Tabata training takes a mere 4 minutes to perform yet could quite well do more for your fat loss efforts than all your other training combined. However don’t associate the short duration of Tabata training with an easy workout. Nothing could be further from the truth, Tabata training is hard, really hard!!
What does this magical 4 minute workout involve?
Tabata Training is a form of interval training that looks like this;
Credit for this breakthrough training method belongs to Dr Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. Using the above training protocol for a period of 6 weeks Dr Tabata and his team noted a startling 28% increase in anaerobic capacity and a 14% increase in the participants ability to consume oxygen (VO2 Max). What made these results even more impressive is that the participants were already physically very fit athletes. The conclusions from the experiment were that just four minutes of Tabata Interval Training could do more to boost aerobic and anaerobic capacity than an hour of endurance exercise. This is good to know if your anything like me and get nauseous just thinking about spending 45 boring minutes pounding away on a treadmill!!
This is useful knowledge for the athletes out there who are concerned about improving the efficiency of their energy systems. However the bulk of people reading this are probably more concerned with how this style of training is going to effect their body composition (% fat : % lean tissue). The great news is that Tabata Training has been found to be hugely effective at stripping away body fat. Although you only exercise for four minutes the extremely high intensity of the workout means the knock on effects to your metabolism are huge. After Tabata Training your metabolism will remain elevated for many hours all the while helping you burn away additional fat stores. This sustained elevation in metabolism puts this style of high intensity training light years ahead of traditional low intensity approaches for burning fat. Remember the key factor in fat loss training is not the amount of calories you burn in a workout, but the amount of calories that you burn as a result of a workout.
Below I have outlined a few examples of Tabata using your own bodyweight and/or kettlebells. This is not definitive list, you can be creative with Tabata, just make sure that the exercise you choose to perform involves a lot of muscles and can be performed safely at a high intensity. In terms of the weight used during Tabata, I would strongly recommend erring on the side of caution and starting light. If you choose to heavy a resistance you will not be able to do any reps by about round 4 thus rendering the workout redundant.
Remember that in each 20 second burst of high intensity work you are trying to perform as many quality reps as possible, or run as far as you can.
Word of warning = This is not a suitable exercise strategy for someone new to the training game. You will be better served working on other less intensive forms of conditioning for the time being. Before long you will be in the position to give Tabata a shot!
However if you have been training for a while and are looking for a real challenge that will have dramatic effects on the way your body looks then give Tabata a try. Don’t plan on doing much after your done though, your lungs will be pounding and your muscles full of lactic acid…you will probably want to spend the remaining 23 hours and 56 minutes on the sofa!
What does this magical 4 minute workout involve?
Tabata Training is a form of interval training that looks like this;
- 20 seconds Maximum Intensity Work
- 10 seconds Rest
- Repeated 7 more times
- Collapse
Credit for this breakthrough training method belongs to Dr Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. Using the above training protocol for a period of 6 weeks Dr Tabata and his team noted a startling 28% increase in anaerobic capacity and a 14% increase in the participants ability to consume oxygen (VO2 Max). What made these results even more impressive is that the participants were already physically very fit athletes. The conclusions from the experiment were that just four minutes of Tabata Interval Training could do more to boost aerobic and anaerobic capacity than an hour of endurance exercise. This is good to know if your anything like me and get nauseous just thinking about spending 45 boring minutes pounding away on a treadmill!!
This is useful knowledge for the athletes out there who are concerned about improving the efficiency of their energy systems. However the bulk of people reading this are probably more concerned with how this style of training is going to effect their body composition (% fat : % lean tissue). The great news is that Tabata Training has been found to be hugely effective at stripping away body fat. Although you only exercise for four minutes the extremely high intensity of the workout means the knock on effects to your metabolism are huge. After Tabata Training your metabolism will remain elevated for many hours all the while helping you burn away additional fat stores. This sustained elevation in metabolism puts this style of high intensity training light years ahead of traditional low intensity approaches for burning fat. Remember the key factor in fat loss training is not the amount of calories you burn in a workout, but the amount of calories that you burn as a result of a workout.
Below I have outlined a few examples of Tabata using your own bodyweight and/or kettlebells. This is not definitive list, you can be creative with Tabata, just make sure that the exercise you choose to perform involves a lot of muscles and can be performed safely at a high intensity. In terms of the weight used during Tabata, I would strongly recommend erring on the side of caution and starting light. If you choose to heavy a resistance you will not be able to do any reps by about round 4 thus rendering the workout redundant.
Remember that in each 20 second burst of high intensity work you are trying to perform as many quality reps as possible, or run as far as you can.
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Sprint for 20 seconds - Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Kettlebell Swings for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Thrusters for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Burpees for 20 seconds – Rest for 10 seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
- Rope Waves for 20 Seconds – Rest for 10 Seconds
Word of warning = This is not a suitable exercise strategy for someone new to the training game. You will be better served working on other less intensive forms of conditioning for the time being. Before long you will be in the position to give Tabata a shot!
However if you have been training for a while and are looking for a real challenge that will have dramatic effects on the way your body looks then give Tabata a try. Don’t plan on doing much after your done though, your lungs will be pounding and your muscles full of lactic acid…you will probably want to spend the remaining 23 hours and 56 minutes on the sofa!
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