IntervalTimers.com
Tabata

Classic Tabata Template

The original Tabata protocol: 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes.

16 rounds 1 set 4 min total
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Ready

00:20

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About this timer

This is the original protocol from Dr Izumi Tabata's 1996 study: twenty seconds of maximum-effort work, ten seconds of rest, eight times through, four minutes total. The detail people skip is the word maximum — the research protocol had subjects working at roughly 170% of VO2 max, which is not a pace you can hold. If you can complete all eight rounds at the same intensity, you started too easy.

Best for

  • One movement you can safely take to absolute effort
  • A finisher at the end of a strength session
  • The shortest useful workout that exists

What to do in the work rounds

  • Assault bike or rower sprints
  • Squat jumps
  • Burpees
  • Kettlebell swings
  • Sprint intervals on a treadmill or track
  • Battle ropes

Scaling it

Easier
Use one exercise and accept that rounds seven and eight will be slower. That fade is the protocol working.
Harder
There is no harder version of a true Tabata. If it feels repeatable, the intensity is wrong, not the structure.

How the clock runs

One pass through this timer is 16 rounds and 4 min. It runs once, for 4 min in total. The intervals break down as 8 × 20 sec and 8 × 10 sec.

#IntervalLengthElapsed
1 Exercise 00:20 00:20
2 Rest 00:10 00:30
3 Exercise 00:20 00:50
4 Rest 00:10 01:00
5 Exercise 00:20 01:20
6 Rest 00:10 01:30
7 Exercise 00:20 01:50
8 Rest 00:10 02:00
9 Exercise 00:20 02:20
10 Rest 00:10 02:30
11 Exercise 00:20 02:50
12 Rest 00:10 03:00
13 Exercise 00:20 03:20
14 Rest 00:10 03:30
15 Exercise 00:20 03:50
16 Rest 00:10 04:00

Questions about the Classic Tabata Template

Is a Tabata really only four minutes?

The protocol is, yes — eight rounds of twenty seconds work and ten seconds rest. Warm up properly beforehand; going into it cold is how people get hurt.

Should I change exercise between rounds?

Not in the classic protocol. It is built around one movement taken to failure. Use the multi-exercise template if you want variety.

How often can I do Tabata training?

Two or three times a week at most, and not on back-to-back days. It is four minutes of work and a much longer recovery cost.