What a Tabata really is
The name comes from a 1996 study by Dr. Izumi Tabata and colleagues in Japan. Trained athletes on exercise bikes did eight bouts of 20 seconds at a very high intensity, each followed by 10 seconds of rest: four minutes in total. Most “Tabata” classes today are easier versions of that protocol, but the 20/10 × 8 structure is the same.
Ready-made presets
| Preset | Work / rest | Rounds | Total | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabata | 20 s / 10 s | 8 | 4:00 | bike sprints, burpees, kettlebell swings |
| HIIT 40/20 | 40 s / 20 s | 10 | 9:50 | bodyweight circuits |
| HIIT 30/30 | 30 s / 30 s | 10 | 9:40 | beginners, treadmill intervals |
| EMOM | 60 s / – | 10 | 10:10 | CrossFit-style lifts, one set each minute |
| Boxing | 3:00 / 1:00 | 12 | 47:10 | bag work and sparring rounds |
| Run-walk | 1:00 / 1:30 | 8 | 18:40 | Couch-to-5K style first runs |
Totals include the 10-second get-ready phase. The rest after the final round is skipped, so the session ends on your last work interval.
How to set up a workout
- Tap a preset or type your own work time, rest time and number of rounds.
- Check the total workout time shown under the form.
- Press Start. After the get-ready countdown, the first work phase begins.
- Watch the color: green means work, blue means rest. Three short beeps mark the last seconds of each phase.
- Use Full screen on a laptop or TV so the round number is readable from the floor.
Picking work and rest times
- Short, hard efforts (20–30 s) need about as much rest as work, or more, for real recovery.
- Longer work (40–60 s) at a steady pace suits circuits and strength-endurance.
- If your form breaks down in the last rounds, add rest time before you add rounds.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the interval timer for boxing?
Yes. The boxing preset gives 3-minute rounds with 1-minute rest, the format used in professional bouts. Change the rounds for amateur (3 × 3 minutes) or sparring sessions.
What is EMOM?
“Every minute on the minute”: you start a set at the top of each minute and rest for whatever time is left. Set the rest to 0 and the work to 60 seconds.
Will I hear the beeps with my phone locked?
Mobile browsers usually pause pages when the screen locks. The timer keeps the screen awake while it runs, so leave it on and turn the brightness down.
Is a 4-minute Tabata a full workout?
Only if it is truly all-out. Most people do two to four Tabata blocks with a minute or two of rest in between, after a proper warm-up.
Every date, offset and calculation on this page was checked against the sources below.