Skip to content

Top Navigation

Shape Shape
  • Fitness
  • Healthy Eating
  • Beauty
  • Sex and Love
  • Celebrities
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Video
  • Shop
  • Sweeps

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Shape

Shape Shape
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Keto Meal Plan for Beginners

      Everything you need to know to get started with this high-fat, low-carb diet. Read More Next
    • 10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

      Twenty months and 17 pounds later, I came away with 10 big lessons. Read More Next
    • The 30-Day Squat Challenge

      The ultimate 30-day squat challenge, featuring 12 squats that tighten and tone. Read More Next
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness
    • Workouts
    • Cardio
    • Strength Training
    • Bodyweight Training
    • Yoga
    • Exercise Recovery
    • Exercise Tips
    • Race Training
    • Workout Trends
    • Playlists
    • Workout Clothes
    • Workout Gear
  • Healthy Eating

    Healthy Eating

    See All Healthy Eating
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Diets
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Healthy Cooking
    • Healthy Drinks
    • Weight Loss
  • Beauty
  • Sex and Love
  • Celebrities

    Celebrities

    See All Celebrities
    • Interviews
    • Celebrity News
    • Celebrity Workouts
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body
    • Coronavirus
    • Transformations
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Healthy IRL
  • Video

    Video

    See All Video
    • Workout Videos
    • Cooking Videos
    • Weight Loss Videos
    • Celebrity Videos
  • Shop
  • Sweeps

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Log Out
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Shape.com Chevron Right
  2. Fitness Chevron Right
  3. Workouts Chevron Right
  4. Home Tabata Workout: Blast Fat in 4 Minutes

Home Tabata Workout: Blast Fat in 4 Minutes

By Jessica Smith
January 03, 2014
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Get a kick-butt cardio workout with this do-anywhere routine
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Snowing? No Gym? No Problem!

There's a reason Tabata training has been dubbed the "4-minute fat-burning miracle workout." Doing as little as one Tabata (4 minutes) can increase your aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, and can help you burn more fat (and make you look 200 percent leaner) than a traditional 60-minute aerobic workout. Plus, you don't need any equipment at all! In fact, using only your body is even more efficient since it eliminates time spent fumbling with buttons or tools.

The moves in this workout are simple to do but cause some seriously heavy breathing—which is important since 20-second work intervals don't allow much time for gradually building up your heart rate.

Tabata Training Details

Begin with a brief warm-up (spend 3-5 minutes with some basic moves like marches, stationary squats, and arm circles to prep your body). To complete one Tabata, go as hard as you can for 20 seconds and follow that with 10 seconds of rest. Repeat seven more times.

You can mix and match each of the following sets, depending on which moves work best for you. For example:

1. Pick just one set to repeat 4 times for a 4-minute Tabata workout.

2. Do the first set 2 times, then move on to do the second set 2 times, and so on until you've finished all 4 sets.

3. Do just one set of each move, completing the full series 2 times total.

However you choose to lay out your workout, just remember to work to an all-out maximum intensity during the 20-second work interval and embrace the 10 seconds of rest in between!

Once you’ve finished, give yourself time to catch your breath completely, and if you have time, do a few stretches to wrap things up.

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Set 1: Mountain Climbers

20 seconds mountain climbers

10 seconds rest

From a full plank position, alternate ‘running’ your knees into your chest as quickly as you can. Push your speed as much as possible so that you are completely out of breath by the end of your 20 seconds.

2 of 5

3 of 5

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Set 2: Squat Jumps

20 seconds squat jumps

10 seconds rest

Just like it sounds, lower into a squat and then quickly jump up, reaching both arms overhead, landing back in a squat, and repeating as quickly as you can. Make sure you push to your maximum effort level during the short interval.

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Set 3: Burpees

20 seconds burpees

10 seconds rest

To do a burpee, stand with your feet hip width apart, squat down to the floor and place your hands on the ground. Jump your legs back into a full plank position, and quickly jump your feet back into a squat and jump up, reaching your arms overhead. (And, if you need more of a challenge, you can also add a push up from your plank before jumping back up).

4 of 5

5 of 5

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Set 4: Ski Moguls

20 seconds ski moguls

10 seconds rest

Ski Moguls are side-to-side squat jumps done with your feet together. Use your arms to help you move quickly side to side and jump as high as you can. Remember to go all out for the full 20 seconds!

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Jessica Smith

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 5 Snowing? No Gym? No Problem!
2 of 5 Set 1: Mountain Climbers
3 of 5 Set 2: Squat Jumps
4 of 5 Set 3: Burpees
5 of 5 Set 4: Ski Moguls

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Shop | Shape

  • Activewear
  • Training Shoes
  • Workout Videos
  • Skin Care
  • Running Shoes
  • Headphones
  • Vitamins & Supplements
  • Water Bottles
  • Resistance Bands
  • Workout Leggings
  • Shop More Next

Shape may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

Shape

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Affiliate Program this link opens in a new tab

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Shape is part of the Instyle Beauty Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.shape.com

View image

Home Tabata Workout: Blast Fat in 4 Minutes
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.