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If you’ve never heard of a Tabata Workout before, they’re about to become your new best friend for burning fat, toning your muscles, and getting an effective workout checked off your list in less time!

Sound appealing? Read on to learn everything you need to know about Tabata workouts and why it’s a super-effective way to work both your aerobic and anaerobic systems.

And then get ready because I’ve got Tabata workouts you can try for yourself at home!

What Is A Tabata Workout?

Technically, Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training or HIIT. HIIT is one of the best ways to burn fat, as it utilizes intense periods of all-out effort paired with short rest periods.

These intervals accelerate fat loss and help you achieve more with your workouts in a shorter amount of time. HIIT intervals can be any amount of time, but Tabata intervals specifically use the following time frame:

  • Work hard for 20 seconds
  • Rest for 10 seconds

Where Did Tabata Come From?

Tabata intervals were developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata and fellow researchers at the National Institute Of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo because of some interesting findings on the intensity levels of different workouts and what they do for the body.

Dr. Tabata and his research team found that working out using intense intervals allowed athletes to work both their aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (muscle) systems simultaneously while working out at a more moderate intensity only worked the athlete’s aerobic systems.

And it’s not only for the pro athletes; Tabata for beginners can be hugely beneficial, allowing you to get more done in less time.

The Benefits of Tabata Training

Woman doing a tabata for beginners workout
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Using high-intensity interval training in general, and specifically Tabata, you can get your heart pumping while still building muscle.

As you probably know by now, you need both cardio and strength training to maintain a healthy weight and keep your metabolism functioning properly. (The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism works.) So checking two things off your to-do list at once is what Tabata training is all about!

  • Works your Aerobic and Anaerobic Systems.
  • As stated above, Tabata intervals work both your aerobic and anaerobic systems, meaning they’re a cardiovascular and strength workout all in one!
  • Tabata workouts help You Retain or Build Muscle. When you’re trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, you can sometimes lose muscle along with fat. You want to lose fat while retaining muscle ideally, and Tabata workouts do just that by placing stress on the muscles, which tells your body that more muscle tissue is needed.
  • Revs Your Metabolism. Intense interval workouts increase your metabolism, helping you burn calories and fat even after you’re done exercising.
  • Saves Time. Steady-state cardio is great, but you have to do it for longer to burn calories and see a difference in fat loss. More effective at targeting fat loss are workouts like Tabata, which utilize higher-intensity intervals.

Tabata Workouts To Try Today

woman doing Plié Squat outside

10-Minute Tabata For Beginners Workout

Tabata Workouts are all the rage – and for a good reason!  In our time-starved lives, a fast, powerful workout that maximizes calorie burn and teaches our bodies to burn fat longer is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. The long, drawn-out 60-minute workout of the ’90s is gone. Interval training has kicked them to

woman working doing an intense workout outside

Calorie Sizzler Tabata Workout With Weights

When you are really ready to make a healthy change, this is the calorie burner you’ve been looking for! This Tabata workout with weights combines Tabata-style intervals with superset strength training rounds to make one heck of a full-body cardio and strength routine! This is a quick and effective Tabata workout that will change your

Try these 5 butt and belly burning Tabata moves.

5 Butt and Belly Burning Tabata Moves

Peanut butter and jelly are amazing together. (Wine and chocolate isn’t a bad combo either…) So when it comes to workouts, tabata intervals and isometric holds are the powerful duo that will kick you in the butt and shrink it a little at the same time! By combining the heart-pumping quality of fast, tabata intervals with

woman walking with yellow suitcase

The Hotel Room Workout |Tabata Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

If you’re a frequent traveler who still wants to get a great workout in, even in her hotel room, then these are the Tabata exercises you’ll want to learn!  Tabata workouts provide a full-body workout, burn mega calories, and it will take less than 20 minutes to complete. All you need is a little space

About Chris Freytag, CPT

Chris Freytag is an ACE certified personal trainer, TV personality, author and motivational speaker. She has been sharing the message of healthy living for 30 years while teaching fitness classes, writing books, creating workouts and sharing her knowledge in magazines and online.

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6 Comments

  1. i don’t understand Tabatas yet. I’ve read two articles and it doesn’t seem like the math adds up. Wouldn’t each of these exercises take two minutes. Since there are four minutes, that would equal 8 minutes. Am I missing something?

  2. I love it. I have been searching for a good workout. This is definitely it. I feel it working all of my muscles. Thank you so much. 😊😊😊

  3. This is really good information you had shared here about the 10-minute beginner Tabata workout. I will surely try these tips which you shared, Thanks for this. keep it up.