What’s Tabata?
This fitness buzzword is a type of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout. It was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata of Japan.
A typical Tabata workout consists of 4 exercises, performed for 20 seconds at high intensity, immediately followed by 10 seconds of rest, for eight rounds. (one minute of rest between exercises) It ends up being a sweaty, exhausting 20 minute program if you really push yourself.
Why Tabata?
HIIT has been demonstrated to have wonderful health benefits, especially in comparison to more traditional styles of training. These benefits include:
- More calories and fat burned in a shorter amount of time (15 minutes HIIT burns more calories than jogging on a treadmill for an hour) (*)
- Builds endurance
- Boosts metabolism – increased oxygen uptake
- The afterburn effect (**)
- And more!
Tabata is also great because you can completely customize your workouts. You get to choose your exercises, you determine how hard to push yourself, and you know that after 20 minutes, it’ll all be over.
Note:
It’s important to complete each exercise with correct form. Don’t go for speed if it means you modify the quality of the movement. You want to go as fast as you can with perfect technique.
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I prefer Tabata workouts because they’re quick, and I can do them whenever and wherever. I travel a lot, and don’t always have a gym, or an hour to devote to a workout.
Each exercise is adaptable to your own fitness level and abilities, and I’ve included a couple adjustment options for each movement on the list. Although you can incorporate machines, weights, and other fitness instruments into a Tabata workout, none of that is necessary for this Tabata.
Here’s my favorite Tabata set while on the road:
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BODYWEIGHT TABATA WORKOUT
- Burpees
- V-ups (Or Bodyweight Squats)
- Pushups
- Mountain Climbers
Burpees get your heart pumping. They’re also brutal.
Drop to the ground, put your hands on the floor jump your feet out behind you so you’re in a pushup position. Do a pushup, jump your feet towards your hands, then explode into a jump while you reach towards the ceiling. Repeat.
Pointers: maintain a tight core throughout the movement, especially when transitioning through the pushup position. Focus on proper alignment.
You can watch an in-depth video tutorial on a burpee here.
Adaptations: skip the push-up, rise to a standing position instead of a full jump, or walk feet out behind you rather than jump them out.
[Remember: 20 minutes on, 10 seconds off, Repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.]
One minute rest
V-ups are my favorite! Or Body weight Squats
Laying on your back, bend at the hip to raise your legs and upper body off the floor and together into a ‘V’ shape. Lower back down to the floor. Repeat.
Pointers: move your upper body and lower body at the same rate so you reach your maximum range at the same time. If possible, hold for a second at the top in the contracted position before lowering. Don’t let your legs touch the ground between reps. Keep legs straight and together.
You can watch a video tutorial of a V-up here.
Adaptations: tuck-ups (same but with legs bent instead of straight), leg lifts (upper body remains on floor, straight legs up and down), sit ups.
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V-ups may be a little intense for some, or you may not want to lay down. If that’s the case, try body weight squats instead.
Stand with legs apart. Bend at the knees to squat down, making sure your knees do not pass your toes. Squeeze your glutes to return to the top and repeat.
You can watch a video tutorial of a body weight squat here.
Adaptations: not much to adapt, focus on form and go as low as you can without injuring yourself.
One minute rest
Pushups
Hands on the floor, arms straight, legs out behind you. Braced core, lower your body to the ground with arms at about 30 degrees from your body. Without resting on the floor, lift up to the starting position, maintaining a straight body.
You can watch a video tutorial of a pushup here.
Adaptations: knees on the floor. Hands on an elevated surface.
One minute rest
Mountain Climbers for a solid finish.
It’s the final sprint! The form on this one is easy, so lock into position and hit it hard.
In a pushup position, keep arms straight. Bring one knee up to your chest, then switch legs. It’ll be a running motion as you pick up speed. For variance, bring your knee towards your opposite elbow so you’re in a twisting position. Feel the burn.
You can watch a video tutorial for mountain climbers here.
Adaptations: hands on an elevated surface, jumping jacks.
Finish with one minute rest.
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Make sure to warm up before, and cool down after the workout.
It’s not easy to keep track of time for the short intervals while you’re pushing yourself to the max. Listen to a Tabata workout playlist on Youtube, or download a Tabata app that will have a timer to tell you when to start and when to rest.
Here’s an example Youtube track.
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Get that booty moving.
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23/31 #YearOfChallenge