6 Tabata Workouts You Can Do Today, With the Timer Built In

The original tabata study put athletes on exercise bikes for seven or eight exhausting 20-second rounds. Over six weeks, those four minutes raised VO2max about as much as an hour of steady riding, and raised anaerobic capacity by 28%, which the long rides didn't touch. The catch is the all-out part: a tabata workout done at a comfortable pace is just a short workout.

Start with the step-up version if you're new, or go straight to burpees if you're not. Each one below runs in sweatcue with the rounds counted for you.

What is a tabata workout?

A tabata is eight rounds of 20 seconds as hard as you can go, with 10 seconds of rest after each, four minutes in total. It's named after Dr Izumi Tabata, whose 1996 study tested a drill used by Japan's national speed-skating team. Six weeks of these sessions on an exercise bike raised VO2max about as much as an hour of steady riding five days a week, and also raised anaerobic capacity by 28%, which the steady riding did not.

The rounds have to be all-out for that to work. If you can talk during the rest, push harder in the next round.

6 tabata workouts, from 4 minutes to 20

Tap a workout's button to copy it, then paste it into sweatcue. The app sets up the rounds and runs the timer for you.

How to get the most out of tabata training

• Warm up first. The riders in the original study warmed up for 10 minutes.
• Pick exercises you can do fast and safely when tired. Leave out heavy barbell lifts and anything loaded overhead.
• Two or three tabata sessions a week is typical, with easier days between.
• Expect the last rounds to be the hardest. In the original study the pace was set to leave riders spent by round 7 or 8. If round one is far above every other round, ease off slightly.

Run them in sweatcue

sweatcue is a free iPhone app that runs these workouts for you. It times the 20 and 10 seconds, counts the rounds and says the exercise before each one, so you don't have to keep checking this page.

You can also paste in any other tabata workout you find.

More workout guides

Tabata workout FAQ

How long is a tabata workout?

One tabata is four minutes. With a warm-up and cooldown, a single tabata takes 10 to 12 minutes. Stacking four with rest between takes about 20.

Is tabata the same as HIIT?

Tabata is one type of HIIT: 20 seconds on, 10 off, eight rounds, at maximum effort. HIIT covers any work and rest pattern. For other formats, see the HIIT timer.

Can beginners do tabata?

Yes. Start with 15 seconds on and 15 off, and pick simple exercises like step-ups or squats. Move to 20 on, 10 off once the pace feels familiar.

How often should I do tabata?

Two or three times a week is typical, with easier training or rest days between.

Do I need a tabata timer?

You need something that times 20 and 10 seconds without you watching it. Any tabata timer works for one exercise. sweatcue also says which exercise is next, which helps when you rotate them. It's free on the App Store.

Sources

1. Tabata et al. 1996, the original study (Med Sci Sports Exerc)
2. Tabata 2024, Tabata training in perspective (Appl Physiol Nutr Metab)
3. Tabata 2019, Tabata training: one of the most energetically effective HIIT (J Physiol Sci)
4. CrossFit: Tabata This benchmark
5. CrossFit: Tabata squat scoring (2003)