Tabata is a variant of high-intensity interval training. Tabata training can be completed with various bodyweight exercises, but also exists in the form of sprints while running, cycling, or using other cardio equipment. The workouts are characterized by repeatedly alternating very intense exercise with short rest periods. A properly performed Tabata session is fundamentally a very advanced form of training and is not recommended for untrained individuals. Why and how exactly Tabata is implemented follows in the current Supz article.
What is Tabata? What is the difference compared to HIIT workouts?
In the previous article about HIIT training it was already explained that high-intensity interval training is the umbrella term and Tabata workouts are an advanced variant of HIIT training. There are now various interpretations of Tabata training, although the original method was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata. Dr. Tabata himself was able to prove in a scientific study that a group of athletes who performed very short, high-intensity workouts over a period of 6 weeks had greater aerobic and anaerobic endurance than the control group, which performed longer and less intense workouts. According to its inventor, the original Tabata definition only lasts four minutes: It consists of eight intervals, each involving a 20-second exercise period alternating with only 10 seconds of rest.
By now, however, the Tabata definition has expanded in the fitfluencer and general fitness scene. There are now numerous variants of Tabata that also last 12 minutes or 20 minutes. One could even call this HIIT Tabata.
What are the benefits of Tabata training?
Does Tabata training help with weight loss? Yes and no, because the foundation is always the right nutrition. This always includes keeping your blood sugar stable to avoid cravings. What can be said, however, is that interval training stimulates body fat reduction much more than endurance training such as jogging or cycling. Endurance means that you can maintain a certain – rather lower – intensity over a longer period without getting tired. Fitness, on the other hand, is when you can repeatedly perform at a higher intensity over a certain period. Tabata exercises should be in the high-intensity range, and they promote fat burning and the colloquially known afterburn effect much more hormonally. At high intensity, the body needs much more energy than at low intensity.
Another benefit of Tabata training is the low time commitment; if you have worked out intensely for four or possibly 20 minutes and had to push your limits, this form of fitness is very efficient. In addition, you can make Tabata very flexible and do not necessarily need equipment for it.
Sprint intervals while running or cycling and bodyweight exercises can be done almost anywhere. They are also suitable for working from home and business trips. Nevertheless, they can also be performed in a versatile way with dumbbells and other resistance exercises.
Disadvantages of Tabata training
As was also explained in the article about High-intensity Interval Training (High-intensity interval training), the desired effect can only really be achieved if the person is already advanced. An untrained person on day one does no favors to themselves or their goals with a Tabata workout.
They probably won't lose weight from it either. Without enough muscle mass and explosive power, enough intensity cannot be generated at all. You can imagine a car with 80 hp that is supposed to do a kickstart: It does not have enough power to generate this kickstart (the intensity). A 500 hp car, however, can. You therefore have to first train up this higher performance capacity through targeted strength training.
So Tabata for beginners should only exist in that sense that someone who has previously built muscle with strength training needs to get used to the short, intense workout first. Because especially for experienced strength athletes, such a 4-minute workout can lead to circulatory collapse, as the body needs to get used to this high load.
Another disadvantage is the quality of the exercise, but this goes hand in hand with experience and the basic strength required. Otherwise, the execution often suffers quickly and you start to fall uncontrollably into the exercise instead of acting explosively, with power and control.
The best Tabata exercises - examples for the workout
Tabata exercises without equipment work perfectly at home but also outdoors. They should be holistic exercises that reach the global muscle groups of the entire body as much as possible. Push-ups, jump squats, burpees, sprint skipping in place, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or lunges are well suited.
It is important that maximum power is generated in every exercise. But there are also other Tabata workout exercises with equipment. The Assault Air Bike or the SkiErg (both machines that you mainly find in CrossFit gyms) have a Tabata program stored, where you simply perform the 8 intervals on the same machine. These sessions are really incredibly hard. Such a workout can also be done with a sled sprint on artificial turf.
Your Tabata training plan for home & on the go
This is what a classic 4-minute Tabata workout for home could look like...
First, a good Tabata warm-up should be performed: The Supz Mobility Routine is ideal for this:
Then it gets started:
- 20s Jump Squats (jump up from the deep squat position and back down into the squat in a controlled manner)
- 10s Rest
- 20s Burpees
- 10s Rest
- 20s Jumping Jacks
- 10s Rest
- 20s Push-ups
- 10s Rest
- 20s Jump Squats (jump up from the deep squat position and back down into the squat in a controlled manner)
- 10s Rest
- 20s Burpees
- 10s Rest
- 20s Jumping Jacks
- 10s Rest
- 20s Push-ups
- 10s Rest
Done! – Congratulations on your first Tabata workout within your own four walls!