tabata

noun

ta·​ba·​ta tə-ˈbä-tə 

variants or Tabata

plural tabatas or Tabatas

: a type of high-intensity interval training that usually consists of eight sets of exercises (such as jumping jacks) each performed at maximum intensity for 20 seconds interspersed with a brief rest of 10 seconds

Named after its founder, Dr. Izumi Tabata, tabata is a form of HIIT that takes only four minutes per session.

—South Florida Sun-Sentinel

To do a Tabata, an exercise developed in the '70's for Japanese Olympians, all you have to do is pick a cardio activity such as running, jumping rope, or biking and go as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Follow that with 10 seconds of rest and repeat seven more times. And when I say "as hard as you can go," I mean 100-percent maximal intensity. By the end of the 4 minutes you should feel like you're going to die.

—Shape.com

Some claim you get more gains from 20 minutes doing a tabata workout than you do from an hour of running on the treadmill.

—Elyse Jarard

… do squat Tabatas (as many squats as you can in 20 seconds; rest 10 seconds; repeat 8 times).

—Ben Mounsey-Wood

Examples of tabata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anaerobic exercises, for example, include activities that allow for bursts of intensity over short periods of time—activities like HIIT, weight training, and tabata. —Marie Bladt, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2024

Take high-intensity workouts like an at-home tabata or Barry’s Bootcamp session, which combine strength and cardiovascular training to deliver results in a shorter time. —Ashley Mateo, Women's Health, 20 June 2023

Yes, that means you’ll be done in exactly four minutes, but that’s half the fun of a tabata. —Mitch Calvert, Men's Health, 16 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

after Izumi (Joseph) Tabata, born 1956, Japanese physiologist who contributed to the development of the training regimen

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above