Tabata.
Learn it, love it.
Born in the 1990s this revolutionary exercise concept has been slowly bubbling under the surface, waiting for its chance to become the next big thing. And now, after gaining some scientific backing, its gaining traction.
Tabata workouts are short bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). When done correctly, you can burn up to 13.5 calories per minute. That means that, if you’re exercising for the recommended 30 minutes per day (as designated by the American Heart Association), you’ll burn 405 calories. Without ever stepping on the treadmill.
And that’s not all. One of the major benefits of Tabata training is that it can double your metabolic rate for about 30 minutes post-workout. That means that even after you’re finished with your workout, your body is still torching calories faster than any other time during the day.
So what’s the plan?
One of the best things about Tabata training is that in addition to being extremely effective, it’s also low-cost and low-tech. You don’t need fancy equipment or machinery. In most cases, you simply need a stopwatch to time yourself. As you progress, you can intensify workouts by using hand-weights, which are relatively inexpensive and can be found everywhere from Sports Authority to TJ Maxx.
The basis of the workout is that you work as hard as you can doing one exercise for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for eight total rounds. If you’re doing the math, that is only four minutes of work!
This workout plan, designed by SELF magazine, is quick, easy, and has proven results. It has a total of 16 rounds (four rounds for each of the four exercises). This workout is a total body workout, so you could blast through the entire thing, or mix and match to fit your ideal time-frame and goals.
Exercise 1 – Squats
Perform as many bodyweight, “air” squats as possible for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest for four rounds. Try to perform the same number of squats you did in the first round throughout each round. To make it even more difficult, try the bottom-to-bottom version which means you hold the bottom of an air squat during the 10 seconds of rest.
Exercise 2 – Burpees
To do a burpee, start in a standing position, jump into the top of a plank position, bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor. Jump your feet forward to your arms and stand up, adding a jump once you’re upright.
Perform as many burpees as possible for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest for four rounds.
Exercise 3 – Knees to Elbows (modified)
Stand upright with arms extended at each side, bent to 90 degrees so the palms are facing forward, fingers point upwards. Raise your right knee to 90 degrees while simultaneously twisting your torso so that your left elbow meets your right knee and switch sides.
Perform as many KTE twists as possible for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest for four rounds.
Exercise 4 – Suicide Runs
Run as fast as you can for a set distance (we used about 20 feet) and touch the ground when you reach the mark. Run back to your starting position and touch the ground. Repeat for as many times as possible in 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest for four rounds.
* Note, perform all four rounds of each exercise before moving onto the next one.
Here’s a Tabata workout video that’s 11 minutes long, for those of you interested in following along!
