RhythmFitDownload

title: HIIT and Tabata description: 20/10 Tabata, 30/30 intervals, and custom interval blocks.

HIIT and Tabata

Tabata is the canonical high-intensity protocol: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times — total 4 minutes plus warm-up and cool-down. RhythmFit ships with a configured template, but it's worth knowing how to dial your own.

Using the built-in template (30 seconds)

  1. Open Library

    Bottom tab bar → Library. Tabata lives under the HIIT category, near the top.

  2. Preview the template

    Tap Tabata 4 min. You see the block list: warm-up · 8× work/rest · cool-down. BPM defaults to 150 — fast enough to feel like work, slow enough to keep form.

  3. Add and start

    Tap Add to My Library, then Start. The first time you do this the workout is also copied to your My tab so you can edit it without losing the original.

Building a custom HIIT block by block

The blocks you'll want for a typical interval workout:

| Block | Phase | Typical duration | BPM | Voice cues | | ---------------- | -------- | ---------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------- | | Warm-up jog | warmup | 5 min | 130 | "Easy pace, breathe through the nose" | | Work | work | 20–60 s | 150–170 | "Drive your knees", "Go!" | | Rest | rest | 10–60 s | 80 | "Recover. Long exhale." | | (repeat 4–10 ×) | | | | | | Cool-down walk | cooldown | 5 min | 100 | "Walk it out, slow your breathing" |

  1. My tab → ＋ → Create manually

    The manual creator opens to an empty block list.

  2. Add a warm-up block

    Tap ＋ Block. Pick warmup as the phase, type "Warm-up jog", set 5 minutes, BPM 130. Optionally add a pre-block note like "Light jog, no sprinting yet."

  3. Add work / rest pairs

    Tap ＋ Block, phase work, duration 20 s, BPM 160. Then ＋ Block, phase rest, duration 10 s, BPM 80.

  4. Duplicate the pair seven times

    Long-press the work block → Duplicate → drag below the rest. Repeat. Or use the bulk-duplicate shortcut at the bottom of the block list — pick Repeat last 2 blocks × 7.

  5. Cool down

    ＋ Block, phase cooldown, 5 minutes, BPM 100.

  6. Save and name

    Top-right Save. Give it a name like "My Tabata 20/10".

Custom HIIT block list
The block list view in CreateView with a typical Tabata structure.

Common variations

  • 30 / 30 (beginner) — 30 s work, 30 s rest, 8–12 rounds. Easier rest-to-work ratio. BPM 140.
  • 45 / 15 (intermediate) — favored for kettlebell complexes. BPM 150.
  • EMOM (every minute on the minute) — 60 s blocks, set work duration to the time you actually need (e.g. 40 s) and add a 20 s rest block. RhythmFit handles the carryover.
  • As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) — use a single 10-min work block with in-block reminders like "Stay smooth", "Halfway", "Two minutes". Skip the rest blocks.

Related