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TabBench

HIIT & Tabata Interval Timer

An interval timer for Tabata, HIIT, EMOM, boxing rounds and circuits. Set work, rest, rounds and sets, hear tones for each change, and run it full screen.

Runs in your browser. Nothing you add is uploaded.

What the HIIT & Tabata Interval Timer does

Interval training alternates hard effort with rest, and it only works if the timing is exact. This interval timer is built for that: set a get-ready period, work and rest lengths, rounds and sets, or pick a classic such as Tabata, HIIT 30/30, EMOM, three-minute boxing rounds or a circuit. A large display shows the current interval, round and set, what is next and the total time left; tones mark each change and the last three seconds count you in. It works full screen on a phone or a TV.

How to set up an interval workout

  1. Pick a preset (Tabata, HIIT, EMOM, boxing, circuit) or set your own under Workout.
  2. Set the get-ready time, the work and rest lengths, the number of rounds and sets, and any rest between sets or cool-down.
  3. Press Start. The display shows the current interval in large numbers, with the round and set.
  4. Listen for the tone at each change and the three-second countdown. Use the arrows to skip or go back, and Pause if you need to stop.
  5. Use the full-screen button to put the timer on a phone propped up, or on a TV, and turn sound off under Sound and screen if you prefer silence.

The HIIT & Tabata Interval Timer runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or logged.

When to use it

HIIT and Tabata workouts

Set hard efforts of 20 to 40 seconds with short rests and let the tones tell you when to go and when to stop.

Boxing, martial arts and sparring

Use three-minute rounds with one-minute rests for as many rounds as your session needs.

Timed study or practice blocks

Alternate focused practice and rest for music, language drills or any task that benefits from fixed intervals.

Good to know

  • Include a 10-second get-ready period so you are in position when the first work interval starts.
  • For EMOM, set work to 60 seconds and rest to 0: a tone sounds at the start of each minute.
  • Keep the screen awake: the timer asks for it, but phones may override it in battery saver mode.
  • Sets are useful for circuits: rounds are the exercises, and the rest between sets is a longer recovery.
  • Use Back to restart the current interval, or press it twice within two seconds to go to the previous one.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tabata?

A high-intensity interval protocol of 20 seconds of all-out effort and 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds (4 minutes). It is named after Izumi Tabata, the Japanese researcher whose 1996 study tested the protocol.

What does EMOM mean?

“Every minute on the minute”: you start a set of work at the top of each minute, and whatever time is left in the minute is your rest. Set work to 60 seconds and rest to 0, and the timer sounds at each minute.

Will it keep time if my phone screen locks?

The timer works from the clock, so it stays accurate, and it asks your browser to keep the screen on while running. If the screen does lock, tones can be delayed by the browser, so keep the screen on during a workout.

What is the difference between rounds and sets?

A round is one work interval plus its rest. A set is a group of rounds, for example eight Tabata rounds, followed by a longer break before the next set.

Does it stay accurate if I pause or skip?

Yes. Everything is calculated from elapsed time, so pausing, skipping and going back recalculate exactly and the timing does not drift.

Can I use it without sound?

Yes. Set the alarm sound to Silent under Sound and screen, and follow the colour change and large display. Vibration and notifications are also available.

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