The workout originated in a 1996 study, led by Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, and found that a four-minute high intensity workout (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for eight rounds) improved fitness drastically in professional athletes. Trainers today commonly practice the 20-seconds-on/10-seconds-off format with any type of exercise, and still call it a “Tabata” (pronounced tah-BOT-ah). In the new ACE study, researchers put 16 healthy, fit people ages 20 to 47 to the test with a 20-minute Tabata-inspired workout that included exercises like push-ups, split squats, box jumps, burpees, jumping rope, and jumping jacks. Incredibly, participants burned between 240 and 360 calories in that short amount of time. This research is the first to show how well the commonly-practiced version of a Tabata workout works. Tabata can be a good way to combine strength and cardio in a 20- to 30-minute workout, says study author John Porcari, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. However, they may not be for everyone straight out of the gates, warns Prevention fitness expert Chris Freytag. “You have to work up to this type of training,” she says. “Listen to your body and pay attention to your heart rate. If you have joint injuries or if you’re not in shape, it’s going to be pretty rough on you.” Want to give it a shot? Here’s the plan used in the study, which Freytag says will give you a great high-intensity, full body workout. TABATA WORKOUTPerform each exercise for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds, and repeat so that you spend one minute on each exercise. Then move on to the next exercise in that round. Rest one full minute after each round. Tip: Download the free Interval Timer app, which will chime when the intervals begin and end. Round 1:High-knee run: Run in place, bringing your knees up to waist-level (or as high as you can). Plank punch: Start in a push-up position, lifting one hand and extending a punch in front of you, alternating sides. If it’s too tough, rest on your knees. Jumping jacks: Start with your feet together and arms to your sides, then jump while raising your arms over your head and separating your legs out to the side. Side skaters: Start in a squat, then jump sideways to the right, landing on your right leg with your left leg raised behind your right ankle. Repeat on the left side. Round 2:Jump rope: Jump with both feet together turning the rope with your wrists about hip height. If you don’t have a rope or the space to use one, pretend you have a rope in your hands. In/out boat: Begin in a seated position with your legs extended straight in front of you at eye level, with your arms elevated off the ground. Then, draw your knees and arms in toward your chest, using your abs to stabilize you before extending back into the starting position. (Watch this video to see Prevention fitness adviser Chris Freytag demonstrate how to do the boat pose with perfect form.) Line jumps: Standing behind a line (or just imagine you’re standing behind a line), quickly jump forward and backward over the line. Push-ups: If starting on all fours is too tough, modify by placing your knees on the ground behind your hips, lowering an inch or two off the ground. For proper alignment, keep your gaze in front of your hands. (Not sure about your push-up form? Click here to see fitness expert Larysa DiDio show you how.) Round 3:Burpees: Start in a standing position, then drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. Next, kick your feet back so you’re at the top of a push up, and immediately jump your feet back into the squat position. Stand up to complete one rep. Russian twists: Begin seated with your knees bent and slightly hovering off the ground, then twist from side to side using your arms, holding your hands together as if gripping a ball. Squats: Begin in a standing position, then bend your knees while moving your hips back and keeping the torso in an upright position before standing back up. Lunges: Place yours hand on your hips or clasped behind your head, bending one knee at a time to 90 degrees, either standing in place or moving forward with each lunge. (Lunges won’t hurt your knees if you do them correctly. Watch DiDio teach you perfect lunge form in this video.) Round 4:Mountain climbers: Starting on your hands and knees, draw one knee in toward your chest and jump to switch legs, as if running in place on your hands and knees. Push-ups: See above. Split squat: Perform squats with one leg in front of you and on leg behind you, switching legs after the first 20-second set. Box jump: Jump on and off of a box or bench, using your arms for momentum. If you have knee pain, step up and down off the box. For more Tabata-inspired workouts, check out Freytag’s High-Intensity Interval Training DVD Series. More from Prevention: The Belly-Fat Blasting Walking Workout
