Total Body Tabata

📌 Editor’s Note (2025):
This post reflects a time when my work was centered on physical health and performance. At the time, high-intensity workouts and structured movement were how I found strength and purpose.
Since then, my focus has shifted. I’ve transitioned from fitness coaching to clinical mental health, and my training now centers around trauma, nervous system regulation, and emotional wellbeing.
I’m keeping this post available for those who still find value in movement-based routines. But if you’re looking for current content on healing, mental health, and the connection between body and mind, you can find that here.

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Over the last decade, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has gained momentum across the fitness world. One popular approach is Tabata training, named after its creator, Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata. A Tabata set consists of 8 rounds of 20 seconds of effort followed by 10 seconds of rest—for a total of 4 minutes per movement. What I appreciated about Tabata at the time was the balance of structure and intensity—the built-in rest allowed me to give focused effort while maintaining endurance. For this workout, we are going to do 4 complete Tabata rounds with 4 different movements.

The First Movement is: Jump Rope!

I love the HumanX Gear X4 Speed Rope for jump roping (Original product no longer available; this is a similar option I’d recommend today). You can pick your poison on this tabata, either single jump ropes or, if you are efficient at Double Unders, go ahead and give those a whirl. Remember, we are working for 20 seconds and resting for 10 seconds for a total of 8 rounds.

Once the body is warmed up and the heart rate is gently elevated, we’ll move into the next Tabata: the single-arm kettlebell press.

Start by hoisting the Kettlebell up to your shoulder as pictured. You can use the HumanX Gear Kettlebell Arm Guards to protect your forearms from the Kettlebell (Original product no longer available; this is a similar option I’d recommend today). From here, you are going to tighten your core and press the Kettlebell up to a locked-out position.

Since a full Tabata is 8 rounds, we are going to alternate arms each round. So you will end up doing 4 rounds on each arm

The third movement we are going to do is a seated row using the HumanX Gear PowerAmp Resistance Band (Original product no longer available; this is a similar option I’d recommend today).

Sitting down and positioning the band in the middle of your foot, start with arms parallel to the deck and back nice and straight.

Maintain a tall spine and engage your core as you’re able—focus on stability and steady breathing throughout the movement.

Do this for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for a total of 8 rounds.

We’ll finish with a core-strengthening plank. Focus on keeping your spine long and your muscles gently engaged—this is about stability, not perfection. If you have a yoga mat, or the Eco-Fit Mat (Original product no longer available; this is a similar option I’d recommend today), you can use that. You can also use an AbX (Original product no longer available; this is a similar option I’d recommend today) to cushion your arms on the floor. For this one, you want to make sure you keep your core tight and back flat.

You’re going to hold the plank for 20 seconds and then rest for 10, again for 8 total rounds.

And that’s your Total Body Tabata—four rounds, four movements, each one offering a different kind of challenge.

If this approach feels supportive in your current season, give it a try. And as always, listen to your body, modify as needed, and rest when you need to. Movement can be many things—energizing, grounding, even regulating.