The Standard Tabata Workout Routine

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of training routine where you exercise at a very high intensity for short periods of time. HIIT is great for weight loss, cardio conditioning and overall health and wellbeing.

Tabata is a specific HIIT program where the work-to-rest period is defined as 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times for a total of four minutes. That four minutes is one set. You can do as many or as few sets as you want, depending on your fitness level as well as your workout frequency.

Because you’re working as hard as possible during those 20-seconds of exercise, this is a very grueling 4-minutes. Depending on your fitness level, that one 4-minute set might be the entirety of your workout. Some people do more than one set to incorporate more exercises or to just do a longer, more grueling workout.

Here’s what a standard Tabata workout looks like and how you can structure it to meet your fitness goals–

What A Tabata Set Looks Like:

The last thing you’re going to want to do is try and remember which exercise to perform next, especially since you only have 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off. Everything should be fluid. So it’s best to stick to only 1-2 exercises and rotate between them throughout one set. If you want to do more than two exercises for your workout, then it’s best to perform additional 4-minute sets.

Here are some options how one 4-minute Tabata set can look like. As you can see, you can choose to do just one exercise, you can choose to do 4 sets of one exercise and then 4 sets of another exercise, or you can alternate between two exercises.:

One-Exercise Tabata Workout Set Template:
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
Repeat 8 times

Two-Exercise Tabata Workout Set Template:
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
Repeat 4 times
20 seconds: Exercise #2
10 seconds: Rest
Repeat 4 times

Alternating Two-Exercise Tabata Workout Set Template:
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #2
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #2
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #2
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #1
10 seconds: Rest
20 seconds: Exercise #2
10 seconds: Rest

After one set, you should rest for 1-5 minutes before doing another set. How many sets you do is completely up to you.

It’s best to choose full-body or compound movements for these exercises. Good options are body squats, squat jumps, lunge jumps and pushups, just to name a few.

What a complete Tabata Workout looks like:

If you’re just starting out, it may be best to just do 1-2 sets every day. This way, you’ll get into a routine and start to see the benefits, but each workout is very attainable. If you choose to do more strenuous Tabata workouts that consist of 3 or more sets, it may be best to give yourself a few rest days per week.

You can also break up Tabata workouts into upper body focused days and lower body focused days so if you have workouts on back-to-back days, you’re still giving parts of your body rest.

Some good Tabata exercises for upper body are: Pushups, Bridges, Shoulder Presses, Mountain Climbers

Some good Tabata exercises for lower body are: Body Squats, Squat Jumps, Lunge Jumps, Step Ups, Jumping Jacks, Burpees

Equipment you’ll need for your Tabata workout:

The great part about Tabata is that even without any fitness equipment whatsoever, you can get a very effective workout done. However, the most important part of a Tabata workout is the work-to-rest ratio, so you’ll need a good timer to stay on track. Good Tabata timers have the ability to cycle between two times, so for instance you can set it to go off every 20 seconds, then 10 seconds, then 20 seconds, then 10 seconds, and so on. This timer is our favorite, but there are plenty to choose from.

In addition to the timer, there’s also a number of other very affordable pieces of equipment that you may want to use, but by no means do you need any of these. To see what we recommend, check out our list of our favorite Tabata equipment and accessories.

Any questions, comments or suggestions? Leave them below!