TabataTime: Free Tabata & Interval Timer
Interval timer
No signup · No ads
8 rounds4:00 total
- Space
- Start / pause
- R
- Reset
- M
- Mute
- S
- Settings
What is Tabata?
Tabata is a high-intensity interval protocol: 20 seconds of all-out work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. Four minutes total, and if you're doing it right, four very long minutes. The name comes from Dr. Izumi Tabata, whose 1996 study put that exact timing to the test. The full guide covers where it came from and what the research actually found.
How to use this timer
The tabata timer above is ready to go with the classic 20:10 protocol. Hit start and train. Want something else? Pick a preset below (EMOM, AMRAP, boxing rounds, plank holds) or open settings and set your own work, rest, rounds, and sets. Spacebar pauses and resumes. Your settings are saved to the URL, so you can bookmark a custom interval timer setup or send it to a training partner. It doubles as a general HIIT timer for any work-rest format, works offline once loaded, and there's no signup. It's just free.
The science (1996 study)
In 1996, Dr. Izumi Tabata and his colleagues published a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise comparing two groups of trained athletes over six weeks. One group did an hour of moderate, steady-state cycling five days a week. The other did roughly four minutes: 7-8 intervals of 20 seconds at 170% of VO2 max with 10 seconds of rest. The interval group improved both their aerobic capacity and their anaerobic capacity. The steady-state group improved only the first.
Worth being honest about: the subjects were fit young athletes riding stationary bikes at a precisely controlled, extremely high intensity. Doing burpees in your living room for four minutes isn't the same stimulus, and it won't replace all your training. But the 20:10 structure is still one of the most time-efficient ways to train hard. ReadWhat Is Tabata for the full breakdown of what the study does and doesn't prove.
Preset timers
- EMOM TimerEvery Minute on the Minute: 10 rounds of 60 seconds.
- Boxing Timer12 three-minute rounds with a one-minute corner break.
- Plank Timer5 rounds of 30-second planks with short rests.
- 30 Second Interval TimerEven 30:30 work-to-rest intervals, 10 rounds.
- 20:10 TimerThe classic 20:10 split, on its own page.
- CrossFit Timer60 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest, 10 rounds.
- 1 Minute Interval Timer60-second work intervals with a 15-second breather.
- AMRAP Timer20 minutes on the clock: as many rounds as possible.
Guides
- Best Tabata Exercises (Bodyweight & Equipment)The best exercises for Tabata intervals: bodyweight moves that need no setup, plus equipment options if you have them.
- Tabata for Beginners: How to Start SafelyNew to Tabata? Here's how to start at the right intensity, avoid common mistakes, and build up to the full protocol.
- Tabata vs HIIT: What's the Difference?Tabata is a specific HIIT protocol, not a separate thing. Here's exactly how the timing, intensity, and goals differ.
- Sample Tabata Workouts You Can Do TodayFull Tabata workout structures (single-exercise, circuit, and multi-set) with exact timing you can load straight into the timer.
- What Is Tabata? The 1996 Study ExplainedWhat Tabata training actually is, where the 20:10 protocol comes from, and what the original 1996 study found.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Tabata training?
- Tabata is a high-intensity interval protocol: 20 seconds of near-maximal work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds, about 4 minutes total. The name comes from Dr. Izumi Tabata, whose 1996 study tested that exact timing. The What Is Tabata guide covers the full story.
- Is this timer free?
- Yes, completely. No signup, no account, no ads. Open the page, hit start, train. It also keeps working offline once loaded, so a dead gym signal will not stop your workout.
- Why 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest?
- That 2:1 ratio is the timing tested in the original 1996 study, where it improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity in already-fit athletes. The short rest never lets you fully recover, which is exactly what makes 4 minutes feel so long. If it's too much right now, every value is adjustable in settings.
- Can I use this for workouts other than Tabata?
- Yes. The presets cover EMOM, AMRAP, boxing rounds, plank holds, and several general interval splits, and every value (work, rest, rounds, sets) is adjustable in settings. Any HIIT or circuit format that runs on a clock works here.