Tabata Training - The Workouts

Train for only 4 minutes a day to hit your body goals?

We all live busy lives and there are a lot of people who claim that they simply don’t have time to go to the gym for a long cardio workout or strength training routine. The good news is you don't need to spend hours on the treadmill or elliptical to burn some serious fat. All you need is four minutes. Curious?  The type of training I am referring to is a different form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) called Tabata. The basis of Tabata Training is four minutes of intense interval training/circuit training. A good example is sprinting for 20 seconds and then walking for 10 seconds - Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets (which equals approximately four minutes).

Tabata Training can be done witha number of different exercises. The idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved, or at least the major musclegroups. Tabata Training can be done with barbells, dumbells, kettlebells or just bodyweight exercises, even aerobic type exercises or a mixture of any. 

A study by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata who founded Tabata training, found that high intensity training improved VO2 max (or your maximal oxygen consumption)  by about 14%, while anaerobic capacity improved by 28%. These effects will help you shed those extra pounds of fat, while also building lean muscle. 

 

The Workouts

If you want to add Tabata to your weight workout, simply pick four barbell exercises that you can easily transition between. Perform the first exercise for as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then perform the second exercise as fast as possible for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds, and repeat this process for the remaining exercises.

Here's a sample of a four-exercise barbell Tabata circuit (with each movement done twice):

Barbell Tabata Workout:

1. Reverse Lunges
2. Shoulder Press
3. Romanian Deadlifts
4. Back Squats

Once you've completed all four exercises you're only half way done, because you'll only be two minutes into the Tabata. Go back to the first exercise and repeat the entire complex again without ever dropping the bar.

Here's a sample of a four-exercise dumbbell Tabata complex:

Dumbbell Tabata Workout:

1. Bicep Curls
2. Incline Flyes
3. Shoulder Press
4. Side Lateral Raise

20 seconds on each exercise with a 10 second rest in between x 2 sets

And for a fast, cardio shred try this workout:

Cardio Tabata Workout:

Sprinting – sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times
Jump rope – jump for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds x 8 times 

Bodyweight resistance workout:

1.    Press Ups

2.    Squats

3.    Mountain Climbers

4.    Lunges

20 seconds on each exercise with a 10 second rest in between x 2 sets

The most important thing to remember is that the 20 seconds of work must be absolutely flat out to get the desired effect. So are you telling me you don’t have 4 minutes for your body? For more advanced trainers take a one minute breaks and repeat 2,3 or 4, 4 minute blocks. I have had incredible results with many of my clients using Tabata training, you can too.