4 mins Tabata Exercises
Tabata training is a High Intensity Interval Training workout that lasts only four minutes!
Doing as little as 4 minutes (or one “Tabata”) can increase your aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, and can help you burn more fat than a traditional 60-minute aerobic workout. That’s right—4 minutes of Tabata can get you better fitness gains than an entire hour of running on the treadmill.
The structure of the program is:
- Workout hard for 20 seconds
- Rest for 10 seconds
- Complete eight rounds
You push yourself as hard as you can for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds until you complete eight sets. You can do pretty much any exercise you wish. You can do squats, pushups, burpies, etc. Any exercise that works your large muscle groups is strongly recommended. Be sure to watch your form and perform exercises safely. We also recommend that you vary the exercises over time to work different muscle groups.
An example of a 4-minute Tabata workout looks like this:
- Pushups for 20 seconds
- 10 seconds pause
- Squats for 20 seconds
- 10 seconds pause
- Burpies for 20 seconds
- 10 seconds pause
- Sit ups for 20 seconds
- 10 seconds pause
- Repeat all of the above a second time
Tabatas are great to get a quick workout in if you’re short on time or need to switch up your routine.
Other exercises you can incorporate into your Tabata:
- Jumping Jacks
- Lunges
- Tricep dips
- Crunches
- Toe raises
- Fast sprint in place
- High knees
- Heel to buttocks
- Anything with weights
- And any other exercises you love to do…
In cases of advanced weakness or decreased mobility, one can simply sit and contract and release various muscle groups.
The following is a link to a Tabata timer that you may find helpful as a guide: 4 minute Tabata timer
