Tabata Timer
Eight rounds of 20 seconds hard work and 10 seconds rest, with a 10-second get-ready countdown. Stack up to four sets.
Keyboard: Space to start or pause, R to reset, F for full screen. The alarm plays while this page stays open in a browser tab.
How to use the Tabata timer
This Tabata timer is preset to the classic protocol: 20 seconds of all-out work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds — 4 minutes in total. It starts with a 10-second "get ready" countdown, then beeps at every switch and counts down 3-2-1 before each work phase, so you never have to look at the clock mid-sprint.
Want more than one Tabata? Choose 1 to 4 sets, and the Tabata training timer adds 1 minute of rest between each set automatically.
- Choose how many Tabata sets you want (1–4).
- Get your exercise ready — a bike, a rower, or open floor space for bodyweight moves.
- Press Start or Space. Use the 10-second prep to get into position.
- Go hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 when the color changes, and repeat until round 8 is done.
What is the Tabata protocol?
The Tabata protocol is named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, whose 1996 study had participants do 20-second bouts of stationary cycling at very high intensity, each followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 8 rounds. The efforts were meant to be close to the hardest a person could manage, which is why one round of the protocol lasts only 4 minutes.
The timing has since spread far beyond the lab. Most "Tabata" classes and workouts use the 20/10 × 8 structure with exercises like squats, burpees or kettlebell swings, usually at a lower intensity than the original study. That's still a good, efficient workout; just know it isn't the same as the research protocol.
How long is a Tabata workout?
| Tabata sets | Work time | Total time (with 1 min rest between sets) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 min 40 s | 4 min |
| 2 | 5 min 20 s | 9 min |
| 3 | 8 min | 14 min |
| 4 | 10 min 40 s | 19 min |
Times are approximate and don't include the 10-second prep countdown.
Ways to use a Tabata HIIT timer
- Closest to the original: a stationary bike or rower, pushing as hard as you can for each 20 seconds. One set is plenty if the effort is truly maximal.
- Single-exercise Tabata: pick one move, such as air squats, and do as many good reps as you can in every round. Counting your lowest round is a simple way to track progress.
- Alternating Tabata: switch between two moves, like jumping jacks on odd rounds and mountain climbers on even rounds.
- Four-set finisher: run 4 sets with a different exercise in each — for example squats, push-ups, high knees and plank shoulder taps — with a minute of rest between them.
Tips for your Tabata training
- Warm up for several minutes before the first set. Going from cold straight into a maximal effort is a bad idea.
- Choose exercises you can start and stop instantly. Moves that need setup eat into a 10-second rest fast.
- Keep form first. If your reps get sloppy in rounds 7 and 8, pick an easier variation.
- Prop up your phone or use full screen (press F) on a laptop so you can see the phase color from where you're working.
If 20/10 feels too intense, the HIIT timer has gentler presets like 30/30 and 40/20. To change the timing completely, use the custom interval timer, or switch to the boxing timer for 3-minute rounds.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Tabata really only 4 minutes?
One Tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off, which is exactly 4 minutes. Many people do several Tabatas in a row; set 2 to 4 sets on the timer and it handles the rest between them.
Can I change the 20/10 timing?
Yes, the values are editable. If you want a different work-to-rest ratio, though, it's no longer a Tabata, and the interval timer is the better place to build it.
What's the difference between Tabata and HIIT?
HIIT is the broad idea of alternating hard work with recovery, in any timing. Tabata is one specific HIIT format: 20 seconds of very hard work, 10 seconds of rest, 8 rounds.