Bodyweight squat Tabata
One move, eight rounds. Squat as many times as you can in each 20 seconds while keeping your form, then rest for 10.
- Move
- Bodyweight squats
- Set up
- Simple: Work 00:20, Rest 00:10, Exercises 8, Rounds 1
- Needs
- Free
Tabata timer. Four minutes, flat out.
Twenty seconds all-out, ten seconds rest, eight times through. Intervals One counts every round, tells you when you're halfway and when to stop, so all you have to think about is the work.
Free to set up and run. Ready-made Tabata presets come with Pro.
20s
Work, as hard as you can
10s
Rest, then straight back in
8
Rounds in one Tabata
4 min
From first rep to last
What is Tabata?
Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training: 20 seconds of maximum effort, then 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. That's four minutes, and if it's done properly, the last two rounds are very hard.
The routine came from Koichi Irisawa, head coach of Japan's speed skating team, and takes its name from Dr Izumi Tabata, who studied it. In his 1996 study, volunteers did seven or eight 20-second bursts on an exercise bike at around 170% of their maximum aerobic effort, five days a week for six weeks. Both their aerobic fitness and their anaerobic capacity improved. A comparison group cycled at a moderate pace for an hour a day: their aerobic fitness improved too, but their anaerobic capacity didn't change.
Most "Tabata" sessions you'll find today use the same 20/10 rhythm with bodyweight moves, kettlebells or a rower, at an effort that's hard but sustainable. That's still a great interval workout. Just know that the original was all-out, on an exercise bike, under supervision.
Sources: Tabata et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1996; ACE, Is Tabata All It's Cracked Up To Be?
Set it up in under a minute
Everything you need is on the free Simple screen. These are the numbers for one Tabata.
Warm Up03:00
Your choiceWork Time00:20
Rest Time00:10
Exercises8
Eight 20s effortsRounds1
One Tabata- Open SimpleIt's the first tab on the dashboard, and it's free.
- Set Work to 00:20 and Rest to 00:10The app only rests between exercises, so you get exactly eight efforts and seven rests.
- Set Exercises to 8 and Rounds to 1Each "exercise" is one 20-second effort. Do the same move all eight times, or alternate two.
- Add a warm-up, then press StartThe app calls each stage, says "Halfway there" and counts you in with three, two, one.
With Pro, you can skip this: the Presets tab includes ready-made Tabata Jump Squats, Tabata Kettlebell Swings and Tabata Burpees.
Three Tabata workouts to try
Pick moves you can do safely at full effort. Warm up first, and stop if something hurts.
Two-move double Tabata
Two Tabatas with a minute in between, switching moves every 20 seconds so your legs and upper body share the load.
- Moves
- Jump squats and push-ups, alternating
- Set up
- Simple: Work 00:20, Rest 00:10, Exercises 8, Rounds 2, Round Recovery 01:00
- Needs
- Free. With Pro, tap Edit next to Exercises to name the moves, and the app calls each one before it starts.
Four-block Tabata
Four Tabatas, each with its own move, and a minute's recovery between blocks. The kettlebell block needs a bell you can swing safely when you're tired.
- Moves
- Burpees, kettlebell swings, mountain climbers, jump squats
- Set up
- Advanced: Rounds 4 with Repeat Rounds off, 8 exercises per round at 00:20, Rest 00:10, Round Recovery 01:00
- Needs
- Pro, for the Advanced builder and a different move in each round
Tabata questions
How long is a Tabata workout?
One Tabata is four minutes: eight rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Many sessions string two to four Tabatas together with a minute or two of recovery between them, plus a warm-up and cooldown.
Is Tabata the same as HIIT?
Tabata is one kind of HIIT. HIIT covers any training that alternates hard efforts with recovery; Tabata is the specific 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, eight-round version.
Can I do Tabata with the free version of Intervals One?
Yes. The Simple builder is free: set Work to 20 seconds, Rest to 10, Exercises to 8 and Rounds to 1. Pro adds ready-made Tabata presets, names for each move, and the Advanced builder for a different move in each block.
What exercises work best for Tabata?
Full-body moves you can push hard and still do safely: squats or jump squats, burpees, mountain climbers, kettlebell swings, or an exercise bike or rower. Avoid anything where your form falls apart when you're tired, like heavy lifts.
Will the app tell me when to switch?
Yes. It announces each stage ("Work for 20 seconds", "Rest for 10 seconds"), says when you're halfway through a work round, and counts down the last three seconds. Prefer beeps? Switch to them, or add haptics. With Pro, it also says the name of the next move.
More ways to train
Your next four minutes are already planned.
Download Intervals One, set 20 on and 10 off, and press start.