What is a Tabata Workout? 5 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

If you’ve never heard of Tabata workouts before, they’re about to become your new best friend for burning fat, toning your muscles, and getting an effective workout checked off your list in less time!

Tabata workouts provide a full-body workout, burning serious calories in only a few minutes. 

Here, we’ll cover what a Tabata workout is and five key Tabata exercises you can do anywhere, anytime. 

What is a Tabata Workout?

Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is one of the best ways to burn fat, as it utilizes intense periods of all-out effort paired with short rest periods.

These intervals accelerate fat loss and help you achieve more with your workouts in a shorter amount of time. HIIT intervals can be any amount of time, but Tabata intervals specifically use the following time frame:

• Work hard for 20 seconds
• Rest for 10 seconds

Tabata intervals were developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata his research team at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.  They found that intense interval training allowed athletes to work both their aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (muscle) systems simultaneously while working out. In contrast, more moderate-intensity exercise only worked the athlete’s aerobic systems.

Using high-intensity interval training in general, and specifically Tabata, you can get your heart pumping while still building muscle.

Here are some key benefits of a Tabata Workout:

• Works your aerobic and anaerobic Systems.
• It’s a cardiovascular and strength workout rolled into one
• Helps you Retain or build muscle
• Boosts your metabolism
• Saves time

Ready to get started? Here are the instructions for the next five exercises: 

• Perform each exercise for 20 seconds hard, then rest for 10 seconds.
• Repeat each exercise four times before moving on to the next. 

Remember to breathe and sip water when needed!

Skaters

Leap far and fast for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

How to do skaters:

• Start with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and arms at the sides.
• Bring one leg behind at a slight angle into a reverse lunge. The front knee will come to a 90-degree angle.
• Swing the arms in front of that bent knee and leap the back leg forward to switch sides in a skating motion. Arms alternate as you switch sides like a speed skater.

Push-Up Punch

Perform as many as you can for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

How to do a push-up punch:

• Begin in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your feet together, and your body in a straight line.
• Keeping your body straight, bend your arms to lower your body toward the floor.
• Straighten your arms to push your body back up into plank position as you punch your right arm forward.  Return your hand to the floor, lower your back to the bottom of your push-up, and repeat on the opposite side.

High Knees

 Run fast for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of four rounds.

How to do high knees:

• Start standing with feet hip distance apart.
• Lift one knee up as high as it will go and raise the opposite arm, then switch quickly. Continue alternating arms and legs.

Stiletto Squat

Do as many as you can for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

How to do a stiletto squat:

• Start standing and lift your heels high like you’re wearing heels. Keeping your abs engaged, slowly drop into a squat, bringing your hips to knee height.
• Squeeze your glutes and return to your starting position.

Plank Jacks

Fast but controlled for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for a total of four rounds.

How to do plank jacks:

• Begin in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your feet together, and your body in a straight line.
• Similar to the motion of a jumping jack, jump your feet wide, keeping your buttocks down. Jump your feet back together.

• Category: Fitness