I was recently asked if I knew of any website with a list of good Tabata Training workouts. My answer was no, but I can list a few exercises I use for Tabata Training, i.e. exercises I use for the Tabata Protocol of 20seconds work, 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds.
Definition of Tabata Training
It’s worth making sure we are singing off the same song sheet so to speak. A lot of confusion has developed in the fitness industry over what Tabata, HIIT and interval training actually are. As always with the fitness industry, the people selling (the magazines and chain gyms largely) start using the wrong language/definitions to advertise their products as that’s what the lay person has started to call them. Like the term “tone” or “bootcamp”, rather than re-educate, people use the mis-term to ensure they attract paying customers.
Anyway, Tabata Training is a style of interval training or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) designed by Izumi Tabata a sports scientist from Japan. Working with high level athletes, Tabata wanted an interval protocol that elicited the best of aerobic and anaerobic advances. After a series of experiments, he resulted in the Tabata Protocol.
The Tabata Protocol
The Tabata protocol is:
- 20seconds work
- 10 seconds rest
x 8 rounds.
This is set. You can’t “do Tabata for 5 rounds” or “do Tabata for 30seconds work, 30seconds rest”, both would be different interval sessions. The Tabata protocol is set at 20seconds on, 10seconds off for 8 rotations.
Tabata also only works if you are truly working hard for the 20seconds. You should be working pretty much to full capacity for each 20second burst. There’s no point saving yourself for the latter stages, it’s not designed that way. Equally, Tabata was initially designed around one piece of kit, for example an exercise bike, treadmill or ergo rower. Or, pushing a car (see cover image) or rolling a log up a hill with your feet (see image of me dishing out the love to the left). The idea being that all 8 rounds are done on the same piece of kit, working flat out for each 10second round and either moving slowly for the 10second rest or resting completely.
True Tabata Training
People have started to change the 20second work, for example, 20seconds press-ups, 10seconds rest, 20seconds sit-ups, 10seconds rest, 20seconds squats, 10seconds rest etc. To me, that isn’t Tabata Training. That’s circuit training using a 20second work time. True Tabata requires theย collective muscle fatigue that occurs from the same exercise being utilised for each 20second round.
When it comes to very high intensity movements like punching, kneeing or kicking all out or plyometric style movements like burpees or jump squats, I understand that the real muscle being tested is the heart (and CV system) therefore changing the exercise, for example from 20seconds punching to 20seconds knees, to 20seconds jump squats, to 20 seconds punches etc, just keeps the heart and CV system working and being tested by the Tabata Protocol. Sure, this works for that aim, but my understanding is that by the book, this is not what Izumi Tabata designed and experimented on. Not to say it doesn’t work, of course.
Examples of Tabata Training Workouts
To reiterate. Tabata Training is: 20seconds work, 10seconds rest (slow version of 20second movement i.e. slow cycling or nothing at all. Not another exercises) repeated 8 times without rest. No more, no less!
- Press-ups
- Wide arm press-ups
- Close Arm press-ups
- Plank/weighted plank
- Mountain climbers
- Squats
- Squat jumps
- Box jumps
- Inverted row
- Cycle sprints
- Treadmill sprints
- Ergo rower sprints
- Swimming sprints
- Outdoor sprints around a pitch or athletic track
- Punches
- Kicks (single leg or alternate)
- Knees (single or alternate)
- Burpees
- Kettlebell swings
- Push press
- Biceps curls
- Triceps dips
- Chin-ups
- Dips
- Stand-up/sit-down
- Crunches
- Leg raises
- Hanging leg raises
- Hanging knee raises
- Leg ext
- Leg curl
- Calf raise
- Tyre flips
- Battle rope exercises
- Med ball slams
- Walking lunges
- Split squats
- High knee sprints
- Squat thrusts
- Single arm DB snatch
The list above is by no means exhaustive. It’s also in no particular order. The point is that with Tabata’s protocol you can (almost) choose any exercise and utilise the 20seconds work, 10seconds rest for 8rounds. The caveat is that you work as hard as you can and you keep going for 8rounds. This will obviously affect the choice of exercise. Press-ups is hard. Chin-ups is really tough (not many people can complete it). If you usually squat 80kg, then trying Tabata with 75kg will be too hard. Trying 40kg will be tough but maybe possible.
It’s about choosing sensible exercises and working hard. I prefer CV style exercises for Tabata Training myself, such as running, cycling or rowing. I find fight drills like pad or bag work good if you work fully for 20seconds. If utilising Tabata for muscle growth (which is apparently what one Hollywood trainer had Henry Caville do for Superman), then ensure a sensible weight selection and try to move from one muscle group to another to allow the previous to rest. For example, Tabata bench press, then Tabata Squats, then Tabata planks, then Tabata bent over row, then Tabata TRX hamstring curls etc. This does work, but there are other more effective programmes to gain muscle/lower bodyfat in my opinion.