Tabata Training: The Four-Minute Workout
If you’re an entrepreneur like me, you probably don’t have a lot of time in your day. My commitment to living a beautiful life requires daily tasks and in the past, I struggled to find the perfect workout. The challenge was to find a quick and effective workout, knowing that most of my time is taken by my businesses, family, and self-care.
Enter Tabata! I discovered this four-minute fat burning regimen, and now it is my favorite go-to exercise! A 4-minute Tabata session increases my aerobic and anaerobic capacity burns fat, and make me look and feel leaner. I found that my Tabata practice kicks the traditional 60-minute aerobic workout’s booty. I’m not kidding when I say, 4 minutes of Tabata has helped me reach my fitness goals much faster than an hour of running on a treadmill.
So what is Tabata? I’ve outlined it here 3 easy steps:
- Step one is WORK mode! To perform Tabata, pick any high-intensity exercise, and set a timer for 20 seconds.For 20 seconds, push yourself as hard as you possibly can. Think, high intensity, all out, craziness mode!
- Step two is REST mode. After your 20 seconds of crazy, simply rest for 10 seconds.
- Step three is REPEAT mode. Repeat step one, then step two for a total of 8 times. That concludes on complete Tabata.
You can repeat this pattern as many times as you want. I like to do 3 in the morning, followed by yoga flow or rebounding. But, just one four-minute Tabata, gives me a better workout than a moderate low impact 60-minute workout. It’s a busy person’s dream workout.
Pro Tabata Tip 1: Go all out!
To know you’ve done a proper Tabata, you’ll want to feel like you just worked out harder than you ever have in your whole life. So, don’t sell yourself short by not going hard in the 20-second intervals.
Here’s what you’re going to need to get your Tabata on.
- Exercise plan. You’ll need to decide what exercise you’re going to do during the 20-second intervals. You can:
- Jump rope
- Burpees
- Spin cycle
- Sprint
- Kettlebell swings
- Weighted squats or lunges
- Pushups or planks
- Rebounding (Learn more about rebounding and why it’s my favorite exercise here.)
Pro Tabata Tip 2: Set up your routine ahead of starting.
If you’re going to do just one exercise 8 times that is perfectly fine and you won’t need to prepare your sets. But if you’re switching it up from rebounding to plank to pushups to kettle balls, then you’ll need those stations set. Why? Because those 10 seconds you have in between sets should be only for resting. You are allowing your body time to respond to your demands. Your body is a wonderful machine, and during the 10 seconds, it’s recovering a preparing for the next demand. Do not spend it on fumbling with your set up for the next 20 seconds of activity. Tabata kind of reminds me of freeze tag, one of my favorite games I played as a kid. You really want to stop during those 10 seconds to get the full effect of a proper Tabata workout.
Pro Tabata Tip 3: Gear up!
As with any exercise, you need to have the proper gear. Luckily with Tabata, you won’t need extra supplies aside from what you already have at home, or in the gym. As stated before, make sure you have all the necessary gear for your exercise of choice. The two extra pieces are:
- A Timer. A simple kitchen timer or better yet an app that manages the 20/10/repeat momentum. I use “Tabata Stopwatch Pro,” but there are other apps you might like better.
- Your Music. Find your favorite high-intensity music.
Grab your earbuds and crank it up. Use my Tabata playlist below. Each song has an actual countdown so you can listen to one song and complete a full Tabata while the song counts the intervals for you. It’s like having a Tabata trainer at your house. Some of these are a bit cheesy, but I have found each to be effective and perfect for beginners. I have included a bunch of songs that you can simply follow on Spotify so that you don’t have to fill up your mobile devices with another app. These songs are exactly 4 minutes so this makes it easy to pick a few of your favorites to rotate, push play and perform Tabata.
I’m a big proponent of assisting my tribe in eliminating excuses. So, by providing you with all the tools you need, it’s easy to get started now. If you have a smartphone or a computer, (like the one you’re using to read this article) you can do this! J
Pro Tabata Tip 4: Routine and balance go hand in hand.
Here’s the thing, I found out that Tabata gets results fast. If you start today, you will get fit faster than you thought was possible. But, like all exercise routines, it isn’t the miracle cure. You’ll still need to balance it with eating clean, drinking plenty of quality water, practicing mental happiness and regularly eliminating toxins to help your body shed the weight and keep it off.
You can make progress or you can make excuses. Either way, the choice is yours, but I’m here to motivate you to be your absolute MOST beautiful self.
Tabata With Me Playlist:
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