Quickly Smash Your Quads With This Tabata Leg Workout

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I hate heavy barbell squats with a passion. So years ago, when I heard someone utter the phrase “Tabata Leg Workout.” I became hell-bent on finding out a little more. 

So after doing a quick google search and learning what the hell Tabata was. I was instantly overcome with relief and set out on a mission to adopt this way of training as effectively as I could.

Now, when it comes to hitting my legs, I’m the type of guy who likes to get in, get done, and get out before most people have even warmed up.

I don’t know why, but the thought of getting under a heavy barbell and performing multiple squat variations for an hour or more just doesn’t seem like my idea of fun.

Don’t get me wrong, heavy squats are a great mass and strength builder.

But when it comes to building explosiveness and muscular endurance, I’ve found that a balls to the wall, no-nonsense approach tends to reign supreme.

Anyway…

Being an advocate for quick and simple workouts. Over time, I experimented with new ways to target my legs to get the most bang for my buck.

And in that time, I’ve utilized (what I feel) are a few pretty stellar Tabata workouts that get the job done.

So in today’s blog post, I’m going to be revealing exactly what these workouts are, so you can also reap the benefits of a killer leg workout.

Be warned, though, these aren’t for the timid or weak. You’re gonna have to dig deep and bust a nut to get through some of the hellish workouts I’m about to show you.

So with that said, let’s get to it…

Getting The Most Out Of Your Tabata Leg Workout

Now there are two ways you can go about structuring your Tabata leg workout.

Firstly, you can simply pick one exercise and hammer it out for the entire 8 rounds while hoping you pass out in the process.

The other way is to pick two separate exercises and alternate between them each round.

Most of the time (not every time), I like to pick two exercises that work slightly different muscles in the leg.

And the reason I do this is that performing one exercise for an entire 4 minutes tends to fatigue the muscle just a little bit more than I like.

This often leads to a breakdown in exercises form or, worse still, cutting your Tabata short because you don’t have the energy to continue.

But ultimately, this will come down to your own level of fitness and the difficulty of the exercise.

For instance, I could quite happily power through 8 complete rounds of basic bodyweight squats.

But if you were to ask me to smash out explosive jump squats for an entire 4 minutes. Chances are I’d puke up a lung before I hit the last set.

My Go-To List Of Tabata Leg Workouts

So when it comes to hitting your legs, there are 3 specific methods I’ve found that get the job done successfully.

They can be…

• Bodyweight Tabata
• Weighted Tabata
• And Cardio Tabata

They all come with their own benefits and drawbacks. But I guarantee that each and every one of them will make your quads feel like they’re on fire.

Anyway, here they are for your enjoyment…

Bodyweight Tabata Workouts

Workout 1: The Exploder

This is an explosive Tabata I used to do as a finisher 3-4 times a week at the end of my workouts.

To be honest, I don’t use it as much as I used to because, over time, I’ve adapted a few other Tabata that work equally as well.

But I still like to include it in my workouts at least once a week to keep my body guessing.

Anyway, here it is…

• 20 Seconds Of Jump Squats
• 10 Seconds Of Rest
• 20 Seconds Of Alternating Lunges
• 10 Seconds Of Rest

Repeat 4 more times for a total of 8 rounds.

I’m just gonna come straight out the gate and say that this is a tough workout.

In fact, I’ll even admit that I sometimes have to swap out the jump squats for regular squats for during the last set because I simply can’t do anymore.

Now, if this looks like it might be a little bit too much, then you can regress the exercise to both regular squats and lunges.

You won’t reap the explosive benefits of the exercise. But it still beats the crap out of sitting on the couch eating popcorn while binge-watching Netflix.

Another thing you can do (which I briefly touched on above). Is to perform jump squats and alternating lunges for the first few rounds. And then switch it up halfway through to regular old squats and lunges for the remainder.

This way, you’ll still be able to slowly work on building your explosive strength until you’ve got the capacity can hammer through all eight rounds.

Workout 2: The Split

This one is fairly basic, but again very difficult.

Take a look…

• 20 Seconds Of Split Squats (left leg forward)
• 10 Seconds Of Rest
• 20 Seconds Of Split Squats (right leg forward)
• 10 Seconds Of Rest

Repeat 4 more times for a total of 8 rounds

Now, just to clarify, when I say split squat, I mean your back foot should be elevated on a platform to isolate the target muscle.

Like this… (see image)

I like this workout because it allows you to iron out any muscle imbalances in your legs by targeting them individually.

It also targets the inner and outer quads as well as the hamstrings. So it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of advantages to performing this Tabata frequently.

Workout 3: Burpees From Hell

There’s not much to explain with this one. You’re simply going to be performing lots and lots of burpees for the entire duration of the Tabata.

It looks like this…

• 20 Seconds Of Burpees
• 10 Seconds Of Rest

Repeat 8 more times for a total of 8 rounds

Just quickly before we move on. I find doing the burpees without the pushup far more beneficial.

Don’t get me wrong, adding a pushup to burpees is great. But it tends to slow the momentum of each burpee. Which I find eventually takes its toll on how well it targets the legs.

Related: 51 Fat Torching Workout Finishers To Hammer Your Legs In As Little As 3 Minutes

What About Weighted Tabata

Now, if you’re already supremely fit, and the above workouts seem like a walk in the park. Then it’s time to step your game up and take on some weighted Tabata workouts.

But here’s the thing…

Tabata is a form it HIIT (high-intensity interval training). 

And because of this, adding weight can sometimes throw a spanner into the works because you’re essentially taking away the fast-paced nature that Tabata is supposed to be.

So if you are going to add weight to the routine. Just make sure you do it in small increments to keep up the intensity and save the strength work for another day.

With that said, there are really only a couple of ways you can utilize weight in your Tabata leg workout.

• You can use barbells or dumbbells.
• You can utilize things like a weighted vest or backpack.

Or, if you’re feeling really crazy, you can use a combination of both.

For instance, a 10-pound weighted vest and a set of 5-pound dumbells.

This way, you could even start your Tabata workout while holding a set of dumbbells and then simply drop the weight for the last round or two if your form begins to breakdown.

Personally, I like to use a weighted for most of my leg workouts.

I’ve actually got an adjustable weighted vest that I can load with anythings from 10 lbs, all the way up to nearly 90 lbs. So I can change things around depending on what workout I’m doing that day.

It also sits quite high above my waist, so it doesn’t get in the way whenever I’m doing squats.

But whatever way you decide to load yourself up, all I can say is good luck and godspeed.

Cardio Tabata

Lastly, I just want to briefly touch on a few cardio-based Tabata exercises to kick things up a gear.

Now, you might not consider cardio to be very leg intensive.

But let me tell you that when done correctly. This type of training will help you excel in pretty much any other sport or activity you do.

Here are a few of my go-to favorites…

Tabata Sprints

All you’re going to do for this Tabata is find a small stretch of open space and perform sprints.

Here’s how it looks…

• 20 Seconds Of Sprints (max effort)
• 10 Seconds Of Rest

Repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes

Now, preferably you’ll want to do this away from a busy location, so you don’t mow down an old lady or a toddler.

But I promise that 4 minutes of all-out sprints will be more than enough to make your legs feel like they’re on fire.

Bike Sprints

This is exactly the same as the regular sprints, only now, you’ll be doing them on a stationary bike.

The great thing about this Tabata is that you can vary the intensity of the workout by adjusting the resistance level on the bike.

Obviously, you’ll need to own a stationary bike with this feature or find a local gym that has one.

But either way, the results you’ll get from these 4 minutes of hell will be totally worth it.

Taking Your Tabata Leg Workout To The Next Level

So there you have it, folks, a bulletproof, no-nonsense way of smashing your legs into oblivion in 4 minutes flat.

Now, for most people, all the exercises I’ve highlighted above should be more than enough to keep your workouts interesting for the coming weeks and months.

And I’ve got no doubt that if you’re both dedicated and consistent with your training, you’ll reach your workout goals sooner rather than later.

But if you feel like you need that little extra nudge in the right direction…

…Or, you just want more of the juicy good stuff that’s going to deliver epic results.

Then here’s something you’ll want to take a look at…

It’s called Workout Finishers 2.0 by Mike Whitfield.

In a nutshell, it’s a no-nonsense, practical guide that gives you over 50 metabolic, fat-torching workout finishers to take your training routine to an entirely new level.

It’s a really handy guide if you’re looking to get your hands on loads of short, intense workouts. And comes with a ton of bonuses that will only be revealed by hitting the link below…

Now, I’m not gonna lie and tell you these workouts are easy.

If you want that, I recommend heading down to your local gym and walking on the treadmill for a few miles.

But if you want something that’s gonna send your heart rate through the roof while torching a sh*t ton of calories in as little as 3 minutes…

…Then this might just be the holy grail you’ve been looking for.

Here’s the link again so you can check it out for yourself: Workout Finishers 2.0

Anyway, that about wraps things up for today’s blog post. But if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them below…