Tabata timer
A Tabata round is 20 seconds of all-out work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times: 4 minutes in total. Press Start and follow the beeps.
Where Tabata comes from
The protocol is named after Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, whose 1996 study had athletes do eight 20-second sprints on an exercise bike with 10-second breaks, and found big gains in both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. In the study the work was very intense, around 170% of VO₂max, so a true Tabata leaves you unable to do another round.
Beeps count down the last 3 seconds of every interval, and a different sound marks the start of work and rest, so you never need to look at the screen. Press Space to start or pause and R to reset. Your settings are saved on this device.
Questions people ask
How long is a Tabata workout?
One Tabata is 4 minutes: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Many workouts string several Tabatas together with a minute's break between them.
What exercises work for Tabata?
Anything you can do at full effort safely: bike or rowing sprints, burpees, squat jumps, mountain climbers, kettlebell swings.