Interval timer: a free HIIT and Tabata timer

The interval timer on this page runs entirely in your browser and needs no app download — pick a preset or set your own work and rest times, and it counts you through every round with clear audio and voice cues. It covers the most common formats searched for: a true Tabata timer (20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest), general HIIT timer intervals, and EMOM (every minute on the minute) training.

How to use the interval timer

Pick one of the built-in presets — Tabata 20/10, HIIT 40/20, EMOM 60/0, or a balanced 30/30 — or enter your own work time, rest time and number of rounds. Press start, and the timer counts down each phase with a visible label ("work" or "rest"), a countdown clock, and the current round out of your total. A distinct chime marks each transition, and the last three seconds of any phase get a quick tick sound so you can react without staring at the screen.

Understanding the presets

Tabata (20 seconds maximal effort, 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times for 4 minutes total) was originally developed as a short, extremely intense protocol and remains a popular short-format finisher. HIIT 40/20 gives a longer work period at a slightly more sustainable intensity, suited to circuit-style bodyweight or kettlebell work. EMOM (every minute on the minute) sets a task to complete within each 60-second window, with any leftover time in that minute serving as your rest — the faster you finish the task, the more you rest, which naturally self-paces the workout to your fitness level.

Choosing work and rest times for your goal

Shorter work periods with a similar or longer rest (like 20/10 or 30/30) suit maximal-effort, short bursts — sprints, battle rope waves, or heavy kettlebell swings. Longer work periods with shorter rest (like 40/15 or 45/15) suit steadier conditioning work like jump rope, rowing intervals, or bodyweight circuits where you're pacing yourself across the whole work period rather than going all-out for a few seconds. As a general guide, harder efforts need proportionally more rest to stay high-quality across all rounds; if your last few rounds fall apart in quality, the ratio you chose was too aggressive for the exercise or your current conditioning — dial back the work time, extend the rest, or reduce the round count until every round looks close to the first.

Safety and using this well

Warm up for a few minutes before your first hard interval, especially for anything explosive like burpees or jump squats, and choose a total round count and intensity that matches your current fitness rather than copying an advanced routine on day one. As with any vigorous exercise, stop for chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness, and check with a doctor first if you have a heart condition or are new to intense exercise. Beginners generally do better starting with fewer rounds and a gentler ratio, then adding rounds or shortening rest as conditioning improves over several weeks rather than jumping straight to a demanding protocol.

Pairing the timer with your training

The interval timer works well for cardio finishers after strength training, standalone conditioning days, or timed circuits built from any of the exercises across this site — see the jump rope, battle ropes and kettlebell equipment pages for exercises well suited to interval formats. Estimate the energy cost of a session with the calories burned calculator, and see ready-made interval sessions in the 15-minute HIIT workout and 20-minute Tabata workout.

Voice cues in your language

Alongside the tone-based chimes, the timer can announce phase changes with a short spoken cue ("go", "rest", "done") in your selected language, matching the same voice system used by the 3D coach elsewhere on the site. This is particularly useful for anyone training without looking at a screen — set the timer running, put your phone or tablet aside, and rely on the audio to guide each round of a kettlebell circuit, a bodyweight interval, or any exercise where checking a screen mid-set would break your form or rhythm.

Privacy

The timer runs locally in your browser with no account or download required — your settings aren't sent anywhere, and audio cues play directly from your device, so it works even with a patchy connection once the page has loaded.