Tabata timer
20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 8 rounds, 4 minutes. Preset to the original protocol and editable.
Space start/pause R reset Esc stop
Settings
20 sec work, 10 sec rest, 8 rounds. 4 min total. Starts with a 10 sec get-ready count.
01
The protocol
Izumi Tabata's 1996 study had speed skaters do 20 seconds at 170 percent of VO2 max, 10 seconds rest, eight times. Four minutes. It improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity, which is why the name stuck. The catch is the intensity: if you can talk during the 20 seconds you are not doing Tabata, you are doing intervals with a Tabata timer. Both are fine.
02
Common variants
- Tabata timer 20/10 x 8
- Tabata timer 30/15 x 8
- Tabata timer 40/20 x 8
- Tabata timer 45/15 x 10
- Tabata timer 60/30 x 6
- Tabata timer 20/10 x 4
- Tabata timer 10/20 x 8
- Tabata timer 30/10 x 8
- Tabata timer 30/30 x 8
- Tabata timer 45/15 x 8
Or edit the numbers under the timer. The last setup you used is remembered.
03
Sounds
A 10 second get-ready count, then a rising pair for work, a falling pair for rest, ticks for the last three seconds of each, and a three-note finish. The digits change colour too, for when the music is loud.
Questions people ask
- What is the Tabata protocol exactly?
- 20 seconds of maximal work, 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds, 4 minutes. From Izumi Tabata’s 1996 study with Japanese speed skaters. This page is preset to that.
- Can I change the work and rest times?
- Yes, everything is editable in the settings. Common variants are 30/15, 40/20 and 45/15. There are ready-made pages for those too.
- How does the timer tell work from rest?
- Different sounds: a rising pair for work, a falling pair for rest, a tick for the last 3 seconds. The digits also change colour.