Tabata vs HIIT: Interval Timer Settings
Tabata is one specific interval: 20 seconds very hard, 10 seconds rest, about 8 rounds. HIIT is the wider family. Here is how to set both on a timer.
Where Tabata comes from
Tabata is named after Izumi Tabata, lead author of a 1996 study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (28(10):1327–1330; PubMed 8897392, read 10 November 2026). In it, seven people trained on exercise bikes 5 days a week for 6 weeks, doing "seven to eight sets of 20-s exercise at an intensity of about 170% of VO2max with a 10-s rest between each bout", until exhaustion. Their VO2max rose by 7 ml/kg/min and their anaerobic capacity by 28%.
So a true Tabata is very short and brutally hard. A timer set to 20 s / 10 s × 8 gives you the rhythm; the effort is up to you, and most "Tabata" classes are an easier version of the original.
What HIIT means
High-intensity interval training alternates short bouts of hard work with rest or easy recovery. ACE (the American Council on Exercise), summarising the American College of Sports Medicine's 2010 guidelines, describes bouts of 30 seconds to 5 minutes, with recovery at least as long as the work in its clinical examples (acefitness.org, read 10 November 2026). Fitness classes often use shorter rests, such as 40 seconds on and 20 off.
Common settings and their total time
| Workout | Work | Rest | Rounds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabata | 20 s | 10 s | 8 | 04:00 |
| HIIT 40/20 | 40 s | 20 s | 10 | 10:00 |
| HIIT 1:1, 60 s | 1 min | 1 min | 10 | 20:00 |
| EMOM | 1 min | none | 10 | 10:00 |
| Boxing | 3 min | 1 min | 12 | 48:00 |
Totals include the rest after the last round, as the interval timer does, plus nothing for the get-ready countdown.
Setting it up
On the interval timer, pick a preset or set Work, Rest and Rounds with the steppers; add Sets if you repeat the block, with a longer rest between sets. Three short beeps count down the last 3 seconds of each part and a long beep marks every change, so you can follow it without looking. Full screen shows WORK or REST in big letters for the gym floor. For a plain Tabata, the Tabata timer opens with 20/10 × 8 ready to go.
Safety first
Hard intervals put real strain on the heart. ACE, citing the ACSM guidelines, says people with a cardiovascular risk factor or heart disease need a medical examination and a physician-supervised maximal exercise test before starting HIIT. If you are new to exercise, start with longer rests and fewer rounds, and stop if you feel faint or have chest pain.
Timers for this guide
Questions and answers
How long is a Tabata workout?
Eight rounds of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest: 4 minutes. The 1996 study used seven to eight sets, to exhaustion.
Is Tabata the same as HIIT?
Tabata is one kind of HIIT, with a very short rest (half the work time). HIIT in general uses many work and rest lengths, often with rest as long as or longer than the work.
What is a good first HIIT setting?
Many beginners start with equal work and rest, for example 30 seconds each for 8 to 10 rounds, and build up. If you have a heart condition or risk factor, talk to a doctor first.