Tabata timer 20/10 x 4
20 sec work, 10 sec rest, 4 rounds. 2 min total. Starts with a 10 sec get-ready count.
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20 sec work, 10 sec rest, 4 rounds. 2 min total. Starts with a 10 sec get-ready count.
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What this one is for
Four rounds of 20/10 is half the original protocol and it lands in two minutes. There are two honest reasons to run it. The first is that you are new to this and the last two rounds of a full Tabata are where technique falls apart, so cutting the block in half lets you learn the pace before you learn the pain. The second is that you have already trained for an hour and have exactly two minutes of effort left in you.
Because it is short, the intensity has to be real. Four rounds of a movement you are pacing is a warm-up, not a finisher. Pick something you can throw yourself at from the first rep: bike sprints, swings, squat jumps, a rower you have already set up.
Ten seconds of get-ready, then straight into it. When you can hold the same output across all four rounds, go to six, then to the full eight.
02
Good for
- First week of Tabata work, learning the pacing
- A two-minute finisher after a lifting session
- Squeezing in something when there is genuinely no time
- Testing a new movement at Tabata intensity before committing to eight rounds
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How it runs
20 sec work, 10 sec rest, 4 rounds. 2 min total. Starts with a 10 sec get-ready count. Press Start, or hit Space. The digits turn green while a work block runs and grey on rest.
Sound is on by default: a rising pair for work, a falling pair for rest, a tick for the last three seconds and a three-note finish. Mute with the speaker button. The screen stays on while the timer runs and the tab title shows the time left.
Change anything in Settings under the timer. The last setup you used on this page is remembered in your browser.
Questions people ask
- Is four rounds worth doing at all?
- At a genuine effort, two minutes of 20/10 will have you breathing hard for a while afterwards. It is not a substitute for a session, but as a finisher or a first attempt it earns its place.
- How do I get to the full eight rounds?
- Add two rounds when you can finish the last round at the same output as the first. Change Rounds in the settings; four, six, then eight is a sensible three-week progression.
- Should I do several blocks of four instead?
- That is a different workout. Four rounds, rest a couple of minutes, four more rounds gives you higher quality per round and less accumulated fatigue. Use the interval timer with 2 sets if you want the rest managed.