Short but crisp workouts: Tabata helps to improve your fitness, build endurance and strength and burn calories. We will show you how interval training works and which exercises make up effective Tabata training.
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What is tabata training?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) saves time, can be done anytime, anywhere, and has been shown to improve endurance and muscle strength. Anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time in the gym can improve their fitness at home with Tabata training.
Tabata training was developed in 1996 by Japanese Izumi Tabata, Dean of Ritsumeikan University Graduate School of Physical Education and Health Sciences. He used this type of training to improve the performance of the Japanese Olympic speed skating team and was successful. Since then, interval training has become indispensable in many areas of sport due to its effectiveness.
This is how the Tabata workout works
Tabata is part of interval training and consists of short but intense training loads alternated with short rest periods. A Tabata lasts only four minutes and consists of eight intervals of 20 seconds each followed by a 10-second break . In 20 seconds you will bring your body to its limit with effective exercises.
Benefits of Tabata Training
- Train endurance and maintain muscles
Within four minutes with eight sets of exercises, the muscles tire quickly due to the high load. In this short time, up to 50 to 75 repetitions quickly come together, which optimally trains muscle and strength endurance. This also ensures muscle maintenance and even muscle building. - High loads are better than moderate training
A study examined the effects of high-intensity training compared to moderate training. The results are surprising: Tabata training is just as effective as an hour of moderate training, e.g. B. on the cross trainer. In addition, anaerobic (non-oxygen dependent) performance was improved by 28% and maximum oxygen uptake increased by 14%. Therefore, short and intensive training units primarily train the cardiovascular system. - Tabata burns calories and helps you lose weight
To burn calories optimally, you should choose exercises that engage many muscle groups. It also makes sense to do several Tabata units in a row in order to burn as many calories as possible. If you choose several Tabata with a two-minute break after each unit, you can burn an average of 300 to 700 calories in half an hour, depending on your body weight, training status, age, height and gender. Perfect for losing weight! - Varied training for everyone
Interval training is useful for various goals: Anyone who is already active in sports will eventually reach a point where performance can no longer be increased or can only be increased very slightly. Tabata can be helpful there. The training is also suitable for complete beginners to quickly build up endurance and strength. However, those starting out in sports over the age of 35 should first talk to their doctor about possible cardiovascular problems.
Tabata workout: how it works!
For a Tabata workout, you should first warm up for around five minutes, e.g. B. with jumping rope, jumping jacks or a few repetitions of the exercise in which you want to train at full power in the tabata.
After warming up, you can get started: Imagine e.g. B. the stopwatch in your smartphone or a suitable Tabata app, so as not to lose sight of the time. After the first 20 seconds there is a 10 second break. After that, the load continues for 20 seconds. After 4 minutes the tabata is over. Now you should take a short break. You can then start another tabata or go on to cool down so that your heart and circulation calm down again.
| For the belly | For legs & bottom | For the upper body |
Planks | squats | pushup |
Sit-ups | lunges | Trizeps-Dips |
| Russian Twist | stretch jumps | Sit-Ups |
| Beinheben | Squat Jumps | arm circles |
| V-Ups | Leg raises while lying down | Bicycle Crunches |
| Mountainclimbers | heel lifter | lateral raises |
In addition , tabata burpees, running units and sprints, handstands, jumping jacks and pulling knees to the stomach are suitable . Basically, almost every exercise is suitable for a tabata. The only important thing is that you really push yourself to the limit of your performance. Tabata training has almost become a sport in its own right or it supports athletes who want to increase their performance. Below is an example of a Tabata workout. Join us!
Tabata for beginners: How to get started
The sweaty Tabata exercises are based on a high intensity. As a beginner, you should slow down at first and train in a more limited way. In order to get a feeling for your body and to mark your sporting limits, you should first dare to do light exercises such as squats or crunches. Do fewer repetitions and pay attention to the correct execution of the individual exercises, especially at the beginning. You can gradually increase your workload and adapt it to your fitness level.
