Interval Run workout guide
Tabata-Style 20/10: an Eight-Round Interval Timer
Twenty seconds of work, ten seconds of rest, repeated eight times: the Tabata-style preset is a compact way to time repeated efforts. The pattern is simple, but the name can hide important differences between a timer and a training protocol. Here is exactly what the app includes and how to use the sequence.
What does 20/10 mean?
Each round contains one 20-second work interval and one 10-second rest. Eight rounds total 160 seconds of work and 80 seconds of rest. The timer includes the eighth rest, so it finishes at four minutes rather than stopping immediately after the last effort.
Those four minutes are the repeated interval block, not a complete exercise session. The preset includes no warm-up, cool-down, exercise selection, or instructions for technique. Arrange preparation and recovery separately according to a suitable training plan.
Why we call it Tabata-style
The 1996 Tabata study used repeated 20-second bouts with 10-second rests during demanding cycle training over six weeks. Matching the interval lengths in an app does not match the exercise, intensity, or training programme, and does not guarantee the same fitness changes.
The exact workout sequence
Follow the rows in order. Repeat every step inside parentheses the stated number of times, including the recovery in each repeat.
| Step | Sequence | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 × (20 sec work + 10 sec rest) | 4 min |
- 8 × (20 sec work + 10 sec rest)
The app supplies timing and cues. It does not set your pace or a personal training plan.
Choose the session before starting the timer
Decide what movement you will do and how you will recover before you start. Ten seconds is a short transition, so avoid relying on it to move equipment or work out the next exercise. The generic Work and Rest cues tell you when the interval changes; they do not coach the movement.
The library marks this template Hard, but a difficulty label cannot assess your fitness or the demands of a particular exercise. Do not treat the short duration as evidence that the session is easy. Adjust or stop the activity when needed rather than trying to satisfy the timer.
Set it up in Interval Run
Find Tabata-Style 20/10 in the iPhone Library. Check the eight repeats, then use the preset or save a copy to customize. Voice cues announce Work and Rest. Preview the sequence so you know that the last ten seconds are a rest, not an additional work interval.
Save the workout on iPhone and sync it to Apple Watch if you want to follow the timer from your wrist. Changing repetitions, adding preparation, or extending rests changes the total duration. Library access and advanced editing depend on the app’s Pro features.
Take this workout with you
After downloading, find Tabata-Style 20/10 in the app’s Library.
Use this guide to review the sequence before you start.
Questions about this workout
Does any 20/10 workout count as the original Tabata protocol?
No. Timing is only one part of a training protocol. This app preset supplies the interval structure; it does not prescribe an exercise or reproduce the study’s workload.
Can I add a warm-up or longer rests?
Use the workout builder to customize a saved copy. Review the new total before starting. Keep the original preset when you want the exact eight-round sequence shown here.