You know those days when you’re feeling really good working out and want to finish things off on an especially strong note? This four-minute Tabata workout can get that job done.
Tabata is a style of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) where you perform 20 seconds of all-out work followed by 10 seconds of rest. You repeat that 30-second sequence eight times for a total of four minutes. The very specific structure of Tabata makes it different from other styles of HIIT, which can be longer or more varied, Tara Nicolas, Nike Master Trainer, certified personal trainer, and instructor at the Fhitting Room in New York City, tells SELF.
Tabata is a great way to raise your heart rate and challenge your stamina, says Nicolas, who created this full-body, four-minute Tabata workout for SELF. Tabata can also help you work on your power, she adds, since it encourages you to tackle moves at the highest intensity possible. And because the bursts of work in Tabata only last 20 seconds and the overall sequence is quite short, it’s a less intimidating, more approachable form of HIIT. After all, you’re done in just four minutes.
There are loads of ways to incorporate Tabata into your routine. As mentioned, Tabata is stellar at the end of a workout as an intense, sweaty finisher. Nicolas also loves to do Tabatas after her warm-up and before her main workout to help fire up specific muscle groups. Additionally, Tabata can serve as a standalone workout for those days when you’re strapped for time but still want to sneak in some movement. (After a solid warm-up, of course.)
You can do multiple Tabatas in one workout, but just remember that the whole point of Tabata is to give max effort for your work intervals—something that’s hard to do if you are doing a few of them. If you are doing multiple Tabatas, just be sure to give yourself ample rest between each so that you truly can give it your max effort.
This particular Tabata finisher includes four exercises—two core moves (which also really work your stabilizing muscles) and two leg-driven cardio moves—that together target your entire body, says Nicolas. Just keep in mind: Max effort doesn’t necessarily equal all-out speed. Good form should always come first, says Nicolas, who warns against pushing the pace of a movement before you’ve mastered basic form. Also, speed is never the goal. Take the two plank moves in this sequence, for instance. Going all out on those moves means maximum muscle engagement, says Nicolas—not busting out a ton of reps.
In addition to delivering great cardio plus total-body strengthening and stabilizing, this finisher will also test your coordination and agility, says Nicolas. That’s because it involves movements in multiple planes of motion, including front-to-back exercises (jump lunge and forearm plank rock) as well as side-to-side exercises (lateral plank walk and lateral shuffle). Training your body to move efficiently and safely in multiple planes of motion versus just one can improve your ability to move more dynamically in everyday life. That will serve you well in a variety of scenarios, like quickly changing directions to scoop up a running toddler, or figuring out how to pull your car keys from your pocket while your arms are loaded with grocery bags.
Use this Tabata workout as a finisher to round out a strength workout as a way to sneak in some cardio, or add it to a leg-driven cardio workout (like running or cycling) to ensure your upper body gets some love too. Beginners can try it as well, says Nicolas—as long as you’ve mastered the moves first and go at your own pace. (If you’ve been injured, have a health condition, or have been told to avoid getting your heart rate up too high, talk to your doctor before giving Tabata a try.)
If you want a total-body, quick, and sweaty finisher, give this Tabata workout a try. And when you’re done? Stretch please, says Nicolas.
The Workout
What you need: Just your bodyweight and an exercise mat for comfort.
The Exercises
- Forearm plank rock
- Jumping lunge
- Lateral plank walk
- Lateral shuffle
Directions
- Perform each move at max effort for 20 seconds, resting 10 seconds in between each move.
- Without taking a break, repeat the sequence one more time for a total of four minutes.
Demoing the moves below are Cookie Janee (GIF 1), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Nikki Pebbles (GIF 2), a New York City–based fitness instructor; Mirinda Carfrae (GIF 3), a professional triathlete; and Tiana Jones (GIF 4), a dance and fitness instructor based in New York City.
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Pinterest
Katie Thompson1 Forearm Plank Rock
- Start in a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel, and legs extended behind you. Tuck your tailbone and engage your core, butt, and quads.
- Rock your entire body forward a couple inches so your shoulders go past your elbows toward your hands.
- Rock back a couple inches. This is 1 rep. Rock with just a small range of motion to protect your shoulders.
- Continue for 20 seconds.
To make this exercise easier, hold a forearm plank. To really fire up all your muscles for maximum engagement, make sure you keep your core, butt, and quads engaged the entire time, and think about pressing your forearms into the floor to engage your triceps.
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Katie Thompson2 Jumping Lunge
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
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With your core engaged, jump your left foot forward and your right foot back, and bend both knees so you drop into a lunge.
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Hop both feet back to starting position.
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Now hop your right foot forward, and left foot back, and drop into a lunge on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
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Continue for 20 seconds.
To make this easier, perform reverse lunges with no jumping. To make it more challenging, switch your feet midair and immediately drop into a lunge each time (so you will not hop your feet back together).
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Alexandra Genova3 Lateral Plank Walk
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Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
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Take a step to the right starting with your right hand and right foot and following with your left hand and foot, maintaining a plank position as you move. This is 1 rep.
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Do 2 reps in one direction, and then repeat with 2 reps in the opposite direction. Make sure your inner elbows always face each other and your feet are never less than hip-width distance apart.
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Continue for 20 seconds.
To make this easier, just hold a high plank. For max muscle engagement, make sure to keep your core, glutes, and quads engaged the entire time.
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Katie Thompson4 Lateral Shuffle
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Start standing tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge forward slightly at the hips, pushing your butt back and keeping your back flat, and bend your knees so that you’re in a quarter squat. Bend your elbows and hold your hands in front of your chest.
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Shuffle your feet three steps to the right, then pause and reach your right hand down to the floor, making sure your hips are lower than your shoulders. Shuffle three steps to the left, then pause and reach your left hand down to the floor. Again, make sure your hips are lower than your shoulders.
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Continue for 20 seconds, staying light on your feet as you shuffle.
To make the most of this move, engage your core as you shuffle and control your momentum as you reach your hand down to the floor.
