Tabata Intervals on the Bike, 8 x 20/10
Eight near-maximal efforts of 20 seconds with 10 seconds of soft pedaling, the original Tabata format on the bike, short and very demanding.
- Duration
- 38 min
- Effort
- 34
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus zone
- Anaerobic
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy spin, build gradually | 10 min | 45 → 72% FTP54 → 74% HRmax |
| 2 | Warm-upEndurance Steady and easy | 5 min | 60-70% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 2 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | Warm-upAnaerobic Short opener | 15 s | 130-150% FTP90-100% HRmax |
| 3.2 | Warm-upEndurance Easy | 105 s | 55-65% FTP65-78% HRmax |
| 8 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 4.1 | IntervalAnaerobic Near all out, keep rpm above 85 | 20 s | 160-200% FTP90-100% HRmax |
| 4.2 | RecoveryRecovery Soft pedal | 10 s | 30-45% FTP85-100% HRmax |
| 5 | RecoveryRecovery Easy spin, recover | 5 min | 40-55% FTP50-65% HRmax |
| 6 | Cool-downRecovery Easy spin, let the legs settle | 10 min | 60 → 40% FTP65 → 50% HRmax |
About this workout
The Tabata protocol comes from a 1996 study by Izumi Tabata and colleagues on a cycle ergometer. Subjects rode 20 second efforts at about 170% of the power linked to their VO2max, with 10 seconds of rest, for seven to eight repeats until they could no longer keep the cadence. After six weeks both VO2max and anaerobic capacity had improved.
The real protocol is short and brutal. The main set lasts 4 minutes, but every effort is close to maximal and the last ones are a fight to keep the pedals turning. In practice the first efforts land somewhere around 160 to 200% of FTP, and power falls from there. Treat the range as a guide and ride by effort.
This is a session for experienced and healthy riders in the build or peak phase. Do not stack it with other hard days, and stop if your cadence falls below about 80 rpm.
Tips
- Use resistance or slope mode, because ERG mode cannot follow a fading all-out effort.
- Keep the cadence high, around 90 to 110 rpm, in every effort.
- Set up fan and bottle beforehand, since the 4 minutes leave no time to adjust anything.
Origin
Protocol from Tabata and colleagues, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 1996.
Good forCriteriumRoad race
Season phaseBuildPeak