Looking to rev your rate of fat burning? If so, tabata training is a great workout to try out. This high-intensity training protocol lasts just four minutes long and involves alternating periods of high-intensity exercise with rest periods.

You’ll perform 20 seconds at that full-out pace and then 10 seconds actively resting. This is then repeated 8 times total for the 4-minute workout.

So what forms of exercise work best with tabata training?

Here are four smart options to consider.

Burpees

You simply can’t beat the burpee. This single exercise will utilize your upper body, lower body, as well as core in one fluid movement pattern. It’s great for building strength, burning fat, and improving your quickness and agility as well.

Best of all, it can be done without any equipment at all.

Clean And Presses

If you’d like to add a little more weight to the mix, a clean and press is a fantastic choice. Clean and presses typically performed with a barbell are a great way to work the lower and upper body at once, while also improving your balancing capabilities as well.

When doing the clean and press for tabata training, just remember you’ll use a slightly lighter weight than normal in order to keep the intensity up through all 8 intervals.

Be sure while doing these that you also focus on maintaining proper form at all time. It can be easy to let good form go when fatigue sets in.

Kettlebell Swings

The kettlebell swing is the next exercise you’ll want to consider. Another one that brings some external resistance into the mix, the kettlebell swing is an excellent metabolic booster and one that will really hit your core muscles hard.

If you want to slim your midsection while improving power, this is a great exercise to turn to.

Uphill Sprints

Finally, if you’d rather go the simplistic route, uphill sprints can be another fantastic choice for those who want to get in a tabata training session.

Since this workout is all about delivering maximum intensity, doing your normal running sprints on a hill will help you crank that level of intensity up a notch.

These are not to be performed by novices, however. You’ll need to have a good base level of fitness first before attempting uphill sprints.

If you do them successfully, they’re excellent for improving your cardiovascular conditioning level, enhancing your metabolic rate, and for helping to build great strength in your lower body.

So there you have four excellent exercises to consider as you gear up to get started with tabata training. If you are looking for a workout that’s fast, fun, and effective, tabata training is for you.

[Image via Getty]