Tabata vs HIIT: What's the Difference and Which One Should You Do?

Tabata has become a catch-all word for short, timed HIIT. Big box gym group classes slap "Tabata" on 45-minute circuits, or spin classes, but the original 4-minute protocol is quite different.

HIIT is the umbrella that Tabata sits under, and it's quite the spicy way of getting your high intensity training in, and not typically where you'd start as a beginner. Knowing what is HIIT vs Tabata will help you choose more wisely, because they won't give you the same results (and one is a lot less fun than the other).

What Is HIIT?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) means switching between hard efforts and easier recovery periods. The high intensity sections are usually around 80 to 95% of your max heart rate (heavy breathing, can't talk long), and the recovery can be a slow jog, easy pedaling, or pacing around while you wait for your heart rate to come down a bit.

Intervals can be on the shorter side, like 30 seconds, or longer, up to 2 to 4 minutes depending on your intensity and fitness level. An entire HIIT workout is usually between 15 and 30 minutes because the effort can't (and shouldn't) be sustained for hours and hours like it can with steady state cardio. If you can do HIIT for hours, your intervals aren't intense enough.

You can do HIIT with bodyweight, light weights (like metabolic conditioning), a bike, rower, track, treadmill, or whatever cardio machine you prefer. If you do interval training consistently, it'll build your VO2 max, which is how much oxygen your body can use during hard exercise, and is a strong predictor of longevity. Steady state can build VO2 max as well, but you can get it done with HIIT much faster.

What Is a Tabata Workout?

Tabata is a specific HIIT protocol that is strictly timed. As originally designed, you go all out for 20 seconds, rest for 10, and repeat eight times for a four-minute round.

It gets its name from Dr. Izumi Tabata, who tested it on Japan's speed skaters in the 1990s. The skaters did eight rounds of 20 seconds all-out with 10 seconds of rest on a bike and improved both their aerobic fitness and their anaerobic capacity (how much work your muscles can do when oxygen can't keep up) in six weeks. The original intensity was roughly 170% of VO2max, a pace most of us can hold for about as long as it takes to say "170% of VO2max."

What you'll see in a lot of group classes or app workouts are four of those four-minute rounds stacked together with a minute of rest in between them. Common Tabata workout exercises are bodyweight moves like burpees, squat jumps, and mountain climbers for the work periods.

HIIT vs Tabata: What's the Difference?

What's the difference between Tabata and HIIT is timing, rest, and intensity. While Tabata is a type of HIIT, it's a bit of an outlier compared to typical HIIT workouts.

One of the biggest differences between standard HIIT and tabata is the ratio of work to rest. Standard HIIT usually lets you rest at least as much time as you work so you can recover enough for the next interval. Tabata gives you half as much rest as work, so you're not fully recovered before you have to go again. Fatigue piles up with Tabata, so as you go on, you're not likely to be performing at the same level you did at the start.

Tabata vs HIIT: Which Is Better?

If you really want to build your cardio performance, longer intervals are best. HIIT intervals of two minutes or more produce bigger VO2max gains than very short ones, and they're the only interval style that consistently beats steady cardio head to head. In experienced trained runners, four minute intervals improved VO2max about twice as much as 20/10 Tabata rounds in the research, though the Tabata group was the only one to improve anaerobic capacity.

Tabata is ideal if you want to get better at short, super powerful efforts, like sprints, or in field sports or hockey, or even the last 200 meters of a row. Longer interval HIIT is better for building up your aerobic base. For the everyday person, it's worth knowing that Tabata is much less enjoyable than HIIT.

In a study comparing the two where untrained adults did Tabata, milder intervals, or steady cardio for eight weeks, everyone improved about the same, but the Tabata group rated their workouts significantly less enjoyable. So, take from that what you will, with the understanding that sticking to the thing is what gives you the best results over time.

HIIT vs Tabata for Weight Loss

HIIT and Tabata can both support weight loss. Research finds HIIT to be about even with steady state cardio for fat loss as well, though you can do HIIT in about 40% less time for the same results. One review did find interval training to lead to slightly more fat loss than moderate cardio, but it's not a huge difference.

A single four-minute Tabata round burns around 50 to 60 calories, which is about the same as one banana. A full 20-minute bodyweight session burns closer to 240 to 360 calories. Still, very low-volume HIIT does little for body fat on its own because you need the diet part to make any real progress. One 12 week study found that Tabata built muscle and aerobic fitness but didn't lead to any fat loss, but other studies have found Tabata cutting body fat, so it really depends on the rest of your habits, especially your diet.

If you have a fat loss goal, aim for at least 75 minutes of interval work per week for eight weeks or more, with your work intervals being under a minute and recovery under 90 seconds. Of course, you'll also want to eat in a modest deficit or you'll be spinning your wheels to nowhere.

Who Should Do Which?

You should really only do Tabata if you're already fit. It's ideal if you're short on time and want to boost your anaerobic capacity. Tabata workouts for beginners should start with just one or two 4-minute rounds because trying to do four rounds of truly all-out effort is going to be a tough ask when you're not used to it.

Do the standard type of HIIT if you're newer to more intense training or if you're carrying extra weight or coming back after a break from exercise (a low impact HIIT workout is a great place to start if jumping isn't your thing). It's also a good call if you are trying to build your aerobic base.

The longer work periods with HIIT include enough time to fully recover a bit more and help you keep up your intensity without getting too fatigued. If you are brand new to exercise or have a heart condition, you'll want to talk to your doctor before doing either HIIT or Tabata because going all out is a bigger risk for you.

Either way you shouldn't do intervals every day. Two or three times a week is enough to get you results while still letting you recover.

Read More: How Often Should You Work Out?

HIIT vs Tabata Workout: Try Both

You can do either of these workouts with just body weight or you can add REP® Kettlebells, a slam ball, or a plyo box. Purist® Pre-Workout 20 minutes beforehand helps if you train first thing in the morning. Be sure to warm up a bit first.

4-Minute Tabata HIIT Workout (Bodyweight)

• Burpees: 20 seconds all out, 10 seconds rest
• Squat jumps: 20 seconds all out, 10 seconds rest
• Mountain climbers: 20 seconds all out, 10 seconds rest
• Push-ups: 20 seconds all out, 10 seconds rest
• Repeat once for 8 intervals (4 minutes). Rest 1 minute and add a second round once you can finish without the room spinning.

20-Minute HIIT Workout (Bike, Rower, or Running)

An air bike works best for this one because you can switch from all out to easy pedaling instantly, without waiting for a treadmill belt to catch up. If you have the Strive™ Air Bike, these Strive™ Air Bike VPR™ workouts are worth trying, too.

• 4 minutes hard (about 85 to 90% of max heart rate)
• 3 minutes easy recovery
• Repeat for 3 rounds (add a fourth as you get fitter)
• Beginner version: 1 minute hard, 2 minutes easy, 7 rounds

For more ways to mix it up, try this HIIT training treadmill workout or these three air bike workouts.

Takeaway

Tabata is HIIT with the intensity dial cranked alllll the way up. It's short and not-so-sweet, but gets the job done if you want to work on your anaerobic fitness. Classic HIIT that has longer intervals helps you build aerobic fitness better and is easier to keep doing without overfatiguing yourself. If your goal is fat loss, either one will work and they will save you time compared to steady-state cardio, as long as you do enough of it and keep your diet in check.

FAQs

What are the main differences between Tabata and HIIT workouts?

Tabata is a specific type of HIIT with fixed timing of 20 seconds all-out effort and 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times for a four-minute round. Regular HIIT uses longer work intervals (usually 30 seconds to four minutes), more rest between efforts, and a slightly lower intensity you can repeat for 15 to 30 minutes. Tabata is better for anaerobic power and time efficiency, while longer-interval HIIT builds more aerobic fitness and tends to be more enjoyable.

Which is more effective for weight loss: HIIT or Tabata?

Neither one has a clear advantage for fat loss, since results depend mostly on total weekly volume and your diet. A single four-minute Tabata round burns only around 50 to 60 calories, so on its own it does little for body fat. Longer HIIT sessions or multiple Tabata rounds that add up to 75 minutes or more per week, done for at least eight weeks alongside a calorie deficit, produce fat loss similar to steady cardio in less time.

Is Tabata good for beginners?

True Tabata is tough for beginners because the all-out intensity and 10-second rests pile on fatigue fast. If you're new to hard training, start with classic HIIT using one-minute efforts and two minutes of recovery, then work up to one or two four-minute Tabata rounds. Anyone with a heart condition or who has been inactive for a long stretch should check with a doctor before starting either.