The Tabata Workout is known as the closest thing we have to a fitness miracle. The Tabata workout is a favorite of researchers and fitness pros alike for its unparalleled fat-torching abilities and simplicity. To do a “Tabata,” pick an exercise, set a timer for 20 seconds, and 10 seconds rest.
Do the exercise as hard as possible for 20 seconds and then rest for 10, repeating 8-20 times total. Don’t be fooled: These moves may seem simple, but they’re not! If you do not see stars by the end, you’re not pushing hard enough. You can use the Tabata protocol with almost any exercise. Here, I share some fat-burning exercises to get you started:
Spin Bikes
Bikes are perfect for engaging your whole lower body and skyrocketing your heart rate for those 20 seconds. Tip: It’s a little easier to time and to rest on a stationary bike-you can take your feet off the pedals for 10 seconds rather than trying to start and stop/coast on the road.
Hindu squats
Hindu squats are similar to a traditional squat, but instead of stopping when your legs are parallel to the ground, you continue down, dropping your butt towards your heels until your fingertips brush the ground. Going through the full range of motion gets your heart rate up faster and engages more muscles. Tip: Don’t be afraid-contrary to popular belief, researchers now say that squatting to the ground won’t hurt your knees for healthy people.
Jumping lunges
You already know, and love (to hate?) lunges for their butt-blasting ability. Add a jump in between alternating legs to up the difficulty and cardio factor. Start by stepping your right foot forward into a deep lunge until your leg is parallel with the ground. Then jump, bringing your back (left) foot forward and landing in a lunge. Tip: You can step through each lunge if jumping gets too hard.
Jumping rope
Cardio and coordination all in one! Take a jump rope and jump as fast as you can, using whichever foot pattern suits you best. Options include feet together, high knees, the “boxer shuffle with heels in front, alternating feet, and butt-kickers. Tip: Make sure your rope is long enough before you start-nothing ruins a good Tabata workout like getting whipped across your calves! To check for proper length, stand in the center of your rope and pull the handles straight up. They should come at least as high as your armpits.
Box Jump
Find a weight bench or a plyo box that hits somewhere between your shins and your knees. Stand in front of it and jump off of both feet to the top of the bench. Then, jump back to the floor, again with both feet together. Try not to rest when you land and jump right back up again. If this is too difficult, you can do step-ups onto the box instead.
Bench Hop Over
Place your hands near one end of a flat weight bench with both feet on one side. Keeping your hands on the bench, hop your legs over to the other side. Immediately hop back to the first side. Keep hopping until you want to puke, or your timer goes off! Tip: Make sure you’re jumping vertically and not horizontally, or you’ll push the weight bench to the side, which makes it even harder to get back over.
Mountain Climbing
Make a triangle with your hands and feet on the floor with your butt up in the air. Bring one leg up towards your chest, similar to a sprinter’s start position. Keeping your hands on the ground, jump to switch your legs. Tip: Just quickly touch each toe down in front so you’re not resting by putting your whole foot down.
Handstand Push-up
For a real Tabata challenge, kick up into a handstand against a wall. Bend your elbows and lower down and then push back up. Tip: You don’t have to go all the way down to your head for these to be effective. Even lowering 2 inches will challenge your whole body.
Running in Place on a Trampoline
Running in place on a mini-trampoline or Bosu is a great way to get the same cardio effect of running with much less pounding. Tip: Put one hand on a wall, chair, or trampoline bar until you’re sure you’ve got your balance.
Swimming
The ultimate non-impact exercise, Swimming, offers all the cardio benefits of running and cross-trains your upper body. Pick whichever stroke you are most comfortable with and sprint away. Tip: If you can, find a lane to yourself. Other swimmers often don’t appreciate the start/stop nature of Tabata training.
Tabata Workout Summary
However you choose to lay out your workout, remember to work to an all-out maximum intensity during the 20-second work interval, and embrace the 10 seconds of rest in between! The cool thing about Tabata’s workouts is you can start with a four-minute training and build up your strength before adding more exercises to your routine. Then, remember to rest for 1 minute before beginning the upcoming series when moving to the next exercise.
Once you’ve finished, give yourself time to catch your breath completely, and if you have time, do a few stretches to wrap things up.
I hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have anything you’d like to share or any opinions about my website, please speak up. I look forward to your comments, questions, and the sharing of ideas.
Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer or a healthcare professional. The workouts I post about work best for me and might not be the correct type of exercise for you. I always recommend consulting a doctor or health professional before making changes to your diet and fitness routine.
Related articles
Four Treadmill Workouts to Burn Calories and Lose Weight Fast
Hindu squats and the box jump look pretty good. I will try this workout for more ways to work out lower body strength.
Its been a long lock-down, and I didn’t sweat it out. I just hang up a punching bag to work out the upper body as well. Thanks for the tips
Hello there, This is an excellent article that you have got here. Indeed the Tabata workout is a fitness miracle. I just find myself practicing the moves even as I go through them. This moves are genuinely exceptional and beautifully arrayed. They work effectively and affect each curve as you engage them. Thanks for sharing this with me.