Tabata Training: The Essential Guide to a Tabata Workout

If you're a fan of interval training, you may have heard of Tabata style workouts or experimented with some form of Tabata exercise. If not, you're probably wondering, 'what is Tabata training?' and 'does Tabata training work?'

Tabata is a form of internal training, falling under the umbrella of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Tabata workouts require you to perform 20 minutes of exercise at an extremely high level of intensity. This type of training pushes the body incredibly hard and is very effective.

This article will provide some insights into Tabata workouts, share a Tabata workout plan, and discuss some beginner and advanced Tabata techniques.

What is Tabata Training?

Tabata workouts use a form of high-intensity interval training, which is designed to increase your heart rate to the anaerobic zone for short periods of time. Once you reach the anaerobic zone, you train all of your energy systems at once. This level of fitness is almost impossible to achieve during a regular cardio workout.

Incorporating Tabata intervals into your workout will increase your fitness levels as you burn more calories during and after your workouts. Tabata workouts are effective because they have low work to rest ratios, providing just 10 seconds of rest between every 20-second bout of exercise.

These short intervals are not enough to allow for a full recovery, making Tabata workouts fantastic for getting you in shape while building endurance.

Tabata vs. HIIT

Just to clarify, Tabata workouts are a form of HIIT. However, it differs from traditional HIIT workouts because Tabata is completed in four-minute rounds and requires much more intensity than other forms of HIIT exercise. As mentioned above, Tabata’s rest periods are shorter than traditional HIIT rests, lasting only 10 seconds.

Other forms of HIIT have much more extended recovery periods, which can last up to two minutes. In summary, Tabata workouts take less time and tend to be more intense. Non-Tabata HIIT workouts take longer to complete, are moderate to high-intensity, and have longer recovery times.

Tabata Workout Plan for Beginners

To truly answer the question ‘what is a Tabata workout?’ we’re going to provide you with beginner and advanced Tabata workout plans:

Beginners' Tabata Training Plan

In this full-body beginners' Tabata workout, we’ve included one lower-body exercise, one core exercise, and one cardio-focused exercise. During the minute-long recovery periods, pace around the room, jog-on-the-spot, or standstill. The goal of these recovery periods is to lower your heart rate before starting the next Tabata interval.

• High knees: Warm up by performing eight rounds of high knees. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.

• 60-second recovery.

• Lunges or squats: Perform eight rounds of either leg exercise. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.

• 60-second recovery.

• Crunches: Perform eight rounds of crunches. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.
  
  

Advanced Tabata Training Plan

Now you know how to do Tabata for beginners, would you like to build up to an advanced, total-body Tabata workout? Complete this routine three times a week to increase strength and improve your cardio fitness.

Again, during your 60-second recovery periods between each Tabata, stand still, pace around the room, or jog in place. Don’t forget to take deep breaths to decrease your heart rate before you begin the next Tabata.

• Burpees: Perform eight rounds of burpees as a warm-up exercise. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.

• 60-second recovery.

• Squat Jumps: Perform eight rounds of squat jumps. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.

• 60-second recovery.

• Spiderman plank: Perform eight rounds of spiderman planks. Complete 20 seconds of work followed by a 10-second rest.

Tabata Workout Tips

• Ensure that you warm-up for at least ten minutes before attempting a Tabata workout.

• If you’re new to Tabata training, start by completing 5-6 cycles of each exercise and increase the rest for 20-30 seconds. As you begin to build stamina, gradually decrease the rest periods, and increase the number of cycles, adding more intensity.

• If you complete multiple Tabata sets, rest for at least 60 seconds between sets.

• Keep monitoring your intensity. Intensity levels should accumulate as you complete each cycle, reaching a peak as you end the workout.
  
  

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