Tabata Workout - The Quick Fit Exercising Program

Tabata may be the shortest workout that you’ll ever do. But make no mistake, the four minutes will make you feel the burn each second.

There may have been times when you’ve found yourself in a situation where you have limited time, equipment, space, or all the above. How can you get a good workout, even with these limitations?

Read on to learn more about this quick but effective workout. We will also explore its health benefits and how it may impact weight loss and share tips and gear to get going! 

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Tabata is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout that alternates rapid bursts of intense exercise with brief rest periods. Technically, alternate 20 seconds of near-maximum effort exercise with 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds (a total of 4 minutes).

Tabata workout has been scientifically proven to help increase endurance and performance for your aerobic (cardiovascular) and anaerobic (muscular) systems.(1)

If you are interested in a highly efficient method to achieve maximum results that helps you burn fat and build muscles, Tabata is a great option for you!

Don’t be fooled by the time required to complete a Tabata workout, it may look easy on paper, given that the entire workout is only four minutes long (not including the warmup and cooling down phase). However, if you’re doing Tabata correctly, you should be completely exhausted by the seventh or eighth round.

In addition to Tabata workouts, perform at least two full-body strength sessions and 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, or light cycling weekly. 

Dr. Izumi Tabata a Japanese sports scientist while working at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo conducted a groundbreaking study comparing the effects of this untested 4-minute training protocol to the more traditional 60-minute moderate-intensity cardio workout on physically active males aged 18-24.

After six weeks, the High Intensity Interval training (HIIT) group showed significant improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic capacities, while the traditional cardio group only saw modest improvements in aerobic capacity.

The results of this research revolutionized fitness training and led to the advent of the HIIT workouts that we know so well today. 

Tabata like any other workout is for all levels from beginner to Olympic athlete. There are still some Tabata exercises that are more suitable for beginners versus advanced athletes. Here is a list of exercises that you can start with: 

How to Perform Squats?

Stand straight with shoulders above hips, feet hip-width apart and toes turned out slightly. Start by dropping your hips back and down, always keeping knees behind your toes.

Also, be mindful to keep your hip and ankle in line, so knees do not collapse inward. Once you drop your hips as low as possible with a straight spine, drive your weight into your heels to stand back up to start position. That is one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Keep your neck long, shoulders back and down away from your ears.
• Keep your back straight during the entire movement.
• Your flexibility improves with practice; try to squat deeper with each rep. 

How to Perform Crunches?

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with your hands behind your head. Press your lower back into the floor while rolling shoulders up and forward.

Lift your shoulder blades about four inches off the floor, contracting your abs at the top. Slowly lower your torso back down to the floor to complete one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Don’t interlock your fingers behind your head
• Your lower back should always remain pressed into the floor

How to Perform Push Ups?

Fully extending your legs increases the difficulty of this move by adding more body weight. Begin with your chest and stomach flat on the floor. Your legs should be straight out behind you and your palms should be at chest level with the arms bent out at a 45-degree angle. Exhale as you push from your hands and heels, bringing your torso, chest, and thighs off the ground. Pause for a second in the plank position — keep your core engaged. Inhale as you slowly lower back to your starting position.

Things to remember:

• Perform push ups on a yoga mat or similar surface instead of a bare floor.
• Place hands directly under shoulders with your fingers pointing directly in front of you to avoid wrist pain.
• Place palms flat on the floor versus cupping your hands. This avoids straining your hands.
• Look down at the ground during this exercise to avoid straining your neck.

How to Perform Front Lunges?

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with arms reaching straight up or with hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg, bending both knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the floor, and your front knee comes directly above your ankle. Drive through your front heel and push off to return to start position. Left and right count as one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Don’t let your front knee extend further forward than your toes
• Keep your neck long, shoulders back and down away from ears, and shoulders directly above your hips
• Keep your core engaged
• Your flexibility will improve with time, so aim to better your range of motion with each step

How to Perform High Knees?

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, look straight ahead and raise your hands to hip height. Quickly run in place, lifting knees as high as possible. Every time your foot comes to the floor, land softly on the balls of your feet. Left and right count as one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Maintain good posture with your neck long, shoulders back and absolutely no slouching
• Aim to lift your knees up to hip-height (unless you’re modifying with a jog)

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Once you master the Tabata exercises for beginners, add these advanced exercises into your Tabata routines only when you feel you’re able to execute them with proper form. Remember, proper form is more important than speed.

How to Perform Dynamic Squats?

Stand straight with your shoulders above your hips, feet hip-width apart and toes turned out slightly. Quickly drop your hips back and down with knees behind your toes and in line with the ankles. To complete the movement, drive weight into your heels to explosively jump up to center and land softly in the start position. This is one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Keep your neck long, shoulders back and down away from ears
• Keep your shoulders above or behind your knees
• Engage your abs and extend arms in front of you for balance

How to Perform Spiderman Plank?

Place your elbows on the floor directly underneath your shoulders with forearms parallel, legs straight behind, feet together and your toes curled under. Tense every muscle to keep your body in a straight line from your head through to your heels. Bring your right knee forward towards your right elbow, then return it back to plank position. Repeat and bring your left knee toward your left elbow. Left and right is one repetition.

Things to remember:

• Keep your neck long, shoulders back and down away from your ears
• Don’t sink into your shoulders
• Keep your hips still and body in a straight line during the entire movement

How to perform bulgarian split squats with hop?

Begin with your feet hip-width apart and stand two or three feet in front of a knee-height surface. Place the instep of your rear foot on the surface behind you. Lower your hips towards the floor, so your rear knee comes as close to the floor as possible. Explosively press into the heel of your front leg to straighten and jump off floor. Land as softly as possible and return to start position. This is one repetition on your first leg.

Things to remember:

• Don’t let your front knee extend beyond your toes when it bends
• Keep your shoulders and hips square and parallel to the floor

How to Perform Burpee with push-up?

Begin standing, then squat down and place your hands on the floor by the sides your feet. Keeping your hands planted, jump your feet behind you and land in a plank position with straight legs. Lower your body down until your chest touches the floor with elbows tight to your body. Keep your hands on floor and use your hip and core strength to pop back into a squat. Finish the movement by exploding up into a jump and landing on your feet as softly as possible

Things to remember:

• Keep your spine straight, neck long and shoulders back throughout the movement
• Complete with as much control, especially in the core, as possible

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The research on Tabata itself is limited, though there have been many studies on the potential health benefits of HIIT workouts, Tabata being a form is included in the list. Here are a few benefits that make it worthwhile:

The pioneering Tabata study found that performing four Tabata workouts per week for six weeks improved anaerobic capacity and VO2 max in young athletes, while performing five moderate-intensity cardio workouts for six weeks only improved VO2 max.(1)

Another study found that modified Tabata meets American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for improving cardiorespiratory endurance. Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise five days per week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise three days per week.(2)

Research shows that HIIT may help improve insulin sensitivity, or your body’s sensitivity to insulin to clear glucose from your blood. Insulin sensitivity is key for type 2 diabetes prevention and management.

A study in 2020 showed, 12 weeks of HIIT and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise were equally effective in improving insulin sensitivity (up to 20 percent greater) the day after exercise in adults with obesity. Research on Tabata needs to be performed to see if Tabata specifically, offers benefits for insulin sensitivity.(3)

Like other forms of cardio exercise, it is well known that HIIT helps lower blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.

A study found that patients with hypertension who performed three HIIT sessions per week for a total of 24 sessions were able to return their systolic blood pressure to a normal range without medication. Again, more specific research is needed to determine if Tabata has the same effect on blood pressure.(4)

Whether you are on a track, treadmill, bike, or rower, or you are using free weights, machines, or no equipment at all you can apply the Tabata protocol. The Tabata timing also works great as a warmup before another type of workout.

You don’t need any workout equipment to do Tabata, making it a perfect fitness tool for traveling or at home. Running, Squats, pushups and burpees are all great exercises for Tabata that you can do anywhere.

Regardless of where you are in your fitness journey, you can adapt the Tabata protocol to your ability. You don't need to perform at full throttle to reap the benefits. If your next goal is to jog a mile without stopping, try using the Tabata timing to jog/walk. Jog for 20 seconds and walk for 10 seconds for 4 minutes. Repeat as many times as you can.

Sweat through a workout together with your workout buddy or fitness group. Whether you are going head-to-head on a Tabata challenge or rotating through various workout stations, this can be a fun way to stay motivated and achieve your goal.

Tabata workouts can be an effective, time-efficient way to build fitness. When included in a well-rounded exercise program and paired with a healthy diet, a Tabata workout may help you burn additional calories for fat loss. Whether you’re on the go, short on time, or just want a good, blood-pumping workout, Tabata workouts are a fun and fast-paced option. Grab a timer and give it a try!!

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