Tabata vs HIIT

	Tabata	Other HIIT
Work	20 s	20 s to 4 min
Rest	10 s	Usually as long as the work, or longer
Rounds	8	4 to 20
Length	4 min per block	10 to 30 min
Effort	As hard as you can	Hard but controlled, about 80 to 95% of max heart rate

The real difference: rest

Tabata gives you half as much rest as work, so you never fully recover and every round gets harder. Many HIIT formats, such as 30/30 or the 4×4, give you as much rest as work or more, so you can hold a high quality for every round ².

Which should you choose?

• Short on time: one or two Tabata blocks after a warm-up.
• New to intervals: start with more rest, such as 20/40 or 30/30, and try Tabata later.
• Endurance and VO2max: longer intervals, such as 4×4 ².
• Class or circuit: Tabata blocks with a different move in each, with a minute of rest between blocks.

Both work. Studies of HIIT in general show better fitness gains than steady cardio, whatever the exact format ³.

Free toolTry both in your browserTabata 20/10, HIIT 40/20 and 30/30, free.→

Sources

1. Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, et al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28(10):1327-1330. doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199610000-00018
2. Helgerud J, Høydal K, Wang E, et al. Aerobic High-Intensity Intervals Improve VO2max More Than Moderate Training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(4):665-671. doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3180304570
3. Milanović Z, Sporiš G, Weston M. Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Continuous Endurance Training for VO2max Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. Sports Med. 2015;45(10):1469-1481. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0