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4 minutes of fat-burning brutality: Tabata workouts
If I told you that you could significantly increase your body’s fat-burning ability and ramp up your metabolism in just 4 minutes per day, would you call me a liar?
Probably, but I promise you this is not one of those cheesy infomercials promising you amazing results without doing anything….. these are Tabata workouts
You are probably wondering, just what the hell is a Tabata workout?
Perhaps you’ve heard the term before but never really knew what it meant, or what it was.
Tabata workouts are not really meant to be stand-alone workouts, but rather an addition to your existing workouts. By including a Tabata at the end (or middle or beginning) of your existing workouts, you will ramp up up your meatbolism and fat-burning abilities significantly!
Right, so tell me what the hell a Tabata is.
A Tabata is a workout protocol, or put more simply, a way of working out.
The method was initially developed by Professor Izumi Tabata, to train a group of Olympic speedskaters. He had them perform 20 seconds of extremely intense exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuosly for 4 minutes. It resulted in them having a significantly improved anaerobic capacity.
How can I use it?
You can follow the same principle, by adding a Tabata at the end of your workouts, using any exercise that is sufficiently intense and taxing – so full-body movements and no isolation movements.
Perform that exercise at max intensity for 20, seconds, rest 10 seconds and repeat 8 times, for a total time of 4 minutes.
If you are feeling super brave you can do a second one.
What exercises can I use?
Any full-body, compound movement that really gets your heart rate up will do the job. I find exercises that utilize the upper and lower body work best. Try it with moves like:
- Kettlebell swings
- Burpees
- Jump Squats
- Squat Thrusts
- Heavy Kettlebell snatches
- Plymometric lunge jumps
- Sprints
- Clean and Press
- Bodyweight Squats
- Mountain Climbers (fast) with a push-up done every 5
- Medicine Balls Slams
- Battle Ropes
- Burpee Pull-ups
…….The list is endless really..
You can even do combo Tabatas if you’d like, where you alternate between 2 exercises for each 20 second interval, for example Burpees and Kettlebell swings. Give that a try and tell me if you don’t feel like puking afterwards!
Take the Tabata challenge
I challenge you to do 4 Tabata workouts a week for the next month – In addition to your regular workouts (Tabatas are not a replacement to existing workouts)
Measure your weight and bodyfat percentage at the start if possible, perform your 4 Tabata workouts per week, and see the difference they have made at the end of the month!
I will be sending you a Tabata workout every couple of days (4/week) just to keep you on track.
Here are your first week’s Tabata workouts:
#1:
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Jump Squats, 10 seconds rest
#2:
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds Kettlebell swings (with a weight that would usually allow you to do about 25-30 reps), 10 seconds rest
#3:
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds mountain climbers, 10 seconds rest
#4:
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
- 20 seconds shuttle sprints, 10 seconds rest
It doesn’t matter which order you do the workouts in, or on what days you do them, just get in your 4 Tabatas per week!
Give it a go, you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your conditioning and metabolic rate!
If you found these workouts useful, please share the love below..

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