Boxing Timer Tabata timer on iPhone: 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 off
A kitchen timer set for 4 minutes out of habit runs past when the app stops. Open Setup, tap HIIT, choose Tabata: 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 of rest, after a 5-second prep. It's 3:55 total, not 4:00, because there's no rest tacked on after round eight.
How long is a Tabata workout?
8 intervals of 20 seconds of hard work, each followed by 10 seconds of rest. People call it 4 minutes as shorthand, but that last 10-second rest never actually happens, since the block is finished once round 8 ends. The app's preset reflects that and stops dead, no tail.
| Part | Calculation | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Prep countdown | once, before round 1 | 0:05 |
| Work | 8 x 20 s | 2:40 |
| Rest | 7 x 10 s (none after round 8) | 1:10 |
| Total | 3:55 |
Is Tabata always 4 minutes?
One block is about 4 minutes, but many classes chain several blocks. With this app you can run longer sessions by building a custom timer with more rounds of 20/10. The catch: every rest in a timer is the same length, so there is no longer break between blocks.
| Rounds | Work | Rest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 (the preset) | 2:40 | 1:10 | 3:55 |
| 16 | 5:20 | 2:30 | 7:55 |
| 24 | 8:00 | 3:50 | 11:55 |
How to set a Tabata timer on iPhone
- Open the app and tap the list icon at the top left for Setup.
- Tap the HIIT chip and then Tabata. Close the sheet.
- Check the cards: PREP 0:05, ROUND 0:20, REST 0:10. Tap Play.
- Work when the ring is green. With 5 seconds left in each work interval you hear the clacker and feel a vibration: that is your cue to finish strong.
- Recover while the ring is blue. The bell marks every switch, so you never have to look.
- After round 8 the screen shows DONE and the session goes into History as 8 rounds · 3min 55s.
To run 16 or 24 rounds, go to Setup > Custom Timer, set Rounds, then Round 0:20, Rest 0:10 and Prep to your liking, and tap Use Once or Save & Use.
Can I use a Tabata timer with music?
Yes. Start your playlist first, then the timer — the bell and warning clacker sit on top of the music instead of pausing it, and both still fire with the silent switch on or the phone locked. There's no separate in-app volume, so the balance between music and bell comes down to the phone's one slider.
Tips
- With only 10 seconds of rest, the Pro Voice Coach can count 3, 2, 1 at the end of each rest so you are in position for the bell.
- If you want a slower rhythm, try HIIT 40/20 (12 rounds, 11:45) or HIIT 30/30 (16 rounds, 15:35) from the same chip.
- Tap Pause to stop the clock; the time you spend paused is not counted in History.
Questions and answers
Why does my Tabata show 3:55 instead of 4:00?
Can I add a longer rest between Tabata sets?
Does the Tabata timer work with the screen off?
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