The 5 Best Tabata Workout Plan with PDF (Newbie to Pro)

If you’re looking for a straightforward and effective Tabata workout plan, you can check out this article. I’ve shared multiple Tabata workout plans from beginner to advanced level that will help you improve your fitness and your body composition.

Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training where you perform an exercise for 20 seconds at a maximum effort followed by 10 seconds of rest. The total time spent doing a set of Tabata is 4 minutes.

Exercises included in Tabata are mostly bodyweight and require little to no equipment.

Tabata workout increases cardiorespiratory endurance, improves VO2 max, burns significant calories in a short time, and improves aerobic fitness – a study published by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine suggested.¹Emberts T, Porcari J, Dobers-Tein S, Steffen J, Foster C. Exercise intensity and energy expenditure of a Tabata workout. J Sports Sci Med. 2013;12(3):612-613. Published 2013 Sep 1,²Viana RB, de Lira CAB, Naves JPA, Coswig VS, Del Vecchio FB, Gentil P. Tabata protocol: a review of its application, variations and outcomes. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2019;39(1):1-8. doi:10.1111/cpf.12513

Research has also shown that high-intensity interval training like Tabata helps reduce body fat percentage in overweight individuals.³Domaradzki J, Cichy I, Rokita A, Popowczak M. Effects of Tabata Training During Physical Education Classes on Body Composition, Aerobic Capacity, and Anaerobic Performance of Under-, Normal- and Overweight Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(3):876. Published 2020 Jan 30. doi:10.3390/ijerph17030876 So, it is great for people who want to speed up their weight loss process.

Related: The Ultimate 6-Week HIIT Workout Plan with PDF

10 Minute Tabata Workout for beginners

If you’re a beginner, you can start with this 10-minute Tabata workout. It will increase your endurance and aerobic fitness and keep you fit and active.

Since it is only 10 minutes workout, you can follow this workout every day.

• Number of rounds: 2
• Rest between rounds: 2 minutes
• Type of exercises: Bodyweight
• Recommended frequency: 7 days/week
• Estimated calories burned: 80-120

Round 1

Exercise	Work	Interval	Sets
Jumping Jacks	20-sec	10-sec	2
Mountain Climbers	20-sec	10-sec	2
Squat Jump	20-sec	10-sec	2
Push-Ups	20-sec	10-sec	2

Round 2

Exercise	Work	Interval	Sets
Burpees	20-sec	10-sec	2
Crunches	20-sec	10-sec	2
High Knees	20-sec	10-sec	2
Kneeling Jump	20-sec	10-sec	2

15 Minute Tabata Workout to boost your Endurance

This 15-minute Tabata workout is for those who have been working out for a while and want to keep themselves fit and energetic. Training at least 15 minutes a day is recommended by various studies, so you can also do this workout seven days a week.

Summary

• Split your 15 minutes duration into three parts, 4 minutes each with 60 seconds of rest after the first part and 2 minutes of rest after the second part.
• Repeat each exercise twice at a ratio of 20-sec exercise/10-sec rest.
• Recommended frequency: 7 days/week
• Estimated calories burned: 120-160

Part 1

Exercise	Activity	Rest
Mountain Climbing	20-sec	10-sec
Jumping Split Squat	20-sec	10-sec
Pushups	20-sec	10-sec
Leg Raises	20-sec	10-sec

Part 2

Exercise	Activity	Rest
Burpees	20-sec	10-sec
Crunches	20-sec	10-sec
Front Box Jump	20-sec	10-sec
Shoulder Tap	20-sec	10-sec

Part 3

Exercise	Activity	Rest
Mountain Climbing	20-sec	10-sec
Squat Jump	20-sec	10-sec
Flutter Kick	20-sec	10-sec
Pushups	20-sec	10-sec

Full Body 20 Minute Tabata Workout for Intermediates

If you want to enhance your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, boost your metabolism, maintain or lose weight, and improve your body composition without spending hours in the gym, you can do this 20 minute workout routine.

You don’t need any equipment to do this routine. It includes only bodyweight exercises, and you can do them in the corner of your home.

Since it is slightly challenging, so you can take one day off after three training days.

Summary

• There will be 4 rounds of 4 minutes each, with one minute of rest after the first and second rounds and two minutes of rest after the third round.
• Repeat each exercise twice at a ratio of 20-sec work and 10-sec rest.
• Recommended frequency: 5-6 times/week
• Estimated calories burned: 220-300

Round 1

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Squat Jump	Crunches	Pushups	Flutter Kick

Round 2

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Mountain Climbing	High Knees	Pushups	Russian Twists

Round 3

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Kneeling Squat Jump	Scissor Kicks	Pushups	Split Lunge Jump

Round 4

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Mountain Climbing	High Knees	Shoulder Tap	Bicycle Crunches

30 Minute Tabata Workout to Speed up Fat Loss

If you’re putting a lot of work into shedding some excess pounds but ain’t getting the results you wanted, then you need to change something in your diet as well as workout.

Incorporating high protein low-calorie foods that fill up for a longer duration and an intense form of workout, such as Tabata, into your lifestyle, you’ll be able to accelerate your weight loss.

Tabata is a high-intense workout training that helps burn plenty of calories in a short time and improves the key components of fitness, such as metabolism, VO2 max, endurance, and speed.

This 30 minute Tabata workout may increase your weight loss and help you achieve your best physique.

Summary

• Number of rounds: 5
• Rest after the first and second rounds: 2 minutes
• Interval after the third and fourth rounds: 3 minutes
• Perform each exercise twice to complete a 1-minute workout at a ratio of 20-sec workout and 10-sec rest.
• Recommended frequency: 4-5 times/week
• Estimated calories burned: 280-350

Round 1

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Mountain Climbing	Burpee with a Tuck Jump	Pushups	Russian Twists

Round 2

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Kneeling Squat Jump	Scissor Kicks	Pushups	Split Lunge Jump

Round 3

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Single Leg Hop	Box Jump	Shoulder Tap	Bicycle Crunches

Round 4

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Squat Jump	Pushup	Split Jump Squat	Squat Thrust

Round 5

Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
Mountain Climber	Scissor Kicks	Pushups	Shoulder Tap

Advanced 45 Minute Tabata Workouts to Challenge Your Fitness Level

If you want to challenge your endurance, speed, and fitness level, you can try this 45-minute Tabata workout. It can be super intense but can also be super effective if you want to burn substantial calories and speed up weight loss.

Since it is a 45-minute long workout, so doing this three to four times a week would be sufficient.

Summary

• Number of rounds: 7
• Rest after rounds:
  • First and second rounds: 2 minute
  • Third and fourth rounds: 3 minutes
  • Fifth and sixth rounds: 4 minutes
• Perform each exercise twice to complete a 1-minute workout at a ratio of 20-sec workout and 10-sec rest.
• Recommended frequency: 3-4 days/week
• Estimated calories burned: 500-600

Round	Minute 1	Minute 2	Minute 3	Minute 4
1	Jumping Jacks	Mountain Climbers	Kneeling Jump	Flutter Kick
2	Squat Jump	Push-Ups	Crunches	Shoulder Tap
3	Burpees	Shoulder Tap	Jumping Split Squat	Leg Raises
4	High Knees	Kneeling Jump	Jumping Jacks	Leg Raises
5	Front Box Jump	Bicycle Crunches	Shoulder Tap	Flutter Kick
6	Squat Jump	Mountain Climbers	Burpees	Crunches
7	Jumping Jacks	Push-Ups	Kneeling Jump	Shoulder Tap

Download Tabata Workout Plan PDF

Final Thoughts

Tabata is a great way to improve endurance, metabolism, and VO2 max and burn plenty of calories by spending less time during the workout. It can also increase your weight loss and help you achieve the best physique.

I’ve shared multiple Tabata workout plans in this article, so depending on your fitness level, you can follow the one that suits you the most. For example, if you’re a beginner, you can start with a 10-minute Tabata workout and increase the duration as you move ahead.

Note: Tabata can make you feel breath out in minutes. That is why it is not recommended to all, especially who have injuries, cardiovascular health issues, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. It’s best to consult with your trainer or doctor before starting out this program.

References

• 1
  Emberts T, Porcari J, Dobers-Tein S, Steffen J, Foster C. Exercise intensity and energy expenditure of a Tabata workout. J Sports Sci Med. 2013;12(3):612-613. Published 2013 Sep 1
• 2
  Viana RB, de Lira CAB, Naves JPA, Coswig VS, Del Vecchio FB, Gentil P. Tabata protocol: a review of its application, variations and outcomes. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2019;39(1):1-8. doi:10.1111/cpf.12513
• 3
  Domaradzki J, Cichy I, Rokita A, Popowczak M. Effects of Tabata Training During Physical Education Classes on Body Composition, Aerobic Capacity, and Anaerobic Performance of Under-, Normal- and Overweight Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(3):876. Published 2020 Jan 30. doi:10.3390/ijerph17030876