Standing Bodyweight Tabata Workout

It’s #WorkoutWednesday, and I have a new one coming at you today! This circuit incorporates both strength and cardio components with a mix of exercises that target more than one muscle group at a time.

I had fun putting this one together and thought it was time to revisit a Tabata-style circuit format. Also, I wanted to stay off of the ground for once and feature a workout that can be done completely standing. I don’t mind rolling around in the grass for workouts at times, but some days it’s nice to just stay vertical. Am I right?

For those of you who are new to the blog or this type of training, Tabatas are 4-minute bouts of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercises. You follow a :20 work, :10 rest pattern and do the same exercise 8 times in a row before moving on to the next.

The beauty of this workout is that you don’t need any equipment at all, so you can take it virtually anywhere!

Just like any workout, please listen to your body and rest between exercises or whenever it’s truly needed.

You can use a stopwatch to time your intervals, or check out my Tabata Training playlist that makes it extremely easy to follow the :20 work, :10 rest pattern. The coach in most of the songs does the counting for you. (I’ve used this playlist for my Tabata style workouts for years!)

Now let’s get on to the cues and demos …

Exercise Breakdown

• high knees

This exercise is highly underrated in my book since it works several muscle groups at a time including your calves, quads, hamstrings, shins, and abs!

Start in a standing position with your feet about hip-width apart. You can hover your hands just above your belly button and tap your knees as they alternate (right hand to left knee, left hand to right knee) or keep them in what I call runner’s fists (pictured above). Quickly drive your right knee up then shoot it back down to the ground and immediately bring your left knee up. Aim to alternate knees quickly with a hop, stay on the balls of your feet, and engage your abdominal muscles!

You can always modify this movement by coming to the standing position in between the high knees for more of a march.

• good mornings

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head with your elbows wide.

Keep your abs tight and back neutral while pressing your butt backward, keeping a slight bend to your knees. Hinge at the hips until your back is close to parallel to the floor. Return to your standing position while squeezing your glutes. This is one rep.

• wall power push-ups

This one actually came from Scott. I started by doing a regular push up on the wall, and he encouraged me to add the power element to make it more challenging and I loved it. Do what level works best for you!

Start by facing a wall, standing a little farther than arm’s length away with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lean your body forward and put your palms flat against the wall at shoulder height and shoulder-width apart.

Keep your body in a straight line from your head to toe without dropping your middle or arching your back. Before you begin the push-up, contract your abs and keep your core tight. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your upper body toward the wall to complete a push-up. If you’re confident in that, try a power push-up, but move your hands to be wider than shoulder-width first.

Explode yourself off of the wall to an arm extension, allowing your hands to the wall for a quick second, then catch yourself with your hands on the wall and decelerate yourself to the start. Repeat.

• ice skaters

Start with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and slightly lean forward with your arms at your side. Be careful not to hyper-extend your back and keep your chin up. To begin the exercise, shift your weight to the left leg while lifting the right. Jump about three feet to the right and land on that (right) leg. Upon landing, lift your left leg.

Jump back over to the left and land on that (left) leg and lift your right leg. Swing your arms to help with balance!

• standing oblique crunches

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head and keeping your elbows wide.

With the abdominals engaged, lift your right knee up to your right elbow and bend your torso towards the movement. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

• reverse lunges

Start standing tall with your hands on your hips and feet under your hips. Step backward with your left leg, and lower your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your left knee nearly touches the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position by pressing into the floor.

Alternate between sides until you hit time. Aim to keep your front heel under your knee and avoid leaning forward or back!

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I hope you enjoy this workout if you give it a try! If Tabatas are new for you, let me know how you like them. I think the playlist makes them fun and the workouts goes by super-fast, too.

See you later this week for a Friday Favorites catch up on what we’ve been up to!

Disclaimer: Although I am a certified personal trainer, I am not necessarily your personal trainer. The workouts I post are what work best for me and might not be the right type of exercises for you. I always recommend consulting a doctor or health professional before making changes to your diet and/or fitness routines.