown:
- Cardio of your choice: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of rest. Perform eight times, then rest for 1 minute.
- Plank: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of rest. Perform eight times, then rest for 1 minute.
- Squats: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of rest. Perform eight times, then rest for 1 minute.
- Push-ups: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds of rest. Perform eight times, then cool down.
Remember: Proper form is key to getting the most out of these movements. Try this workout with friends, your kids, or an AF Coach to keep it interesting and fun!
Warm up
Before you get started with your Tabata workout, remember to warm up for a couple of minutes. You can do this on your cardio machine or jog in place or do high knees or jumping jacks.
1. Cardio of your choice
If using a cardio machine, set your resistance or incline to medium. You’ll want to sustain this resistance during the entire Tabata.
How to:
- Complete as many reps as possible in 20 seconds at maximum effort.
- Take 10 seconds of rest.
- Repeat eight times.
- Rest for 1 minute then continue on to the next move.
2. Plank
You’ll want to find a comfortable spot on the floor for your plank. If you want to change this ab movement up, you can try heel touches, side crunches, mountain climbers, or even planks with hip dips.
How to:
- Lie face down on your belly with your palms on the floor underneath your shoulders and your feet flexed with the bottoms of your toes on the floor.
- Press through your palms to lift yourself up into the top of a push-up position. Your body should make a straight line from your heels through your hips to the top of your head.
- Draw your navel toward your spine and squeeze your glutes.
- Breathe normally, and hold for 20 seconds.
- Repeat eight times.
- Rest for 1 minute then continue on to the next move.
Tip: If a plank on your toes is too challenging, you can drop to your knees.
3. Jump Squats
Get ready to work those glutes! For people who want to make this more challenging for their glutes (if your legs aren’t burnt out from the cardio sprints), you can level up by adding a pair of dumbbells or squat jumps. If you use a pair of dumbbells, hold them above your hips and perform regular squats, making sure to keep your weight in your heels instead of your toes.
How to:
- From your plank on the ground, jump up to a standing position and drop right back down into a squat position.
- Jump as high off the ground as you can, then land on your feet softly.
- Complete as many reps as possible in 20 seconds at maximum effort.
- Take 10 seconds of rest.
- Repeat eight times.
- Rest for 1 minute then continue on to the next move.
Tip: If squats don’t work for your hips or knees, ask a Coach for an alternative that suits your needs!
4. Push-ups
Ah, push-ups. We love to hate them, but they’re one of the most effective upper body and chest moves around, and they get more effective the fewer inches you’re away from the ground.
How to:
- Start with your body lifted on your toes and hands, your elbows bent and your chest nearly touching the floor.
- Push up to a straight arm position.
- Lower your body back to the starting position and repeat.
- Keep your back flat and your hips in line with your shoulders throughout.
- Complete as many reps as possible in 20 seconds at maximum effort.
- Take 10 seconds of rest.
- Repeat eight times.
Tip: If regular push-ups are too challenging after sprinting and sweating it out, you can perform them on your knees, or switch to another chest and shoulder stability move like mountain climbers.
For a more difficult option, swap push-ups for burpees. Just make sure you have plenty of floor space for this powerful move!
The cooldown
At the end of your Tabata workout, take a minimum of 2 minutes to cool down with some cardio at a low speed, or check out our recommended cooldown routine.
A final word on Tabata training
An important thing to keep in mind with any Tabata workout is to listen to your body! It can be easy to push too hard when you first try it out, and you want to make sure you avoid injuries. Check in on how you’re feeling after every round, from your head to your hips and your legs to your feet. You won’t be able to maximize your calorie burn if you’re injured or overworking your muscle groups.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started with this Tabata workout today. If you keep at it, we have a feeling that you’ll see improvement in your endurance within weeks.
Interested in trying more high-intensity interval workouts? Check out our 25-Minute HIIT Bike Workout Anyone Can Try.
